Article 3 Community Relations 3000 Introduction 3005 Introductory Statement 3010 Advertisement and Promotion 3011 Bulletin Boards, Displays, and Posted material 3012 Publications, Radio and Television 3020 Purchasing and Business Representatives 3030 Ordering of Supplies and Equipment 3040 Board Meetings and Media Coverage 3045 Participation by the Public 3046 Complaints Involving School Personnel 3047 Complaints About Instructional Materials 3050 Citizens’ Advisory Committees 3060 Visiting School 3065 Parent-Teacher Conferences 3066 Public Activities Involving Staff, Students, or School Facilities 3067 Soliciting Funds From and By Students 3068 Request to Contact Students 3070 Use of School Facilities 3071 Facility Use Contract 3073 Damage to Facilities or Equipment 3080 Relationship with other Governmental Agencies 3090 Relationship with Area, State, Regional, and National Organizations Article 3 Community Relations COMMUNITY RELATIONS The Wynot Board of Education believes that an informed and involved public will be more supportive of school purposes and programs. To that end, the superintendent of schools is directed, through personal action and through the delegation of the authority of the office, to encourage patron attendance at all public meetings of the board of education, student events, and other school programs, utilizing in a timely manner the local media and school newsletters, calendars, and announcements. Nothing herein shall be construed to mean that the public shall have access to information which would violate any state or federal law or which would violate the privacy of any student or any employee of this school district. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS The Wynot Public Schools superintendent shall make available to the board of education and to make available to the patrols of the school district the following: 1. A summary of the standardized norm-referenced assessment instruments used by the school district as it has been administrated to students in selected grades; 2. A summary of such criterion-referenced assessment instruments as are used by the school district to demonstrate acquisition of competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics and any other criterion-referenced assessment instruments as the school district may from time to time elect to use; 3. A report pertaining to the school district including but not limited to student performance, school system demographics, and financial information; 4. The results of periodic follow-up studies of information as the superintendent of schools, subject to the approval of the board of education, may deem appropriate. School officials shall report this information through publication in newspapers of general circulation, by school newsletters, radio, or by such other means as deemed appropriate by the board of education for the dissemination of the information appropriate for patrons of the school district. A summary of these materials shall be available for public review in the business office during normal office hours. Nothing herein shall be construed to mean that the public shall have access to information which would violate any state or federal law or which would violate the privacy of any student or any employee of this school district. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 Bulletin Boards, Display Case, and Posted Material 3011 School bulletin boards, display cases, and posting areas are for the purposes of conveying information about school activities and programs to students, staff, and the visiting public as deemed appropriate by the appropriate principal(s). It is anticipated that the building principal(s) will use their discretion on posting or displaying non-school related information. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Publications, Radio, and Television The board of education welcomes the active participation of print and electronic mass media in promoting educational programs in the Wynot Public Schools. All resultant news coverage of academic or extracurricular activities must be presented in the public interest. No identification of the school with the promotion of any commercial or political enterprise will be permitted. All radio and television broadcasts of any school activity or contest originating from school district facilities must be coordinated through the office of the building principal sponsoring the activity. Companies interested in such broadcasts will: contact the superintendent or designee to gain permission and make arrangements for attending the activity; any company interested in broadcasting an activity will be responsible for all necessary equipment, transmission lines, power sources, and accompanying expenses. any company interested in broadcasting an activity will be responsible for any financial and legal liabilities pertaining to its own equipment and personnel. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Purchasing and Business Representatives 3020 No school employee or student shall visit with or discuss business matters of a personal nature with any representative during the hours that school is in session, or that the school employee is on duty in the school, except by permission of the principal or superintendent. Any agent or business representative calling on school personnel about school matters such as textbooks, publications of the school, class insignia, athletic equipment, school equipment, school supplies, building and maintenance equipment and supplies, etc., shall first obtain permission of the principal or superintendent before contacting other school personnel. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Ordering of Supplies and Equipment 3030 Any school employee who orders any supplies or equipment without written authorization of the superintendent of schools or their designee shall be personally liable for that purchase. School employees or students purchasing supplies and equipment out of an activity account must first secure a requisition form from the principal and/or sponsor authorizing the purchase. Failure to do so will cause the individual to be held personally liable for that purchase. