School - Community Relations

Policy Title: Honoring Individuals, Groups of Individuals or Organizations Code No: 1002

This policy provides guidelines to be used for honoring individuals, groups of individuals or organizations.

1. Nomination Criteria

a. A minimum of 30 years of service to the Fruitland School District and retired from the Fruitland School District for at least five years,

b. Continued support and service to a Fruitland school and/or the Fruitland School District,

c. Personal achievements of highest distinction in an academic, professional, or public service role, while maintaining close ties with and providing significant support to a Fruitland school and/or the Fruitland School District.

2. Nomination Proposal

A written proposal shall be submitted to the school district committee established by the Fruitland School District Board of Trustees for review and recommendation to the Board. The proposal will include all information documenting how the individual, group of individuals or organization meets the established criteria as listed in district policy. The nomination shall be signed by a minimum of ten (10) district patrons five (5) of which can be current school district employees.

3. Selection Committee

The school district selection committee will consist of 2 members of the Fruitland School District Board of Trustees, two (2) school district parents/patrons, one school principal, one certified staff member and one classified staff member appointed by the Board of Trustees.

4. Selection Process

The selection committee will review the nomination proposal and will recommend approval or non-approval of the nomination proposal to the Board of Trustees at its next regular meeting.

5. Final Action

The Board of Trustees will review the recommendation of the selection committee at its next regular meeting. If the nomination proposal is approved the Board will arrange for a plaque or banner honoring the individual, group of individuals or organization to be displayed in a highly visible place in the school district building or site deemed most appropriate. The individual, group of individuals or organization will be recognized at an appropriate school function or program.

Adopted: Legal Reference:

11-10-08

Policy Title Selling and Advertising on School Property Code No. 1004

Agents and solicitors of all sorts are prohibited from advertising or soliciting sales through the schools and no person shall distribute advertising matter on the school premises unless authorized by the Board of Trustees.

Magazine sales campaigns and others that tend to compete with local businesses are prohibited unless authorized by the Board of Trustees.

Date of Adoption:

1979

Revised 3/9/92, 1/13/93

Policy Title Relations with School-Connected Organizations Code No. 1006

The Board of Trustees recognizes the value of the local PTO, High School Boosters, PSA and 4-H groups to the school and community and will cooperate to the fullest extent with these organizations. Other support groups will be granted permission to use the school facilities through the principals, Superintendent and Board of Trustees.

Date of Adoption:

1979

Revised 3/9/92, 1/13/93

Policy Title Sportsmanship Resolutions Code No. 1007.1

WHEREAS, The ideal of sportsmanship permeates virtually every aspect of our culture. The ethic of fair play may be witnessed in all facets of life.

WHEREAS, The ideal of sportsmanship has often been relegated to a secondary role. A need exists to again make this role primary, and to restore placement of interscholastic activities in an educational perspective.

WHEREAS, Everyone associated with an athletic event - coaches, athletes, officials, cheerleaders, spectators, and school administration play an important role in seeing that standards of sportsmanship are up held before, during and after a contest is played.

BE IT RESOLVED, the Fruitland School District defines sportsmanship as those qualities of behavior which are characterized by generosity and genuine concern for others.

The Spectator. . .

1. Never boos a player or official.

2. Appreciates a good play, no matter who makes it.

3. Exercises self-control and displays good judgment in every action.

4. Gains an understanding and appreciation for the rules of the contest.

The Player. . .

1. Lives clean and plays hard. Plays for the love of the game.

2. Wins without boasting, loses without excuses and never quits.

3. Respects officials and accepts their decisions without question.

4. Never forgets that they represent their school.

The Coach. . .

1. Inspires in athletes a love for the game and the desire to win.

2. Teaches them that it is better to lose fairly than to win unfairly.

3. Leads players and spectators to respect officials by setting them a good example.

4. Demonstrates the principles of integrity and dignity of the sport at all times.

In order to promote and recognize sportsmanship, the Fruitland School District is supporting the state wide effort sponsored by the Idaho High School Activities Association to encourage sportsmanship. At the conclusion of each basketball season awards will be given to spectators from each school who has exemplified good sportsmanship.

Please join us as we teach our youth the benefits of sportsmanship.

