Tannehill Public School

The superintendent, as a representative of the district, is given the responsibility of informing the public as to the pur­pose, goals, methods, and progress of the educational program.  Accuracy, reliability, and leadership in this area will develop confidence and understanding, thereby creating better relation­ships between the school district and the community.  All school personnel are responsible for good public relations.

Therefore, all social media publications, written notices, bulletins, newsletters, and matters pertaining to students are to be submitted to the prin­ci­pal prior to release.  Matters that pertain to the district will be submitted to the superintendent of schools prior to release.

Non-school-originated material shall be disseminated by the principal.

The policy is not intended to interfere with the responsibility of district personnel to communicate with the parents or legal guar­dians of a particular student.  It is intended to ensure that prompt, reliable, and accurate information is provided to parents and patrons of this district.

It is also intended to ensure accuracy and to prevent liability for the unauthorized disclosure of information published by school employees on the internet.

Any issue that appears to be sensitive or which may involve confidential information shall be cleared through the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee.

Employees publishing to social media or other internet platforms should understand that they are representatives of the district.  Internet postings of school employees have a direct impact on the reputation and public perception of the district.  Employees should refrain from publishing information that could cause embarrassment to or impact the welfare of students, staff, and community members.

It is the policy of the Tannehill Board of Education to recognize and facilitate the public's right of access to and review of pub­lic records.  The district is not required to release information contained in its education records except in conformity with the provisions of the Open Records Act, Title 51, Oklahoma Statutes, Section 24 A.l. and only to the extent that said act does not violate federal law.  (See GBA-R.)

The superintendent’s secretary shall be the district's custodian of public records and shall be responsible for the preservation and care of those public records.  At least one person shall be available at all times to release records during the regular business hours of the school district.  Additionally, the superintendent may establish reasonable rules of procedure by which public records may be inspected.

During the summer months, the school district does not maintain regular business hours of at least thirty (30) hours a week.  The following is a posted schedule of the days of the week when records are available for inspecting, copying, or mechanical reproduction:

                          Monday:               10:00 – 1:00         Thursday:             10:00 – 1:00

                          Tuesday:               10:00 – 1:00         Friday:                   closed

                          Wednesday:         10:00 – 1:00        

The superintendent shall charge a fee to recover the reasonable direct costs of copying district records.  The superin­tendent shall also charge a fee for the direct costs of searching for district records sought for solely commercial pur­poses or for searches that cause excessive disruption to the district's essential functions.  In no case shall a search fee be charged for records sought in the public interest including, but not limited to, releases to the news media, scholars, authors, and taxpayers seeking to determine whether officials of the district are honestly, faithfully, and competently performing their duties as public servants.  Fees for copies shall be paid in advance before the copies are made.  A deposit may be required for search fees.  The fee schedule for searching for and copying of district records shall be as follows:

                  Copies:                                                                                             Research:

                  8 1/2" X 11" or                  $.20 per copy                                     $25.00 per hour

                  8 1/2" x 14"                         $.25 per copy

                  11" x 17" ledger                  $.25 per copy

                  Certified copy                     $1.00 per page

All confidential student records as defined by state and federal law shall remain confidential and accessible only to authorized personnel.  The district may make requested records available on the internet to comply with the obligation of providing prompt, reasonable access to records.

REFERENCE:    51 O.S. §24 A.l, et seq.

NOTE:                  If regular business hours are not maintained, the school district is required by law to post and maintain a written notice at the main office of the school district and with the county clerk, which notice shall include the following:  (1) the hours records are available for inspecting, copying, and reproduction; (2) the name, address, and telephone number of the individual in charge of the records; and (3) detailed procedures for obtaining access to the records at least two days of the week, excluding Sunday.

In accordance with the policy of the board of education to recognize and facilitate the public's right of access to and review of the district's public records, the following regulations shall apply:

Public access to district records shall be provided in accordance with applicable federal and state laws and regula­tions.  The district shall implement the following procedures to provide prompt and reasonable access to its records in a manner that protects the integrity and organization of its records and prevents excessive disruptions of its essential functions.