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Board Meetings and Media Coverage 3040 In accord with statute, all regular and special board of education meetings, except for emergency meetings, will be posted in the office of the business office, school entry, bank, and post office. All postings will include meeting place, time, date, and a current agenda can be secured from the business office of the schools. Meeting minutes summaries will be furnished to the local newspaper. Ordinarily, on major school issues, either the board president or the superintendent of schools, or their designee will be identified as chief spokesperson for the district but other board members and school officials will be available for discussion as circumstances warrant. All school representatives, upon approval of the board of education, are encouraged to promote activities that are in the interest of the general public and are in the best interest of their students. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Participation by the Public The board of education is open to and encourages input on school issues from the public; however, the board prefers that individuals or groups with school-related concerns first attempt to resolve these concerns through established administrative channels. Matters concerning a specific school (elementary / secondary) shall first be discussed with the principal of that school. If the problem is not resolved at the school level, it should then be brought to the superintendent of schools. If the problem is not resolved satisfactorily at the superintendent’s level, it should then be brought before the board of education by utilizing one of the following approaches: a. Requesting a formal agenda item by contacting the superintendent of schools or their designee, or the board president prior to the regular monthly meeting which, unless otherwise announced, is held on the second Thursday of each month. Possible board responses to formal patron concerns include, but may not be limited to: Directing the superintendent of schools, or their designee, to remedy the situation; tabling the matter for further study; appointing an ad hoc board committee to further study and/or resolve the matter; scheduling a special meeting to hear the issue; not taking any action on the concern Because of the potential of introducing bias into board hearings on termination cases, complaints on individual employees will only be received by the board of education through the superintendent of schools, or their designee. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Complaints Involving School Personnel The board of education places great trust in its employees and desires to support their actions in such a manner that employees are freed from unnecessary, spiteful, or negative criticism or complaints. All staff, students, and patrons are advised to attempt to resolve school-related disputes at the point of their origin. Any meetings between employees and student, parent, etc., are to be reported to the principal prior to their occurrence. Unresolved complaints which need further resolution should proceed as outlined in Policy 3045 (Policy 3045 - Participation by the Public); from the employee, to the principal, to the superintendent, or their designee, and if unresolved, to the board of education. Complaints not resolved at the teacher-parent level shall be reported to the superintendent of schools, or their designee. Any complaint first received at a higher level should promptly be redirected to the appropriate level for its review and appropriate resolution. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Complaints about Instructional Materials 3047 All formal complaints about instructional materials must be presented in writing. When a written complaint is completed and returned to the principal, the principal will discuss the issue and the procedures to be followed in resolving the issues with the person filing the complaint. The complaint will then be brought to the attention of the school administrators. The principal with whom the complaint was filed shall also advise those faculty members who may use the instructional material that a complaint has been filed. The school administrators shall decide whether to appoint a building-level review committee or a district-level review committee to study the complaint. The principals will convene building-level review committees. These building-level committees shall consist of five or more committee members composed of staff and community patrons. The superintendent of schools or his designee will convene district-level review committees. These district-level committees shall consist of five or more members composed of staff and community patrons. The review committee shall consider district philosophy, the professional judgment of teachers, reviews of the material by other competent authorities, compatibility with the school district’s adopted curriculum, the teachers’ stated goals, as well as the views of the complainant. The review committee’s recommendation and all accompanying rationale shall be forwarded to the board of education for its review and final decision. The school board’s decision may be to remove the material in question from district use, to modify the material for continued use, or to reject the complaint and continue to use the material. Any materials identified in a complaint may remain in use pending its review and its disposition by the board of education. Principals may, upon written request of parents or guardians, excuse students from using the material, or may direct teachers to use suitable substitutes. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Citizen Advisory Committees From time to time, the board of education will exercise its discretion in appointing citizens’ committees to perform specific duties or give general advice concerning school issues and activities. In addition, some committees will be appointed as adjuncts to educational programs in order to comply with the regulations set forth by accrediting agencies or other government bodies. 1. All of the above referenced committees serve at the discretion of the board of education, they shall not assume duties or authority on any matters other than those explicitly defined by the board. 2. Prior to establishing a committee, the board of education will discuss the need for establishing the committee with the superintendent of schools, or their designee. Recommendations for membership to the committee will be accepted from subcommittees of the board of education, the administration, and former committee members, but all committee membership lists will be formally approved by the board of education at any official meeting of the board of education. 3. All committees, unless otherwise specified at the time they were formed, will be dissolved and cease to function at the close of each school year. 4. All board members will be regarded as ex officio members of each citizen’s committee. Individual board members may be designated as liaison between the board of education and the individual committees. