8:10 Connection with the Community

Public Relations

The Board President is the official spokesperson for the School Board. The Superintendent is the District’s chief spokesperson. The Superintendent or designee shall plan and implement a District public relations program that will:

1. Develop community understanding of school operation.

2. Gather community attitudes and desires for the District.

3. Secure adequate financial support for a sound educational program.

4. Help the community feel a more direct responsibility for the quality of education provided by their schools.

5. Earn the community’s good will, respect, and confidence.

6. Promote a genuine spirit of cooperation between the school and the community.

7. Keep the news media accurately informed.

8. Coordinate with the District Safety Coordinator to provide accurate and timely information to the appropriate individuals during an emergency.

The public relations program should include:

1. Regular news releases concerning District programs, policies, activities, and special event management for distribution by, for example, posting on the District website, using social media platforms, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc., or sending to the news media.

2. News conferences and interviews, as requested or needed. The Board President and Superintendent will coordinate their respective media relations efforts. Individuals may speak for the District only with prior approval from the Superintendent.

3. Publications having a high quality of editorial content and effective format. All publications shall identify the District, school, department, or classroom and shall include the name of the Superintendent, the Building Principal, and/or the author and the publication date.

4. Other efforts that highlight the District’s programs and activities.

Community Engagement

Community engagement is a process that the Board uses to actively involve diverse citizens in dialogue, deliberation, and collaborative thinking around common interests for the District’s schools.

The Board, in consultation with the Superintendent, determines the purpose(s) and objective(s) of any community engagement initiative.

For each community engagement initiative:

1. The Board will:

a. Commit to the determined purpose(s) and objective(s), and

b. Provide information about the expected nature of the public’s involvement.

2. The Superintendent will:

a. Identify the effective tools and tactics that will advance the Board’s purpose(s) and objective(s),

b. At least annually, prepare a report for the community engagement initiative, and/or

c. Prepare a final report of the community engagement initiative.

The Board will periodically: (1) review whether its community engagement initiative(s) are achieving the identified purpose(s) and objective(s); (2) consider what, if any, modifications would improve effectiveness; and (3) determine whether to continue individual initiatives.

CROSS REF.: 2:110 (Qualifications, Term, and Duties of Board Officers)

Updated: April 2021