   1.       Records specifically exempted by law from public inspection and copying are also exempted from this policy, including but not limited to:

             A.   Records which relate to internal personnel investigations including examination and selection material for employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, discipline, or resignation.

             B.   Records where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy such as employee evaluations, payroll deductions, employment applications submitted by persons not hired by the public body, and transcripts from institutions of higher education maintained in the personnel files of certi­fied public employees (may disclose degree obtained and curriculum on the transcripts of certified public employees).

             C.   Records of what transpired during meetings of the district's board of education lawfully closed to the public, such as executive sessions authorized under the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act.  The following information may be kept confidential:

                    1.     Investigative evidence of a plan or scheme to commit an act of terrorism;

                    2.     Assessments of the vulnerability of government facilities or public improvements to an act of terrorism and work papers directly related to preparing the assessment of vulnerability;

                    3.     Plans for deterrence or prevention of or protection from an act of terrorism;

                    4.     Plans for response or remediation after an act of terrorism;

                    5.     Information technology of a public body or public official but only if the information specifically identifies:

                                a.     Design or functional schematics that demonstrate the relationship or connections between devices or systems;

                                b.     System configuration information;

                                c.     Security monitoring and response equipment placement and configuration;

                                d.     Specific location or placement of systems, components, or devices;

OPEN RECORDS ACT, REGULATION (Cont.)

                                e.     System identification numbers, names, or connecting circuits;

                                f.     Business continuity and disaster planning, or response plans; or

                                g.     Investigation information directly related to security penetrations or denial of services; or

                    6.     Investigation evidence of an act of terrorism that has already been committed.

                    The term “terrorism” means any act encompassed by the definitions set forth in Section 1268.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

             D.   The home address or social security number of any employee or former employee.

   2.       Requests for the inspection and copying of district records will be accommodated by district personnel des­ig­nated to release district records for inspection and copying as soon as it is determined the requested re­cords are not exempt from inspection and copying.  Such determination may require the consideration of the superin­tendent and/or the district's attorney.  Records shall only be available during the regular business hours of the district's administration building.

   3.       The superintendent shall charge a fee to recover the reasonable direct costs of copying district records.  The superintendent shall also charge a fee for the direct costs of searching for district records sought for solely commercial purposes or for searches which cause excessive disruption to the district's essential functions.  Search fees shall not be charged for records sought in the public interest, including, but not limited to re­leases to the news media, scholars, authors, and taxpayers seeking to determine whether officials of the dis­trict are honestly, faithfully, and competently performing their duties as public servants.  Fees for copies shall be paid in advance before the copies are made.  A deposit may be required for search fees.  The fee schedule for searching for and copying of district records shall be as follows:

                                                          Copies:  8 1/2" x 11" - $.­­­­­25 per copy

                                                          8 1/2" x 14" - $.25 per copy

                                                          Search fee:  $25.00 per hour

              The referenced fees shall be posted at the principal office of the school district and with the county clerk.

   4.       The following records shall be kept confidential by the district:

             A.   Individual student records;

             B.   Teacher lesson plans, tests, and other teaching material; and

             C.   Personal communications concerning individual students;

OPEN RECORDS ACT, REGULATION (Cont.)

             D.   Personnel records which relate to internal personnel investigations including examination and selec­tion material for employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, discipline, or resignation; or

             E.   Personnel records whose disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal pri­vacy such as employee evaluations, payroll deductions, or employment applications submitted by per­sons not hired by the public body.

   5.       An employee of the district shall have a right of access to the employee's own personnel file.

REFERENCE:    51 O.S. §24A.5

                                51 O.S. §24A.27

The Tannehill Board of Education recognizes its responsibility to provide accurate information concerning the school district to the community and seeks to establish a good working relationship with the news media.

Therefore, it is the policy of the board of education to cause any information that is to be released to the media to be carefully monitored.  Such monitoring is intended to insure accuracy and to prevent any potential liability for the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.  The school district will comply fully with the Freedom of Information Act and Open Records Act.

