RELATIONS WITH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS | Policy Manual

9700 - RELATIONS WITH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Any request from civic institutions, charitable organizations, or special interest groups which involve such activities as patriotic functions, contests, exhibits, sales of products to and by students, sending promotional materials home with students, graduation prizes, fund raising, and free teaching materials must be carefully reviewed to ensure that such activities promote student interests.

It is the policy of the Board of Education that students, staff members, and District facilities not be used for promoting the interests of any nonschool agency or organization, public or private, without the approval of the Board or its designee; and any such approval, granted for whatever cause or group, shall not be construed as an endorsement of said cause or group by this Board.

Political Interests
All materials or activities proposed by outside political sources for student or staff use or participation shall be reviewed by the Superintendent and no such approval shall have the primary purpose of advancing the special interest of the proposing group.
The Board shall not permit the use of any type of educational material, program, or equipment in its curricular, co-curricular, or extra-curricular activities or at any time during the school day if such materials, programs, or equipment contain partisan political or commercial messages. Professional staff may, however, utilize political materials or those provided by special interest-groups in adopted courses of study with the approval of the principal.
Contests/Exhibits
The Board recognizes that contests, exhibits, and the like may benefit individual students or the District as a whole, but participation in such special activities may not:
1. have the primary effect of advancing a special product, group, or company;
2. make unreasonable demands upon the time and energies of staff or students or upon the resources of the District;
3. involve any direct cost to the District;
4. interrupt the regular school program;
5. cause the participants to leave the School District, unless the Board's Policy 2340 - Field and Other District-Sponsored Trips - has been complied with in all aspects.
Distribution/Posting of Literature
No outside organization or staff member or student representing an outside organization may distribute or post literature on that organization's behalf on District property either during or after school hours without the permission and prior review of the Superintendent and/or principal.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines that:
1. establish criteria concerning distribution or posting of student materials;
2. address distribution or posting of materials employees wish to distribute on behalf of an employee organization in compliance with the terms of negotiated collective bargaining agreements;
3. prohibit the use of the District or school mail system by the community, students or staff for distribution of nonschool-related materials;
4. prohibit distribution of materials from any profit-making organization to students to take home to their parents;
5. establish and clearly communicate the time, place, and manner restrictions concerning the distribution of all nonschool-related materials;
Solicitation of Funds
Because the District cannot accommodate every organization that desires to solicit funds for worthy purposes, the Board shall not permit any organization not related to the District to solicit funds on District property.
Permission to solicit funds will be granted only to those organizations, individuals, or staff members who meet the permission criteria established in the District's administrative guidelines. Solicitation must take place at such times and places and in such a manner as specified in the administrative guidelines. In accordance with Board Policy 5830, no District student may participate in the solicitation without the Superintendent's approval.
1. The Board disclaims all responsibility for the protection of, or accounting for, such funds.
2. Solicited funds are not to be deposited in any regular or special accounts of the District.
3. A copy of this policy as well as the relevant administrative guidelines shall be given to any individual granted permission to solicit funds on District property.
4. This policy does not apply to the raising of funds for District- sponsored or school-sponsored activities.
5. Use of the name, logo, or any assets of the District, including, but not limited to facilities, technology, or communication networks, is prohibited without the specific permission of the Superintendent.
6. Crowdfunding activities aimed at raising funds for a specific classroom or school activity, including extracurricular activity, or to obtain supplemental resources (e.g., supplies or equipment) that are not required to provide a free appropriate public education to any students in the classroom may be permitted, but only with the specific approval of the Superintendent.
Prizes/Scholarship
The Board of Education is appreciative of the generosity of organizations which offer scholarships or prizes to deserving students in this District. But, in accepting the offer of such scholarships or prizes, the Board directs that these guidelines be observed:
1. No information, either academic or personal, shall be released from the student's record for the purpose of selecting a scholarship or prize winner without the permission of the student who is eighteen (18), or the parents of a student who is younger in accordance with the Board's policy on student records.
2. The type of scholarship or prize, the criteria for selection of the winner, and any restrictions upon it shall be approved by the Superintendent, principal, and staff committee.
3. The principal, together with a committee of staff members designated by the principal, may be involved in the selection of the recipient and, if agreeable to the sponsoring organization, the selection shall be left entirely to the principal and staff committee.
Sale of School Supplies
In determining the appropriateness of the sale of school supplies by organizations other than the School District, the Board requires that:
1. the organization have a purpose which will benefit the School District and its students;
2. the organization's planned activities are clearly in the best interest of the School District and its students;
3. the organization has submitted the following information and assurances on the form provided by the District: a statement noting the purpose of the organization, financial accountability assurances, and use of facility assurances.
All funds generated by the sale of such school supplies shall be kept separate from other activity funds or other transactions of the Board.
Surveys and Questionnaires
Neither District-related nor nondistrict-related organizations shall be allowed to administer a survey or questionnaire to students or staff unless the instrument and the proposed plan is submitted, in advance, to the Superintendent. If approved, a copy of the results and the proposed manner of their communication are to be provided to him/her for review and approval before they are released.
See also Policy 2416 and AG 2416

Revised 9/17/02
Revised 11/21/13