Date of Adoption:

September 11, 1995

Policy Title Charter School Policy Code No. 1009

Charter Schools

A charter school is a public, non-religious, publicly funded school which is accountable for the provisions set forth in its charter petition and its contract as negotiated by the District. The charter school shall operate independently within the boundaries of the District, and it shall be responsible for its own operation including, but not limited to, personnel matters, preparation of a budget, and contracted services.

A charter school may be formed by creating a new school or converting an existing public school to charter status. The District cannot authorize the conversion of any private or parochial school to a charter school. A charter school cannot be operated for profit.

A charter school shall be subject to all federal and state laws including, but not limited to, laws concerning discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, birth, ancestry, national origin, family relationship, personal or political patronage, or handicap. A charter school is exempt from the rules of the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, except for the issue of teacher certification.

Involvement with the charter school by any student, parent/guardian, or employee must be voluntary. Enrollment must be open to any student who resides within the District. Nonresident students may be admitted to a charter school, but priority must be given to admission of resident students. A charter school shall not charge tuition or fees except those fees normally charged by other public schools.

A charter school must accomplish all of the following:

1. improve student learning;

2. include the use of different and innovative teaching methods;

3. create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site;

4. provide parents and students with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system;

5. be accountable for meeting measurable student educational standards.

District Liability

Idaho law provides that the Board and the District have no liability for the acts, omissions, debts or other obligations of a charter district, except as may be provided in an agreement or contract between the District and a charter school. The charter school shall defend, hold harmless and indemnify the Board against any claim, action, loss, damage, injury liability, cost or expense of any kind or nature, including, but not limited to, attorney’s fees and court costs, arising out of the operation of the charter school and/or arising out of the acts of omissions of the agents, employees, invitees or contractors of the charter school. The charter school also shall maintain a policy of general liability insurance, errors and omissions insurance and any other type of insurance necessary to provide coverage for the potential losses described in this paragraph, which policy shall list the Fruitland School District #373 as an additional insured.

The policy of insurance shall have limits of liability of not less than $3 million per person and $3 million per occurrence. The charter school shall provide to the District proof of such insurance prior to the opening of the charter school and by the date stipulated in the contract.

Each charter school shall:

1. be organized and managed under the Idaho nonprofit corporation act;

2. have a board of directors to act as public agents to control the charter school and have the same responsibilities and liability as any governing board of public education;

3. be considered a public school for all purposes.

Limits to Authorization

Except in cases where fewer than twelve (12) charters are approved by October 1 of a year,

1. not more than one (1) charter may be granted in the District for any one (1) school year;

2. not more than two (2) charters per school year may be approved for the educational region of the District.

Time Line for Establishing a Charter School

The Board will only accept charter school petitions during one period each year. The Superintendent or designee shall determine dates for:

1. advertising the submission of statement(s) of intent;

2. the submission of petition(s);

3. the public meeting for the purposes of considering the merits of the petition(s) and the level of employee and parental support for the petition;

4. the deadline for the Board to make a decision concerning the petition(s);

5. the deadline for extensions of the petition process, if applicable;

6. the deadline for the contract to be signed.

Technical Assistance for Preparation of a Charter School Petition

A statement of intent should be submitted by the potential charter school group to the District at least one month prior to the petition deadline.

The Superintendent or designee may provide technical assistance for a charter school applicant over issues of compliance with District policy and procedure. The assistance from the District should be consistent with the assistance provided to other charter school applicants and should be within the limits of District resources.

Petition Requirements

State law requires that the Board can only consider a petition:

1. if the petition to convert an existing school, has signatures from not less than 60% of certificated personnel currently assigned to that school and from parents/guardians of not less than 60% of the students currently attending that school;

2. if the petition to use a nonpublic school facility has been signed by not less than thirty (30) qualified electors of the District.

Charter school applicants must submit the District’s Charter School Petition Application during the filing period. Applicants who fail to submit a petition by the deadline shall automatically be denied the opportunity to establish a charter school for the school year specified in the petition application.

Criteria for Approving a Petition

The Board may approve a charter school petition if the petition:

1. appears to have sufficient support from District parents/guardians, teachers, patrons, and students;

2. has the elements of a sound plan for the charter school’s educational philosophy and mission, board of directors, instruction, students, community relations, personnel, administration, financial management, non-instructional operations, school facilities, and relations with the District;

3. has a reasonable plan for procuring the required material resources;

4. has the human resources necessary to implement the proposal;

5. has a stable governance structure with competent, ethical leadership;

6. admits the liability of the charter school board of directors and shows proof of liability insurance coverage or eligibility for the coverage;

7. offers a choice which is not available in any of the schools in the District;

8. is submitted in accordance with District policies and procedures on charter schools;

9. meets all of the requirements of the law.