Any issue that appears to be sensitive or which may involve confidential information shall be cleared through the superintendent or the superintendent's designee.  It may, in the superintendent's discretion, be necessary to submit issues that could lead to community disruption to the board of education.

The welfare of our students and the community is important and information that could cause embarrassment to either should be carefully screened prior to release.

The Tannehill Board of Education realizes that parents may have a grievance they wish to discuss with the district.  However, it is also recognized that there must be an orderly procedure for hearing and resolving grievance issues.

If the grievance is directed toward a teacher, the parent shall be requested to make an appointment to visit with the teacher in an effort to resolve the grievance.

If the grievance is not resolved following a parent/teacher con­ference, the parent will be requested to discuss the problem with the principal.

If the grievance is not resolved following the principal/parent conference, the parent shall be requested to schedule an appointment with the superintendent.

If the grievance remains unresolved following the above con­ferences, the parent may appeal the grievance to the board of education.  Parental grievances shall not be heard in executive session.  The board's action shall be a final determination of the grievance.

REFERENCE:    Atty. Gen. Op. No. 82-209

It is the policy of the Tannehill Board of Education that, except as indicated below, no advertising shall be permitted in school buildings, on school grounds, or on other school property.

It is the policy of the Tannehill Board of Education that, except as indicated, no advertising shall be permitted in school buildings, on school grounds, or on other school property. Exceptions would make allowances for those organizations or individuals that wish to sponsor student activities or facilities improvements and that these may be recognized with a banner, sign, plaque or similar object that would display the company or individual name, logo, location or contact information. The intention of this policy is to recognize donors and sponsors without promoting specific products. Equal access shall be given to any interested sponsors and such donors should not assume that they are given exclusive rights to sponsorship.

Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent advertising in student publications that are published by student organizations.

(Revised October 2018; Agenda item #10 - I.)

It is the policy of the Tannehill Board of Education that all visitors to any school facility obtain a visitor's pass at the building principal's office.  Parents are requested not to send or allow siblings to visit students in the classroom.

Staff members are not normally expected to have personal visitors during the school day.

Agents or other persons shall not visit teachers during school hours for the purpose of selling books or other articles without written consent from the superintendent.

The superintendent or principal of any school shall have the authority to order any person[1] out of the school building and off the school property when it appears that the presence of such per­son is a threat to the peaceful conduct of school business, school activities, and/or school classes.  This authority shall extend to the removal of any individual attending an official school activity or field trip where students are present, including an activity or field trip not on school property, when the superintendent or principal determines that a threat to the peaceful conduct of students exists.  Any person who refuses to leave the school build­ing or grounds after being ordered to do so by the superintendent or principal, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500.00 or by impri­sonment in the county jail for not more than 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Any person who is requested to leave the premises shall be unable to return to the premises without the written permis­sion of the administration for a period of six months.  A grievance or an appeal may be filed by the individual as per district policy GJ-P. 

REFERENCE:    70 O.S. §24-131

                                21 O.S. §§ 1375, 1376

THIS POLICY REQUIRED BY LAW.

[1] Does not include students, officers, or employees of the district. 

Any person who has been removed from this institution or from a school activity or event whether held on or off the premises shall be given written notice of the procedures for requesting a hearing and filing a grievance or appeal with the board of education by their receipt of a copy of this policy.

Filing a Grievance or Appeal

Within five (5) working days of being directed to leave premises, the individual (“complainant”) may request a hearing before the board of education regarding their removal from school premises.  The request shall be submitted in writing to the superintendent.  Such request shall be mailed certified mail, return receipt requested.  If the complainant fails to request a hearing within five (5) working days of being directed to leave the premises, the right to a hearing shall be deemed to be waived.

Upon receipt of the complainant’s request for a hearing, the administration shall prepare a written summary of the reason(s) why the individual was directed to leave school premises.  The written summary may include the date, time, place, witness statements, and reasoning behind the administrator’s decision to direct the individual to leave school premises.  The written summary prepared by the administration shall be mailed to the complainant no later than ten (10) days prior to the date set for hearing before the board of education.