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Parents, guardians, and other interested individuals are encouraged to visit the school(s) and are to be made welcome by the respective building staffs and student bodies. Visitors shall report to the business office before proceeding to the classroom. Visits to school by children of preschool age or children not in school are discouraged. School officials will hold such events as kindergarten round-up to provide opportunities for preschool children to become familiar with school facilities and staff. Contacts during school hours with non-school individuals and agencies for materials, service, or programs may be made only with the approval of the principal. For security reasons, all school personnel and students are asked to see that all visitors are courteously directed to the business office. Likewise, all agents, etc., should report to the business office before approaching any person within the building. Employees in school buildings shall immediately report to the principal any person loitering on or near the school grounds. If necessary, the principal will notify the appropriate law enforcement agency to investigate the situation. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Parent-Teacher Conferences 3065 It is recommended that a parent-teacher conference, or acceptable substitute, be held in both the elementary and junior-senior high schools each year. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 Public Activities Involving Staff, Students, or School Facilities All employees are encouraged to participate in community organizations and activities. The school board feels that school-community relations are enhanced when school personnel interact with other people within the community. This interaction serves to informally transmit school information to patrons of the community and to gather public opinion on the school’s effectiveness and its activities. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Soliciting Funds from and by Students All teachers shall earnestly seek to educate pupils in the services performed by the humanitarian agencies and shall encourage pupils to participate in their support as a social and community project. Students may engage in raising funds, under the control of school officials, provided the project has the approval of the principal of the school involved and the superintendent of schools, or their designee. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Request to Contact Students 3068 Any person other than a school employee who comes to the school to talk to, or take a pupil out of school, must obtain permission of the building principal, or the superintendent of schools, or their designee, prior to contacting the pupil. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 The board of education takes the position that the use of school facilities by various education and community organizations is in the interest of the general public. All buildings, grounds, and property (real and personal), owned by the district, shall be deemed as school property. The term “facilities” shall include any of the buildings of the school district and/or the outside areas on school property. The board of education grants to the superintendent of schools, or their designee, authority to authorize the use of any school facilities for non-school activities, according to policy guidelines. A “waiver of rental fee” must be approved by the superintendent of schools, or their designee. The rental of the granting of the use of any school facility shall not interfere with school activities. A master schedule for all school district and non-school activities shall be kept current and shall be available for review in the business office of the schools. This schedule shall be the only official schedule for the school district. Any person, persons, or organization, either within the school system or from the general public, must initiate a request for use of the school facilities with the office of the superintendent of schools. Since the board of education is responsible for safeguarding the facilities and the equipment of the school district, it therefore deems it the board’s responsibility to set forth a rental charge which will offset the cost of replacement or depreciation, thereby protecting the taxpayer’s investment. Rental fees shall fall into one of the following categories: 1. NOT FOR PROFIT – This shall include those school or group(s) within the public or parochial schools who would use the school facilities for the expressed purpose of conducting a school-related activity. Schools shall mean any secondary school activity associated with the Nebraska School Activities Association, or any public or parochial agency which offers education or educational services to youth prior to graduation from high school. Although this group may charge an admission fee for an activity, the rental fee may be waived, as any admission fee would be used to offset the need for tax subsidies to be used in the financial support of the activity. Applicants in this category shall receive FIRST PRIORITY in any request for use of any school facility. 2. FOR PROFIT – Service Organizations - This shall include any person, persons, or organizations within the boundaries of Cedar County – Wynot School District who use school facilities to offer goods or services to the general public for a fee or other monetary consideration. The rental fees for major school facilities shall be determined by the superintendent, or their designee. The facility rental fees shall be reviewed annually by the board of education. Before any contract is considered finalized, information sheets shall be circulated to, completed by the building principals, and returned to the business office of the schools acknowledging availability and future use of the facility. Once the sheet has been returned to the office of the superintendent of schools, the potential renter of the facility shall be notified of final approval of the rental and that the event has been scheduled. Upon notification of the final approval, the use fee shall be collected in advance, and a copy of the signed contract shall be given to the applicant. Legal Reference Regulations and Guidelines for Rental of Wynot Public School Facilities The school facility will be rented to individual groups at a rate of $20 per hour.
