1004 - Public Participation in the School District

1004 - Public Participation in the School District dawn.gibson.cm… Tue, 06/11/2024 - 10:11

1004.01 - School-Community Associations

The board values the participation and the support of school district-community associations, including, but not limited to, the booster club and the Parent-Teacher Organization, which strive for the betterment of the school district and its educational program. The board will work closely with these associations.

Prior to any purchase of, or fund-raising for, the purchase of goods or services for the school district, the association shall confer with the administration to assist the association in purchasing goods or services to meet the school district’s needs.

Funds raised by these associations for the school district may be kept as part of the accounts of the school district.

It shall be the responsibility of the building principal to be the liaison with the school district-community associations affiliated with the building principal’s attendance center.

Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§279.8, 291.13 (1991)

Cross Reference: 1004 Public Participation in the School District

Approved: 6-08-92
Reviewed: 7-12-21
Revised: 1-12-98

dawn.gibson.cm… Tue, 06/11/2024 - 10:12

1004.01A - Parent Involvement - Title I

P.L. 103-382 affirms the principle that parental involvement is a vital part of the Title I program.

At the district level, it is the policy of Bennett Community School that parents of all participating children have the opportunity to be involved in the joint development of the district plan and in the district’s review process for the purpose of school improvement. The district provides coordination, technical assistance and other necessary support in the planning and implementation of parent involvement activities. The district encourages parent involvement and supports the partnership between home/school/community by providing understandable information about standards and assessments; providing training and materials for parents to help their children and to involve other parents; educating school personnel about involving parents and the value of parent contributions; and developing meaningful roles for community organizations and businesses to work with parents and schools.

It is the policy of Bennett Community School that:

This jointly developed, written policy is distributed to parents of participating Title I children at the Annual Title I parent meeting which is held at the beginning of the school year.
An annual meeting is held for all parents of participating children. Additional parent meetings with flexible meeting times shall be held throughout the year as determined by parent interest and suggestions. Notification of meetings is accomplished through publications and phone calls.
Parents are given assistance in understanding the requirements of the Title I law, National Educational Goals, content standards, performance standards, and assessment at the Annual Title I parent meeting, parent-teacher conferences, informational meetings, Parent Involvement Conferences, and through current publications to be mailed to parents.
Parents receive an explanation of the school’s performance profile, expected proficiency levels for students, and their student’s assessment results at the end of each quarter (quarterly) and during fall and spring parent/teacher conferences.
Parents are informed of the reason for their children’s participation, the curriculum, and the instructional objectives and methods of the program by eligibility criteria and individual student plans. Parents are encouraged to contact the Title I teacher if they have questions or concerns and if a parent/teacher meeting is desired.
Parents receive timely responses to all parent recommendations through verbal and written responses. All information sent to parents is in the language used in the home. Full opportunities are provided for all parents to participate in Title activities. A list of the year’s activities will be available during the Annual Title I parent meeting.
A jointly developed school/parent compact outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students share the responsibility for improved student achievement and the means by which the school and parents continue to build and develop partnerships to help children achieve the local high standards. At the end of the school year the current compact will be evaluated by the parents and teacher. Once a compact committee has been established for the next school year, the new committee will access and make any changes needed for the compact. New compacts will be distributed to parents and will need to be signed and returned to the Title I teacher. Parents will have a copy of their own.
The Title I program provides opportunities for parents to become partners with the school in promoting the education of their children at home and at school. Parents are given help monitoring their student’s progress. The school provides assistance to parents on how they can participate in decisions related to their student’s education. The school provides reasonable support for parental involvement activities as requested by parents through parent training, staff training, materials, phone calls, volunteer opportunities, Parent Involvement Conference, publications, district Title I Plan, and funds available.
The school coordinates and integrates parent involvement programs and activities with other programs as appropriate. Programs and activities that work with Title I include: R.I.F. (Reading is Fundamental), P.I.L.O.T.S. (Parents Involved in Launching Off Today’s Students), community readers, and volunteers. To become involved in any of these programs or activities, parents only need to contact the Title I person for further information.
An annual evaluation of this parental involvement policy shall be conducted to determine the effectiveness of this policy and the barriers of this policy for increasing parent involvement.
Policy evaluation findings shall be used in designing strategies for school improvement and revising parent policies in the spring by phone, interview or written communication, rating scales by staff and parent committees. Evaluation will be used for distribution of reports/summaries.

