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K - General Public Relations Note: This manual is currently not being updated online. We are in the process of updating the online manual and will post the updates soon.
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SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS The Board, in an effort to ensure and enhance the possibilities for excellence in the education of our children in a free society, presents and endorses this statement of policy on school and community relations because of its conviction that (a) the public schools belong in every sense to the people who created them by consent, and support them by taxation; (b) the schools are only as strong as the intelligent and informed support of the people of the community, and never any stronger; and (c) the support of the people must be based upon their knowledge of their understanding about, and their participation in the aims and efforts of the public schools. The Board therefore reaffirms and declares its design and intent:
USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES The School Board believes the functions of school buildings and grounds shall be to accommodate approved school programs for students and to assist in meeting community needs. Use of school buildings by the community shall be considered a secondary function and shall be scheduled at times which do not interfere with regular school activities. Civic, religious, governmental, school organizations and Board approved groups may use school facilities. The usage of school facilities by individuals or groups shall be based on a properly documented application and governed by a signed lease agreement between the individual or group and the Board. The lease agreement shall contain, but not be limited to, the following:
The Board shall direct the Superintendent to maintain appropriate administrative regulations and procedures governing the use of school facilities, which shall include fees to be charged and appropriate amounts of liability insurance coverage. The Board reserves the right to refuse any request to use facilities which:
The Board shall prohibit the use of any facility under its governance for the purpose of partisan political activities. Revised: July, 2000 Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:81; Board
minutes, 5-9-00. VISITORS TO THE SCHOOLS The School Board welcomes and encourages parents and other school patrons to visit the schools at appropriate times; in fact, special programs and visiting days may be planned throughout each school year to provide opportunity for such visits. If at all possible, visits should be pre-arranged. Principals are authorized to take necessary steps in dealing with unauthorized visitors. Principals shall be responsible for establishing procedures that will protect instructional time and ensure the safety and welfare of students, teachers and staff members. Each school shall designate one main entrance/exit. Any other entrance/exit shall be at the discretion of the principal who is authorized to take the necessary steps to secure those entrances/exits. Visitor is defined as anyone other than the school system personnel paid at the site in question. All visitors shall report to the principal's office immediately upon coming onto school grounds for their visit and will be required to sign a "visitors' log" upon arrival/departure. Visitors will be assigned passes at the discretion of the principal or his designee. For record keeping purposes, the visitors' log shall remain on site in accordance with existing policy. The Board, in accordance with state law, shall authorize principals, school administrators, or school security guards to search the person, and any item in the possession of a person who is not a student enrolled in school, or any school employee, while in or on any school property. The search may be conducted at random with metal detector or physically when there is reasonable suspicion that such person has in their possession any weapons, illegal drugs, alcohol, stolen goods, or other materials in violation of Board policy. Revised: December, 1991 Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:416.6,
17:416.10; Board minutes, 3-17-92, 4-29-97, 6-17-97. PUBLIC COMPLAINTS Constructive criticism of the schools is welcomed by the Calcasieu Parish School Board whenever it is motivated by a sincere desire to improve the quality of the educational program or to equip the schools to do their tasks more effectively. The Board has, however, confidence in its professional staff and desires to support their actions in order that they be free from unnecessary, spiteful, or negative criticism and complaint. Therefore, whenever a complaint is made directly to the Board as a whole or to a Board member as an individual, it will be referred to the school administration for study and possible solution. The Board advises the public that the proper channeling of complaints involving instruction, discipline, or learning materials is as follows:
The Board will consider hearing citizen
complaints when they cannot be resolved by the administration. Matters referred
to the Board must be in writing and should be specific in terms of the action
desired. The Board will not consider or act on complaints that have not been
explored at the appropriate administrative level. |