903 - Public Participation in the School District

903 - Public Participation in the School District dawn.gibson.cm… Wed, 07/06/2022 - 09:19

903.1 - School - Community Groups

The board values the participation and the support of school district - community groups, including, but not limited to, the Booster Club, the Music Parents, and parent-teacher organizations, which strive for the betterment of the school district and the education program. The board will work closely with these groups.

Prior to any purchase of, or fund-raising for, the purchase of goods or services for the school district, the group shall confer with the superintendent to assist the group in purchasing goods or services to meet the school district’s needs.

Funds raised by these groups for the school district may be kept as part of the accounts of the school district.

It shall be the responsibility of the building principal and/or activity director to be the liaison with the school district – community groups affiliated with the building principal's attendance center.

Approved: 7-1-92
Reviewed: 12-13-99, 12-09-02, 01-09-06, 023-05-06, 12-14-15
Revised: 5-17-22

dawn.gibson.cm… Wed, 07/06/2022 - 09:26

903.2 - Community Resource Persons and Volunteers

The board recognizes the valuable resource it has in the members of the school district community. When possible and in concert with the education program, members of the school district community shall be asked to make presentations to the students or to assist employees in duties other than teaching when volunteering would be appropriate considering the needs of the educational program. The volunteer may be asked to agree to an appropriate background check as a condition of serving as a volunteer. The school district shall officially recognize the contributions made by volunteers on an annual basis.

Recruitment, training, utilization, and the maintenance of records for the purposes of insurance coverage and/or recognition of school volunteers is the responsibility of the superintendent.

Approved: 7-1-92
Reviewed: 12-13-99, 12-09-02, 01-09-06, 02-05-09, 12-14-15
Revised: 5-17-22

dawn.gibson.cm… Wed, 07/06/2022 - 09:24

903.3 - Visitors to School District Buildings and Sites

The board welcomes the interest of parents and other members of the school district community, and invites them to visit the school district buildings and sites. Visitors, which include persons other than employees or students, must notify the principal of their presence in the facility upon arrival and sign in. Visitors who do not notify the principal of their presence in school district buildings or on sites may be considered trespassers.

Persons who wish to visit a classroom while school is in session are asked to notify the principal and obtain approval from the principal prior to the visit so appropriate arrangements can be made and so class disruption can be minimized. Teachers and other employees shall not take time from their duties to discuss matters with visitors.

Visitors shall conduct themselves in a manner fitting to their age level and maturity and with mutual respect and consideration for the rights of others while attending school events. Visitors failing to conduct themselves accordingly may be asked to leave the premises. Children who wish to visit school must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

It shall be the responsibility of employees to report inappropriate conduct. It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent and principals to take the action necessary to cease the inappropriate conduct. If the superintendent or principals are not available, the school district employee shall act to cease the inappropriate conduct.

Approved: 7-1-92
Reviewed: 12-13-99, 12-09-02, 01-209-06, 02-05-09, 12-14-15
Revised: 5-17-22

dawn.gibson.cm… Wed, 07/06/2022 - 09:25

903.4 - Public Conduct on School Premises

School district sponsored or approved activities are an important part of the school district program and offer students the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities not offered during the regular school day. School district sponsored or approved activities are provided for the enjoyment and opportunity for involvement they afford the students.

The board expects that students, employees, and visitors will treat each other with respect, engage in responsible behavior, exercise self-discipline, and model fairness, equity, and respect. Individuals violating this policy will be subject to discipline. Students will be disciplined consistent with the student conduct policies and the law. Employees will be disciplined consistent with employee discipline policies and laws. Others will be subject to consequences according to this policy.

Individuals are permitted to attend school district sponsored or approved activities or visit school district premises only as guests of the school district, and accordingly, as a condition of such permission, they must comply with the school district's rules and policies. Individuals will not be allowed to interfere with or disrupt the education program or activity, the enjoyment of the students participating and/or other individuals or with the performance of students, employees, and officials supervising the school district or school district sponsored or approved activity. Individuals, like the student participants, are expected to display mature, responsible behavior and sportsmanship. The failure of individuals to do so is not only disruptive but embarrassing to the students, the school district, and the entire community.

