Policy Notice Recommendations

Each year, PSBA provides information related to annual notification requirements that are outlined in board policy documents, as a helpful resource for school administrators in their back-to-school preparations. Below, please find a list of the policies that require or recommend either annual notification or periodic notification, as indicated—this could be notification to students, staff, parents/guardians, or all of the above. The list is based on PSBA’s policy guide language, and your own board policies may differ if language has been modified locally, but we hope this will provide a good starting point for you to review what should be included in notifications as you begin a new school year. Updates to last year's listing appear in bold print.

Policies Requiring/Recommending Annual Notice:

Key to above table:

BTS – Back-To-School Newsletter                    Handbook – Student Handbooks

This Fri – This Friday publication                       Element. – Elementary Handbook

Newsletter – Community newsletter                 Second. – Secondary Handbook

Safe Alert – Safety Alert publication                 Web Section – Individual section of the website

PD – Professional Development

Policies Requiring/Recommending Notice (based on “posting,” for specific reasons, or specific time frame not given):

• 100. Comprehensive Planning (plans must be made available for inspection for 28 days)       
• 105. Curriculum – “a listing of all curriculum materials shall be made available for the information of parents/guardians, students, staff, and Board members.”
• 108. Adoption of Textbooks – “a list of all approved textbooks shall be approved and maintained…and made available for the information of the professional staff, Board members, students, and parents/ guardians.”
• 109. Resource Materials – “A listing of all resource materials shall be made available for the information of the professional staff, Board members, students and parents/guardians.”
• 113.4. Confidentiality of Special Education Student Information
• 115. Career and Technical Education – “Students and parents/guardians are informed that admission to career and technical education programs is accessible to regularly enrolled students, in accordance with established criteria for admittance.” P - handbooks, website
• 122. Extracurricular Activities – “The Superintendent or designee shall develop and disseminate procedures to implement the extracurricular activities program.” P - handbooks, website
• 127. Assessment System - The Superintendent or designee shall annually disseminate to parents/guardians and the public information regarding student assessment results, as required by federal and state law and regulations. P - website
• 137.1. Extracurricular Participation by Home Education Students – “The district shall distribute information regarding eligibility criteria and student participation in extracurricular activities and interscholastic athletics to all affected by them.  The district shall develop a procedure to ensure that home education students have access to information regarding district extracurricular activities and interscholastic athletic programs.” P - website
• 140.1. Extracurricular Participation by Charter/Cyber Charter Students – “The district shall distribute information regarding eligibility criteria and student participation in extracurricular activities and interscholastic athletics to all affected by them. The district shall develop a procedure to ensure that charter and cyber charter students have access to information regarding the extracurricular activities and interscholastic athletic programs.” P - website
• 203.1. – HIV Instruction “Prior to HIV/AIDS instruction, the district shall inform parents/guardians that curriculum outlines and materials used in the instruction shall be available for review.[5][4][6]” and
• 314.1. HIV Infection – Students and Employees
• 217. Graduation – “Students shall be informed of graduation requirements they are required to complete.  Periodic warnings shall be issued to students in danger of not fulfilling graduation requirements.” P - handbooks, website
• 218.2. Terroristic Threats
• 218.3. Discipline of Student Convicted/Adjudicated of Sexual Assault
• 220. Student Expression/Dissemination of Materials “This Board policy and any administrative regulations or procedures written to implement this policy shall be referenced in student handbooks so that students can access them for further information.” P - handbooks, website
• 227. Controlled Substances/Paraphernalia (Alcohol & Drugs) – “Disseminate to students, parents/guardians and staff Board policy and district procedures governing student abuse of alcohol, drugs, or mood-altering substances.” P - handbooks, website
• 233. Suspension and Expulsion – “Publication of a Code of Student Conduct, in accordance with Board policy on student discipline.[12]” P - handbooks, website
• 251. Homeless Students – “The district's liaison shall provide public notice of the educational rights of homeless students in schools, family shelters, and soup kitchens.”
• 252. Dating Violence – N/A
• 302. Employment of Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent – “When position becomes vacant.”
• 309.1. Telework – N/A
• 332. Working Periods – “The Superintendent or designee shall develop administrative regulations to ensure district employees adhere to their assigned work schedules.”
• 333. Professional Development – “The Board shall appoint to the Professional Education Committee parents/guardians and representatives of the community and local businesses. Representatives of administrators, teachers and educational specialists on the Professional Education Committee shall be selected by their respective members.”
• 335. Family and Medical Leaves – “The Superintendent shall develop and disseminate administrative regulations to implement FMLA leave for eligible employees.”
• 340. Responsibility for Student Welfare – “Building principals shall monitor employees’ adherence to this policy to ensure the maintenance of standards that protect student welfare.”
• 351. Drug and Substance Abuse- “The Board requires that each administrative, professional and support employee be given notification that, as a condition of employment, the employee will abide by the terms of this policy and notify the district of any criminal drug statute conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than five (5) days after such conviction.[3]”
• “In establishing a drug-free awareness program, the Superintendent or designee shall inform employees about:[3]
  1.  Dangers of drug abuse in the workplace.
  2. Board's policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace.
  3. Availability of drug counseling, drug rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs.
  4. Penalties that may be imposed for drug abuse violations occurring in the workplace.”
• 610. Purchases Subject to Bid/Quotation – “public notice advertising for competitive bids, contract for construction, reconstruction, repairs, maintenance or work on any school building or property having a cost or value of more than $!8,500, unless exempt by statute.”
• 626. Federal Fiscal Compliance – “All employees shall be informed of conduct that is required for federal fiscal compliance and the disciplinary actions that may be applied for violation of Board policies, administrative regulations, rules and procedures.[3]”
• 718. Service Animals in Schools – “The designated administrator shall ensure that all individuals involved in a situation where a service animal will regularly accompany an owner or handler in District buildings or on District property or vehicles are informed of the Board policy and administrative regulations governing this topic. Those involved may include administrators, appropriate employees, student and parent/guardian.” P - handbooks, website
• 801. Public Records – “The district shall post at the administration office and on the district’s website, if the district maintains a website, the following information:
  - Contact information for the Open Records Officer.
  - Contact information for the state’s Office of Open Records or other applicable appeals officer.
  - The form to be used to file a request, with a notation that the state Office of Open Records form may also be used if the district decides to create its own form.
  - Board policy, administrative regulations, and procedures governing requests for access to the district’s public records. P - website
• 810. Transportation – “Distribute rules governing student conduct during transport; such rules shall be binding on all students transported by the district.” P - handbooks, website
• 810.1. School Bus Drivers and School Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers – 1. Distribution to affected employees of information and materials relevant to Board policies and administrative regulations regarding drug and alcohol testing.[18] 2. Distribution to affected employees of information and materials relevant to individuals or organizations that can provide counseling and treatment for drug and/or alcohol problems.”
• 810.3. School Vehicle Drivers – “The Superintendent or designee shall provide each driver, upon hire or transfer, with: 1. This policy and any accompanying administrative regulations; and 2. Educational materials related to misuse of alcohol and use of controlled substances.  The Superintendent or designee shall also provide notice to representatives of employee organizations of the availability of this information.”
• 815. Acceptable Use of Internet, Computers and Network Resources - All students, administrators, and teachers who use the District’s connection to the Internet, District e-mail, and other District network facilities must agree to and abide by all conditions of this policy. New employees hired after the adoption of this policy must sign the District’s Internet, E-mail and, Network Access Agreement (“Agreement”), which is Administrative Regulation #815. Current employees will be required to accept the terms and conditions of this policy upon logging into the computer. All students will receive a copy of this policy as part of the District’s Code of Discipline/Code of Conduct. Students may not use the District’s computers for access to the Internet or for e-mail without the approval or supervision of a teacher or District staff member.”
• 816. District Social Media - “The Superintendent or designee shall notify students and staff about this policy through employee and student handbooks, posting on the district website and by other appropriate methods.”  P - website
• 819. Suicide Awareness, Prevention and Response - “The district shall notify employees, students, and parents/guardians of this policy and shall post the policy on the district’s website.” P - website
• 827. Conflict of Interest – “All Board members and employees shall be provided with a copy of this policy and acknowledge in writing that they have been made aware of it. Additional training shall be provided to designated individuals.”
• 830. Breach of Computerized Personal Information - The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the district provides notice of any system security breach, following discovery, to any state resident whose unencrypted and unredacted personal information was or is reasonably believed to have been accessed and acquired by an unauthorized person.”
• 901. Public Relations Objectives - To achieve this purpose, the Board shall provide parents/guardians and other district residents opportunities to receive information and orientation regarding the schools. The Board will utilize all appropriate means and media to achieve its public relations objectives. P - publications, website, social media
• 916. Volunteers P - website
• Safe2Say Something Procedures (attached to Policy 805)  P - website