Hearing

The hearing shall be conducted by the board of education as follows:

   1.       The administration shall present each of the board members with a copy of the written summary provided to the complainant;

   2.       The complainant shall present each of the board members with a copy of a written response to the administration’s paperwork;

   3.       Members of the board of education shall be afforded the opportunity to ask questions related to the summary and response;

   4.       The board of education shall vote to accept, amend, or reject the recommendation of the administration with regard to the directive to complainant[1].

The decision of the board of education shall be final and unappealable.

THIS POLICY REQUIRED BY LAW.

[1 Agenda language will need to reflect the individual’s name. 

The Tannehill Public School District restricts recruiting access to students and directory information.  Directory information or class lists of student names, addresses, and/or telephone numbers shall not be distributed with­out the consent of the parent or legal guardian of the student or by the student age 18 or over.  Military services repre­senta­tives shall have access to student directory information unless such access is specifically denied in writing by the parent, legal guardian, or student age 18 or over.

Military services representatives shall have the same access to secondary school students as is generally provided to postsecondary institutions or prospective employers.  However, such access may be specifically denied in writing by the parent, legal guardian, or student age 18 or over.

STUDENT RECRUITMENT, ACCESS TO STUDENTS AND DIRECTORY INFORMATION (Cont.)

This district will notify parents of the types of student directory information released.  The notice will include:

   1.       An explanation of the parent’s right to request that information not be disclosed without prior written consent;

   2.       Notice that the school routinely discloses names, addresses, and telephone numbers to military recruiters upon request, subject to a parent’s request not to disclose such information without written consent; and

   3.       Notification on how the parent may opt out of the public, nonconsensual disclosure of directory information and the method and timeline within which to do so.

The notice will be provided to parents on an annual basis.

REFERENCE:    10 U.S.C. §503 as amended by The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (P.L. 107-107)

                                20 U.S.C. §7908

NOTE:                  Cited provisions of federal law apply to all LEAs receiving ESEA funds.  A district’s failure to comply with ESEA regulations may result in loss of funds.

A POLICY ON THIS TOPIC IS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW

The Tannehill Board of Education believes that the first priority in the use of its school property is the education of children in the district.  However, local citizens are encouraged to use the property for other reasonable general public use in­cluding religious, political, literary, community, cultural, scientific, mechanical, agricultural, or parental involvement purposes.

The school district will make school property available for public recreation before or after normal school hours, on weekends, or during school vacations, and by appointment.  Specific property that will be open includes:  cafeteria, gymnasium, playground and ball field.  The school district will not provide supervision during these hours and any use should be carefully monitored by parents or legal guardians. 

The school district will provide emergency shelter for patrons during weather emergencies.  Animals will/will not be permitted in the school district’s tornado shelter. 

The board shall exercise its authority to fix and collect rentals, rates, and charges for the occupancy or use of school property in such amounts and in such manner as may be determined.

The superintendent is directed to establish rules and regulations in support of this policy.  The rules and regula­tions will require evidence of appropriate liability insurance coverage.  The school district will not permit the use of school property or equipment by any person or organization that does not furnish evidence of sufficient insurance coverage.

If the district has provided classroom space or other school facilities for a federally sponsored Head Start program and is planning to make a material change in the arrangement, the superintendent will give notice to the director of the Head Start program at least seven (7) days prior to a school board hearing on the matter.

REFERENCE:    20 USC §7905

                                70 O.S. §5-130

                                70 O.S. §11-103.7

NOTE:                  Senate Concurrent Resolution 60 of 1994 recommends that school districts make school transportation equipment available to community-based organizations in transporting elderly persons.

Request for use of ___________________________________________________________________________

                                                                                                  (School Property)

Date of use ________________________________________________________________________________

Starting time ____________________________________ Ending time_________________________________

Request made by ___________________________________________________________________________

                                                                                      (Sponsoring Group or Organization)

Purpose of use ______________________________________________________________________________

Admission charge:  Yes _______________   No _______________

The following stipulations apply to non-school-related individuals, groups, and organizations.