To protect the rights of students to participate in the education program or activities without fear of interference or disruption and to permit the school district officials, employees, and activity sponsors and officials of the school district sponsored or school district approved activities to perform their duties without interference or disruption, the following provisions are in effect:

Abusive, verbal or physical conduct of individuals directed at students, school district officials, employees, officials, and activity sponsors of school district sponsored or school district approved activities or at other individuals will not be tolerated.
Verbal or physical conduct of individuals that interferes with the performance of students, school district officials, employees, officials, and activity sponsors of school district sponsored or school district approved activities will not be tolerated.
The use of vulgar, obscene or demeaning expression directed at students, school district officials, employees, officials, and activity sponsors participating in a school district sponsored or school district approved activity or at other individuals will not be tolerated.
If an individual becomes physically or verbally abusive, uses vulgar, obscene or demeaning expression, or in any way interrupts a school district sponsored or school district approved activity, the individual may be removed by the individual in charge and may be excluded from school district premises by the superintendent.

If an individual has been excluded from school district premises by the superintendent, the individual may receive a written notice of exclusion. The notice will advise the individual of the school district’s right to exclude the individual from school district premises and school district sponsored or school district approved activities and the duration of the exclusion. If the individual does not comply with the notice of exclusion, the individual will be asked to leave and will be advised that the individual’s failure to leave may result in prosecution. The school district may obtain a court order for permanent exclusion from school district premises and future school district sponsored or school district approved activities.

Approved: 12-10-07
Reviewed: 02-05-09, 12-14-15
Revised: 5-17-22

dawn.gibson.cm… Wed, 07/06/2022 - 09:23

903.5 - Distribution or Display of Materials

The board recognizes that students, employees, parents or citizens may want to distribute or display materials within the school district that are non-curricular. Non-curricular materials to be distributed or displayed must be approved by the building principal and meet certain standards prior to their distribution.

Approved: 11-14-94
Reviewed: 12-13-99, 12-09-02, 12-09-02, 01-09-06, 02-05-09, 06-11-12, 12-14-15
Revised: 5-17-22

dawn.gibson.cm… Wed, 07/06/2022 - 09:19

903.5R1 - Display or Distribution of Materials Regulation

I. Guidelines

Individuals, including students may have the right to distribute or display on school district premises, at reasonable times and places, unofficial written material, petitions, buttons, badges or other insignia, except expression which:

(a) is obscene to minors;
(b)   is libelous;
(c) contains indecent, vulgar, profane or lewd language;
(d) advertises any product or service not permitted to minors by law;
(e) constitutes insulting or fighting words, the very expression of which injures or harasses other people (e.g., threats of violence, defamation of character or of a person's race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age or ethnic origin);
(f) presents a clear and present likelihood that, either because of its content or the manner of distribution or display, it will cause a material and substantial disruption of the proper and orderly operation and discipline of the school district or school district activities, will cause the commission of unlawful acts or the violation of lawful school district regulations.

Distribution or display on school district premises of material in categories (a) through (d) to any student is prohibited. Distribution or display on school district premises of material in categories (e) and (f) to a substantial number of students is prohibited.

II. Procedures.

Anyone wishing to distribute or display unofficial written material must first submit for approval a copy of the material to the building principal at least twenty-four hours in advance of desired distribution or display time, together with the following information:

1. Name and phone number of the person submitting the request and, if a student, the homeroom number.

2. Date(s) and time(s) of day of intended display or distribution;

3. Location where material will be displayed or distributed;

4. The grade(s) of students to whom the display or distribution is intended

Within twenty-four hours of submission, the principal will render a decision whether the material violates the guidelines in subsection I or the time, place, and manner restrictions in subsection III of this policy. In the event that permission to distribute or display the material is denied, the person submitting the request should be informed in writing of the reasons for the denial. Permission to distribute or display material does not imply approval of its contents by the school district, the administration, the board or the individual reviewing the material submitted.

