The School Board of Escambia County voted Tuesday to adopt revised student codes of conduct that will introduce random drug screenings for student drivers, ban blankets and pillows from classrooms, and update rules on cellphone use and dress standards when more than 37,000 students return in August.
The board approved both the elementary and secondary codes at its regular meeting April 22 at the J.E. Hall Educational Services Center. The changes were developed by a standing committee of students, teachers and principals that meets twice a year to review conduct policies.
The most significant new rule applies to high school students who drive and park on school property. Under the revised secondary code, those students must consent to random drug screening as a condition of holding a parking permit. A student who refuses to submit faces revocation of parking privileges. The policy applies to on-campus parking only.
Other changes span dress policy and classroom behavior. The revised code prohibits students from wearing or bringing blankets, robes or pillows to school. Hemline standards were updated for secondary students. Cellphone usage rules were also revised. Dr. Michael Roberts, the district's director of middle school education, described the code as the operational foundation for every school. Board member Tom Harrell, a former principal, said the document reflects the same values it has always carried under an earlier name.
A public hearing on the revised codes is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. June 16 in Room 160 at the J.E. Hall Center, 30 E. Texar Drive. After the hearing, the codes take effect when the 2026-27 school year opens Aug. 12. The revision process runs annually, with students, teachers and principals on the conduct committee recommending changes to the full board each spring.