Noted on each of the items above is:
P - if the item is published/communicated
Where (i.e. handbooks, website) that information is located

Section 510.2.  Publication of Rules, Regulations and Policies.--The board of school directors of a school district shall post on its publicly accessible Internet website the following rules, regulations and policies to the extent that they are required to be adopted by the school district under Federal or State law:

(1)  The following relating to students:
(i)  Admission of beginners.
(ii)  Attendance, excusals and truancy.
(iii)  Withdrawal from school.
(iv)  Student discipline.
(v)  Suspension and expulsion of students.
(vi)  Searches.
(vii)  Audio interception on school buses or school vehicles for disciplinary or security persons.
(viii)  Retention, maintenance and access to student records.
(ix)  Use of personal electronic devices.
(x)  Dress and grooming.
(xi)  Student complaint process.
(xii)  Parent appeal of a school district's placement of twins or multiple birth siblings.
(xiii)  Participation by home school students in school district extracurricular activities.

(2)  The following relating to educational programs:
(i)  Curriculum review by parents and students.
(ii)  Promotion and retention.
(iii)  Graduation requirements.

(3)  The following relating to student health:
(i)  Communicable diseases and immunization.
(ii)  Health examinations and screenings.
(iii)  Student use of medications.
(iv)  The school district's wellness policy.

(4)  The following relating to school property:
(i)  Use of school property and facilities.
(ii)  School visitation policies.
(iii)  Integrated pest management plan. 

(5)  The following relating to community:
(i)  Public participation in school board meetings.
(ii)  Public attendance at school events.
(iii)  Parental involvement policy for parents and guardians of students participating pursuant to section 1118 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-10, 20 U.S.C § 6318).
(iv)  Public access to and use of school district buildings, facilities and grounds.
(v)  Public complaint process.  (510.2 added July 13, 2016, P.L.716, No.86)

All District policies are posted through BoardDocs and linked to the District website.