The undersigned user of school property hereby agrees to:

   1.       Observe the rules and regulations for the use of school property as established in board policy.

   2.       Assume full responsibility for loss or damage to school district property resulting from such use.

   3.       Assume full responsibility for personal injury sustained by any person as a result of such use and waive all school district liability.

   4.       Pay the usual and customary fee for such use.

   5.       Sign a hold-harmless agreement with the District.

   6.       Signing this statement acknowledges that the person below has provided the school district with proof of insurance coverage.

                                                                                                          ____________________________________________

                                                                                                            Signature

Request approved ____________________________   Fee __________________________________________

Obtain from the district office the necessary application forms.

Application must be submitted at least one week in advance.

Return the forms to the district office.

School property shall not be available on occasions or during hours that have been scheduled in advance by the various school principals for school exercises or functions in connection with regular schoolwork.

Persons or organizations using school property that include a stage and stage equipment shall not be permitted to remove or displace furniture or apparatus.  Pianos shall not be moved on or off the stage, except under the direction of the district personnel in charge.

Access to rooms or facilities, including playing fields, other than approved by application, shall not be permitted.

No intoxicants or narcotics shall be used in or about school buildings, premises, and transportation equipment, including playing fields; nor shall profane language, quarreling, fighting, or gambling be permitted.

Smoking in school buildings is prohibited.  Violations of this rule by any organization during occupancy shall be sufficient cause for denying further use of school premises to the organization.  The school district’s policy regarding tobacco use will be provided, which policy discloses the school’s rules regarding tobacco products on school premises.

Juvenile organizations must have adequate adult sponsorship and supervision.

The person or group receiving the permit shall be responsible in case of loss or damage.

No preparation shall be used on the floors at any time by groups using a building for dancing.

A school employee must be on the school grounds at all times when facilities are being used by outside groups.  When custodians are normally not on duty, any group using school facilities must reimburse the school for all employment costs incurred by the district for such employment of school personnel, in addition to any rental fee as prescribed.  The custodian is paid at his/her time and one-half rate.

All functions must close by midnight unless special arrangements have been made with the school principal.

Any person applying for the use of school property on behalf of any society, group, or organization shall be a member of such applicant group and must present written authorization from such applicant group to make such application.

It is the responsibility of the organization to provide proof of liability insurance before using any facility or transportation equipment.  A copy of the organization’s liability insurance shall be maintained on file in the district administration office.

The school district reserves the right to reschedule any or all school property for another purpose or group should a priority need arise.

USE OF SCHOOL PROPERTY, REGULATIONS (Cont.)

During School Hours

School buildings, property, or equipment may be used only by student groups for student group meetings or activities that are related to the curriculum during normal school hours.  Such use shall be arranged according to the official school schedule.

The use of school buildings, property, or equipment by students during normal school hours shall be free of charge.  However, consent of the superintendent must be obtained.  The building custodian and a member of the faculty must be present at the school.

During Non-School Hours

School buildings, property, or equipment may be made available to student or non-student groups for non-curriculum use of a general public interest during non-school hours.  A schedule of fees, rates, and charges is outlined below.

These regulations shall be made available to applicants and the observance of these regulations is a condition of the use of the facilities.

Schedule of Fees, Rates, and Charges for Non-Student-Led Groups

A security deposit of $50.00 shall be required in advance for facility rental. The deposit shall be refunded after inspection of facilities by school officials determines that proper care and compliance with regulations have been observed during the time of rental use.

Gyms - $10.00 per hour for practice (minimum rental of 3 hours).

Cafeterias - $10.00 per hour (minimum rental of 3 hours).  If the kitchen is used, at least one cafeteria employee regularly assigned to that kitchen must be used for an additional rate of the actual cost incurred by the school district for the employee’s services.  Custodial service will be available the actual cost incurred by the school district for the employee’s services.

Employees of the school are exempt from usage fees for facility rental provided that they abide by all other regulations governing the use of facilities including but not limited to: providing supervision by the employee (the employee must be present and monitoring any activities throughout the duration), insuring proper care, clean up and safety before during and after activities.

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