If the person submitting the request does not receive a response within twenty-four hours of submission, the person shall contact the building principal's office to verify that the lack of response was not due to an inability to locate the person. If the person has made this verification and there is no response to the request, the material may be distributed or displayed in accordance with the time, place, and manner provisions in subsection III.

If the person is dissatisfied with the decision of the principal, the person may submit a written request for appeal to the superintendent. If the person does not receive a response within three school days of submitting the appeal, the person shall contact the superintendent to verify that the lack of response is not due to an inability to locate the person. If the person has made this verification and there is no response to the appeal, the material may be distributed or displayed in accordance with the time, place, and manner provisions in subsection III.

At every level of the process the person submitting the request shall have the right to appear and present the reasons, supported by relevant witnesses and material, as to why distribution or display of the written material is appropriate.

III. Time, Place and Manner of Distribution.

The distribution or display of written material is prohibited when it negatively affects the safety of students on school district premises or otherwise disrupts school district activities. The distribution or display of unofficial material shall be limited to a reasonable time, place, and manner as follows:

1. The material shall be distributed or displayed at a table set up for the purpose in a location designated by the principal. The location shall not block the safe flow of traffic, block the corridors or entrance ways or negatively affect the safety of students and shall give reasonable access to students.

2. The material shall be distributed or displayed either before and/or after the regular instructional day.

3. No written material may be distributed or displayed during and at the place of a normal school district activity if it is reasonably likely to cause a material and substantial disruption of the activity.

IV. Definitions.

The following definitions apply to the following terms used in this policy:

1. Obscene to minors is defined as:

(a) The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the written material, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest of minors of the age to whom distribution or display is requested;

(b) The material depicts or describes, in a manner that is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community concerning how such conduct should be presented to minors of the age to whom distribution or display is requested, sexual conduct such as intimate sexual acts (normal or perverted), masturbation, excretory functions, and lewd exhibition of the genitals; and

2. Minor means any person under the age of eighteen.

3. Material and substantial disruption of a normal school district activity is defined as follows:

(a) Where the normal school district activity is an educational program of the school district for which student attendance is compulsory, material and substantial disruption is defined as any disruption which interferes with or impedes the implementation of that program.

(b) Where the normal school district activity is voluntary in nature (including, without limitation, school district athletic events, school district plays and concerts, and lunch periods), material and substantial disruption is defined as student rioting, unlawful seizures of property, widespread shouting or boisterous demonstration, sit-ins, stand-ins, walk-outs or other related forms of activity.

In order for expression to be considered disruptive, there must exist specific facts upon which the likelihood of disruption can be forecasted including past experience in the school district, current events influencing student activities and behavior, and instances of actual or threatened disruption relating to the written material in question.

4. School district activities means any activity of students sponsored by the school district and includes, by way of example but not limited to, classroom work, library activities, physical education classes, official assemblies, and other similar gatherings, school district athletic contests, band concerts, school district plays and in-school district lunch periods.

5. Unofficial written material includes all written material except school district newspapers, literary magazines, yearbooks, and other publications funded and/or sponsored or authorized by the school district.

Examples include leaflets, brochures, flyers, petitions, placards, and underground newspapers, whether written.by students or others.

6. Libelous is a false and unprivileged statement about a specific individual that tends to harm the individual's reputation or to lower him/her in the esteem of the community.

7. Distribution means circulation or dissemination of written material by means of handing out free copies, selling or offering copies for sale, and accepting donations for copies. It includes displaying written material in areas of the school district which are generally frequented by students.

V. Disciplinary Action.

Distribution or display by any student of unofficial written material prohibited in subsection I or in violation of subsection III may be halted, and students may be subject to discipline including suspension and expulsion. Any other party violating this policy may be requested to leave school district property immediately and, if necessary, local law enforcement officials will be called.

VI. Notice of Policy to Students.

A copy of this policy will be published in student handbooks and posted conspicuously in school district buildings.

dawn.gibson.cm… Wed, 07/06/2022 - 09:21