Ethical Recruiting

Ethical and Collaborative Recruiting Practices Fine Arts (revised 2/16/2023)

It is the expectation in the Sioux Falls School District that all faculty and staff refrain from influencing students in their decision as to where they attend school.

Any communication, either written or verbal, directed to a student and/or parent/guardian to persuade them to attend a school outside of their home attendance area (HAC), is considered undue influence upon the school selection decision-making process of a student or parent/guardian.

Undue influence exerted by any Sioux Falls School District employee or volunteer coach/director constitutes an attempt to recruit students outside the school’s HAC. Any Sioux Falls School District employee or volunteer coach/director found to be recruiting students enrolled outside the schools HAC may be subject to the disciplinary action outlined in the collective bargaining agreement.

Guidance for fine arts teachers:

• • • In a collaborative spirit, teachers/directors should encourage all students to stay enrolled in fine arts courses regardless of the high school they intend to attend.

    •  If access is granted to high school directors, surrogates, or performance tours, at a middle school with a split HAC, access must be equal for all high schools associated with that school. Performance tours should be in the respective HS HAC schools only.

    •  HS directors may visit schools to talk with students in their respective HS HAC only. If there is a split HAC in the program, directors must use due diligence to avoid exerting undue influence on students that are outside of their respective HAC within that middle school. See attached

    •  Directors may directly contact (mail, email, phone, etc.) all students/families in their HAC.  This includes honors students and Spanish Immersion students who fall within the HS HAC. Students in honors and SI all have a specific HAC even though they are in the specialized program at the middle school level. 

    • If middle schools are using high school facilities such as an auditorium in a split HAC, efforts must be made to work with both high schools to alternate sites in the future. 

    •  Students must attend their respective HAC combined HS/8th grade concerts. This means some middle schools will split between the concerts.  Spanish immersion will attend LHS.  If a Spanish Immersion student wishes to attend their actual HAC they may do that.

    •  Students who are applying for open enrollment may not participate in auditions, training, or events outside their HAC unless open enrollment is officially approved. This typically occurs in February with initial applications accepted beginning Dec. 1.  There may be special district events, if approved by the FA Coordinator, which would be acceptable for open participation.     

    •  Honors students will attend their respective HAC HS/8th grade concert.  Respective high schools will need to arrange transportation for the students if needed for rehearsals.

    •  Students may attend a matinee outside their HAC. If transportation is provided to more than one high school matinee in a split HAC school, students should attend their HAC matinee.  If arranging the transportation, high schools should arrange for transportation for schools in their HAC only.  Matinees are considered a general performance and not a recruiting event. They serve an important purpose educationally and should be treated as part of student cultural education.

    •  Spanish Immersion: The high school Spanish Immersion program is currently housed at LHS. LHS may contact Spanish Immersion students but not visit the Edison classrooms for recruiting purposes. Other high schools may contact their HAC Spanish Immersion students but not visit the Edison classrooms for recruiting purposes. RHS may visit Edison for recruiting purposes.   There will be a designated day where LHS directors may interact with the Spanish Immersion students in person at Edison such as in preparation for the combined 8th/HS concert.  This meeting must be separated apart from the Edison/Roosevelt HAC students. LHS may perform on a recruiting tour at Edison for SI students only.

    •  Honors students: High school directors may contact honors students in their HAC but not visit the classrooms at PHMS for recruiting purposes.  LHS may visit PHMS for recruiting purposes.

    •  Schools may do recruiting performances in their designated HAC schools only.

    •  Teachers may post information such as audition posters in their respective HAC only.  Split HAC schools must provide equal access for other high schools. These posters should be limited to the classroom area of the activity.  Not the whole school.

    •  Teachers should regularly use the monthly HS announcement email sent from the HS to the HAC middle school.

    • Middle school students may not participate as performing members in high school club activities including but not limited to: winter color guard, winter drum line, and extra high school ensembles.

    • Middle school students may not participate in high school extra-curricular activities including but not limited to: marching band, show choir, jazz band, jazz choir, debate, oral interp. and high school theater productions*

*if a specific role requires a child actor to maintain the artistic integrity of the theater production, the director must clear the casting with the building activities principal and fine arts coordinator.

• • • Middle school students may participate in the following events in their HAC school:

      • Camps, clinics, training, organized combined concerts/events.

      • Occasional special events may occur requiring students to participate in an event outside their HAC. For out-of-HAC students to participate in such an event, the event must be approved in advance by the fine arts coordinator.

      • Students may not audition for placement in a school fine arts group outside their HAC until they are officially accepted to that school.

Giving Away Items/Apparel to Students:

• You may give away items (such as t-shirts) to students while you are there on an approved recruiting visit.

• You may not send a box of items to be given away by other teachers (ie--HS choir sends boxes of t-shirts to a middle school to give out to all students).

Distributing Non-School Information/Materials to Students

It is the policy of the District to create and maintain a limited non-public forum for the distribution of informational materials from outside organizations to students. Informational materials may be distributed to students only in compliance with this policy.

The following informational materials may be distributed to students on school property in accordance with distribution practices at any particular school:

1. Informational materials from the District.

2. Approved informational materials for students or parents generated by parent teacher associations (PTA) or by school-sponsored booster groups as in Policy KJA.

Any such organization that desires to distribute or post informational materials must submit the material to the building principal or designee prior to the desired distribution.

1. Approved materials from a District Partner Program/Service. District Partner Programs/Services are defined as educational programs or services offered in partnership with a non-profit organization. The educational program or service must be substantially designed, delivered, or supervised by District personal acting in an official capacity as assigned by the Superintendent. The educational program or service must be recommended by the Superintendent and approved by the School Board annually.

2. Informational materials from any agency of the city, county, state or federal government that does not contain commercial advertising.

Any such agency or partner program/service that desires to distribute or post informational material must submit the material to the Superintendent or designee at least two weeks prior to the desired distribution date to allow adequate time for review of those materials. No other informational materials shall be distributed to students.

No distribution of informational materials to students shall be permitted before, during or after school, at school events, or on school property, except during times when an organization is using District facilities pursuant to Policy/Regulation KF/KF-R – Staff/Community Use of School Facilities or Policy/Regulation JJAB/JJAB-R –Limited Open Forum in Middle and High Schools.

Graphic Updated for 2025-2026