Legal Reference:

Cross Reference:

Approved: 8-19-96
Reviewed: 7-12-21
Revised: 7-9-18

dawn.gibson.cm… Tue, 06/11/2024 - 10:13

1004.02 - Community Resource Persons and Volunteers

The board recognizes the valuable resource it has in the members of the school district community. When possible and in concert with the educational program, members of the school district community shall be asked to make presentations to the students or to assist school district personnel in duties other than teaching. The school district shall officially recognize the contributions made by volunteers on an annual basis.

Recruitment, training, utilization, and the maintenance of records for the purpose of insurance coverage and/or recognition of school volunteers is the responsibility of the administration.

Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§279.8, 280.3, .14, 491.5, 496A, 4A(7), 497.33, 498.35, 504,
504A.4(14), 101, 613, 613A (1991)

Approved: 6-08-92
Reviewed: 7-12-21
Revised: 1-12-98

dawn.gibson.cm… Tue, 06/11/2024 - 10:14

1004.03 - Visitors to School District Facilties

The board welcomes the interest of parents and other members of the school district community, and invites them to visit the school facilities. Visitors, which include persons other than school district personnel or students, must notify the principal of their presence in the facility upon arrival. Entry during a normal school day is only by means of the northeast entrance doors.

Persons who wish to visit a classroom while school is in session are asked to notify the principal and obtain approval from the principal prior to the visit so appropriate arrangements can be made and so class disruption can be minimized. Teachers and other school district personnel shall not take time from their duties to discuss matters with visitors.

Visitors shall conduct themselves in a manner fitting to their age level and maturity and with mutual respect and consideration for the rights of others while attending school events or acting as a representative of the school district. Visitors failing to conduct themselves accordingly may be asked to leave the premises. Children who wish to visit school must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

It shall be the responsibility of school district personnel to report inappropriate conduct and the responsibility of the superintendent and principal to take the action necessary to cease the inappropriate conduct. If the superintendent or principal are not available, the school district employee shall act to cease the inappropriate conduct.

Legal Reference: Iowa Code §279.8 (1991)

Approved: 6-08-92
Reviewed: 7-12-21
Revised: 9-18-00

dawn.gibson.cm… Tue, 06/11/2024 - 10:15

1004.04 - Public Conduct on School Premises

School sponsored or approved activities are an important part of the school program and offer students the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities not offered during the regular school day. School sponsored or approved activities are provided for the enjoyment and opportunity for involvement they afford students.

Spectators are permitted to attend school sponsored or approved activities only as guests of the school district, and, accordingly as a condition of such permission, they must comply with school district’s rules and policies. Spectators will not be allowed to interfere with the enjoyment of the students participating, other spectators, or with the performance of employees and officials supervising the school sponsored or approved activity. Spectators, like the student participants, are expected to display mature behavior and sportsmanship. The failure of spectators to do so is not only disruptive but embarrassing to the students, the school district and the entire community.

To protect the rights of students to participate without fear of interference, and to permit the sponsors and officials of sponsored or approved activities to perform their duties without interference, the following provisions are in effect:

*Abusive, verbal or physical conduct of spectators directed at participants, officials or sponsors of sponsored or approved activities or at other spectators will not be tolerated.

*Verbal or physical conduct of spectators that interferes with the performance of students, officials or sponsors of sponsored or approved activities will not be tolerated.

*The use of vulgar, or obscene or demeaning expression directed at students, officials or sponsors participating in a sponsored or approved activity or at other spectators will not be tolerated.

If a spectator at a sponsored or approved activity becomes physically or verbally abusive, uses vulgar or obscene or demeaning expression or in any way impedes the performance of an activity, the spectator may be removed from the event by the individual in charge of the event and the superintendent may recommend the exclusion of the spectator at future sponsored or approved activities.

Upon recommendation of the superintendent, the board shall cause a notice of exclusion from sponsored or approved activities to be sent to the spectator involved. The notice shall advise the spectator of the school district’s right to exclude the individual from school district activities and events and the duration of the exclusion. If the spectator disobeys the school official or district’s order, law enforcement authorities may be contacted and asked to remove the spectator. If a spectator has been notified of exclusion and thereafter attends a sponsored or approved activity, the spectator shall be advised that his/her attendance will result in prosecution. The school district may obtain a court order for permanent exclusion from future school sponsored or approved activities.

Approved: 9-18-00
Reviewed: 7-12-21
Revised: 8-14-00

dawn.gibson.cm… Tue, 06/11/2024 - 10:16