The Board may choose to interview key members of the charter school team prior to making a decision on the petition. The interview will be open to the public. The Board, Superintendent or designee may also choose to visit the charter school facility. If a site has not been identified at that time, the Board, Superintendent or designee reserves the right to visit the facility at a later date.

Board acceptance of the petition shall be contingent on the approval of the petition by the State Board of Education and on the signing of a contract by both the Board and the board of directors of the charter school. Both parties must sign a contract within eight (8) months from the granting of a petition or the petition shall be null and void. A charter school shall begin in the fall immediately following the signing of the contract, unless otherwise stated in the contract.

Charter School Appeal Process

If the Board grants a charter for the conversion of an existing school within the District over the objection of thirty (30) or more persons or employees of the District, or denies a petition for the establishment of a new charter school for any reason including, but not limited to, failure by the petitioner to follow procedures or for failure to provide required information, then such decisions may be appealed to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, at the request of persons opposing the conversion of an existing school, or at the request of the petitioner whose request for a new charter was denied.

There shall be no appeal of a decision by the Board which denies the conversion of an existing school within the District to a charter school, or which grants a petition for the establishment of a new charter school.

Development of a Charter School Contract

The Board delegates to the Superintendent or designee the development of a charter school contract through negotiations with the representative(s) of the applicant. The negotiated contract requires the approval of the Board and of the charter school’s board of directors.

A Board contract with a charter school shall include, but not be limited to:

1. the length of the contract;

2. the original petition and any subsequent changes or revisions agreed upon by both parties;

3. all agreements including, but not limited to, service contracts and the release of the charter school from specified Board policies;

4. detailed plans for the charter school’s educational philosophy and mission, board of directors, instruction, students, community relations, personnel, administration, financial management, non-instructional operations, school facilities, and relations with the District, and any other information required by District policies and procedures on charter schools;

5. documentation of the charter school’s insurance coverage, including health, automobile liability for student transportation, general liability, property, officer and employee liability which shall be provided to the District prior to the opening of the school and annually for the duration of the contract;

6. complete documentation of ownership or lease of a facility, and of certification, that the building satisfies all requirements for fire, safety, and accessibility for the disabled prior to the opening of the charter school and by the date stipulated in the contract;

7. a copy of the charter school’s incorporation documents, bylaws, contracts, and any other documents;

8. the requirement that the District be named as a lien holder on any of the real or personal property of the charter school’s nonprofit corporation.

Use of District Services and/or Facilities

A charter School may contract with District to provide services or facilities to the charter school. The District will charge for the services or facilities at a rate which is stipulated in the contract.

If the charter school will use a District facility, the contract will:

1. identify the facility;

2. outline the permissible use;

3. provide for joint inspection and notation of the initial condition of the building;

4. limit the permissible alterations of the facility;

5. allow District inspection of the facility;

6. determine the operational costs to be paid by the parties, including, but not limited to, utilities, maintenance and custodial services;

7. determine the manner in which the building must be restored to its original condition at the end of the leasing period;

8. provide for alternative arrangements or termination of the charter school in the event the facility is damaged or destroyed.

Personnel

1. Charter school employees are not employees of the District.

2. The staff of the charter school shall not be a part of the District’s employees collective bargaining unit.

3. Should the staff of the charter school elect to participate in collective bargaining, they will be separate and independent from the District for purposes of collective bargaining.

4. A District certificated employee who leaves the District for employment at a charter school, but requests to be reemployed by the District within two (2) years of the date that

he/she was last employed by the District shall be provided, if appropriate, with a position similar to the one held prior to leaving the District.

5. A charter school certificated employee who requests to be reemployed by the District after two (2) years, but within (5) years, of the date that he/she was last employed by the District, shall be placed on manifests, as appropriate in compliance with District policies and procedures, and as a part of the District’s process for new employees if the employee is seeking an assignment in the same area of certification as when he/she was formerly employed by the District and if the employee provides the District with the following information: an updated transcript and resume, a recommendation and/or evaluations from the charter school, and an indication of his/her preferences for assignment(s), grade(s), or subject(s).