Signature Date
Signature Date WYNOT PUBLIC SCHOOL I understand that there are certain health risks associated with exercise. Therefore, I agree to assume the responsibility for any injury or health problems that may develop. My signature below indicates that I am willing to follow the guidelines posted in the Weight Room and release Wynot Public School from any liability for personal injury resulting from exercising in the weight room. I further agree that I will only exercise when I have a partner in the room with me. DATE NAME TIME IN TIME OUT _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________ _________ _______________________ __________ __________
Congratulations on your efforts to develop an exercise routine to improve you health and fitness. In order to provide a safe environment and to prevent any complications associated with the use of the weight room the following guidelines must be following. Guidelines: I understand there are certain health risks associated with exercise. Therefore, I agree to assume the responsibility for any injury or health problems that may develop as a result of exercise. I also agree to assist in enforcing the above rules to ensure a safe and well maintained weight room. I understand that failure to follow these rules may result in loss of the use of this privilege. Wynot Public School reserves the right to schedule activities and /or close this facility. Scheduled activities take precedent over individual access. _________________________________ ______________ COMMUNITY RELATIONS Once a school facility has been determined to be available for rental, a rental contract shall be executed between the renter or an authorized representative of the organization renting the facility and the superintendent of schools and/or designee. The contract shall specify the following: Name of the person, persons, or organization responsible for renting the facility and who will be responsible for any loss, breakage, or damage to rental equipment. Date and time(s) of the activity. Site and required equipment Rental fee and any deposit required. Legal Reference Damage to Facilities or Equipment Any person or organization renting school facilities or equipment shall be prepared to pay the actual cost of repair or the cost of replacing any facility or equipment which may become damaged during the rental period. Refusal to pay for damage shall be sufficient and justifiable grounds for the school to refuse any request for further rentals from the individual or organization. Legal Reference COMMUNITY RELATIONS Relationship with other governmental Agencies A. Police and Fire Departments The administration shall insure that a cooperative effort is maintained between the officials of the school district and law enforcement agencies. It is paramount that the rights of the school, the home, the civil authorities, and the individual are clearly understood and protected. Educational program designed to make the youth of our schools sensitive to the need for and the practice of good safety habits may be sponsored jointly by the school district and the fire department. The school staff and administrators are urged to cooperate with personnel of the fire department and law enforcement in every possible way. B. Health Departments The Wynot Public Schools shall cooperate with health agencies in developing procedures for the control of communicable diseases in the school. All procedures shall conform to the regulations for the communicable disease control set up by the state health department. It shall be the responsibility of the principal and school nurse to assist in meeting the provisions of the health department concerning communicable and contagious diseases by promptly reporting to the superintendent of schools, or their designee, the presence of any such disease. Re-entry of students diagnoses as having been infected with a communicable disease will be allowed only upon the recommendation of a licensed medical authority, and the school will reserve the right to seek independent medical advice on such situations. The Wynot School District will participate in school immunization clinics if approved, recommended, and directed by county or state health agencies. The Wynot Public Schools may participate in the services offered by Educational Service Unit No. 1 and/or other regional agencies if the services meet the educational needs of the students of the district. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 COMMUNITY RELATIONS Relationship with Area, State, Regional, and National Organizations 3090 The Wynot Board of Education supports the concept of membership for this school district in associations which will enable our school and our students to benefit from cooperative development and supervision of our educational program. The board, in entering into any such membership, recognizes and agrees that any administrative or legal action contemplated by the board in the name of the schools must conform to the published policies, rules and regulations of any such association. If conflict between the policies, rules and regulations of this school district and those of any association in which this district maintains membership should arise, the board reserves the right to decide whether its policies, rules and regulations should be placed in harmony with those of the association, or the membership should be terminated. Legal Reference Bylaw Adopted 2/7/06 |