6. A charter school certificated employee who requests to be reemployed by the District after two (2) years of the date that he/she was last employed by the District and who is seeking an assignment in a different area of certification as when he/she was formerly employed by the district must apply through the District’s equal opportunity employment procedures.

7. A charter school certificated employee who requests to be reemployed by the District after five (5) years of the date that he/she was last employed by the District must apply through the District’s equal opportunity employment procedures.

8. A charter school certificated staff member who has never been employed by the District and who wishes to be employed by the District, must apply through the District’s equal opportunity employment procedures.

9. Return of former District employees to the District during an academic year shall be at the sole discretion of the District.

10. Certificated teachers who are hired by the District from a charter school shall have their charter school experience count on the salary schedule the same as the certificated employees hired from other school districts.

11. Charter school certificated employees who are reemployed by the District shall receive full credit for their years of service in the District.

12. The board of directors for the charter school shall provide coverage for their employees with the public employee retirement system, federal social security, unemployment insurance and worker’s compensation insurance.

Evaluation of the Charter School

The Board shall retain the right to evaluate at any time the degree to which the charter school is meeting the terms of the contract. The Superintendent or designee may have a District representative or an independent evaluator:

1. visit the charter school;

2. review the charter school’s records and data;

3. directly survey the charter school’s parents/guardians, students, employees;

4. audit the books of the charter school;

5. pursue any other reasonable means of determining accountability for the charter school contract.

To enact any of the above measures, the Superintendent or designee must state the specific nature of the concern and the concern must be substantial. The request must be reasonable in terms of the timing and the amount or types of information required.

Annual Report and Renewal of Charter Contract

Each of the district’s charter schools shall annually submit a report to the District. The report shall include an audit of financial operations conducted by an independent auditing firm and an audit of the charter school’s programmatic operations, which includes a report on student progress as outlined in the school’s contract.

The Board may grant a renewal of the contract for one (1) or more subsequent years. No renewal shall exceed five (5) years. A material revision of the terms of the charter school contract requires the approval of the Board and the charter school’s board of directors.

Termination and Nonrenewal

The Board may terminate the contract during the term of the charter or refuse to renew the charter if the Board finds that the charter school has:

1. failed to substantially meet one or more of the student educational standards identified in the charter contract; or

2. committed a material violation of any condition, standard or procedure set forth in the charter petition or contract; or

3. failed to meet generally accepted accounting standards of fiscal management; or

4. lost substantial support of the school’s parents, staff, and/or community; or

5. violated any provision of the law; or

6. failed to submit required reports to the District; or

7. filed for bankruptcy or financial reorganization and is unable to pay its creditors; or

8. shown that it is not in the best interest of students for the school to continue operation.

Except in emergency situations, the Board will provide thirty (30) days written, prior notice and an opportunity for the charter school’s board of directors to be heard by the Board before the Board can terminate a charter school contract. A decision to terminate or not to renew a charter may be appealed directly to the State Board of Education.

Upon renewal or termination of the charter school contract, all records of students residing in the District shall be immediately transferred to the District

DEFINITIONS:

Measurable Student Educational Standards: The extent to which students demonstrate that they have attained the skills and knowledge specified as goals in the school’s educational program.

Date of Adoption: Legal Reference: (Code of Idaho)

July 13, 1998

Policy Title Volunteer Assistance Policy No. 1011

The district recognizes the valuable contribution made to the total school program through the volunteer assistance of parents and other citizens. In working with volunteers, district staff shall clearly explain the volunteer’s responsibility in school, on the playground and on field trips. On field trips both students and volunteers are to be informed of the rules of student behavior and the means by which they are to be held accountable to those rules.

Definition of Volunteer

Volunteers are persons who assist in school or District programs. Volunteers are encouraged to use their time and effort to support school and District programs.

A volunteer shall be an individual who:

• Has not entered into an express or implied compensation agreement with the District;

• Is excluded from the definition of “employee” under appropriate state and federal statutes;

• May be paid expenses, reasonable benefits, and/or nominal fees in some situations; and

• Is not employed by the District in the same or similar capacity for which he/she is volunteering.

Volunteers who have unsupervised access to children are subject to the District’s policy mandating background checks.

The school district volunteer application defines procedures for utilization of volunteers. The procedures will facilitate effective communication with persons who volunteer. The selection and use of volunteers will be consistent with the procedures outlined in the volunteer application packet.

The final decision to accept or reject a volunteer applicant rests exclusively with the school principal.

Date of Adoption:

October 9, 2006