BOARD - COMMUNITY RELATIONS
It shall be the expressed policy of the Board of Directors to actively cooperate with official area community agencies and organizations concerned with the welfare of students. All efforts of this school system should be directed toward maintaining open communications between the schools and the public. Community support for the program of the schools can best be established through a public that understands and is active in school affairs.
Adopted: April 14, 1986
Reviewed: March 20, 2000
October 18, 2004
April 19, 2010
May 18, 2015
RELEASES TO NEWS MEDIA
Releases About Internal School Matters
It is the policy of the Board to have news releases prepared about internal matters of the school(s), and to disseminate such releases to all news media in the area.
The Superintendent of schools or a delegated assistant or assistants shall be responsible for clearance of all news releases that originate in the schools.
Public information that is not personal or confidential should be made available to all news media upon their request. In order to establish and maintain a cooperative atmosphere in our public relations program, close ties should be kept with persons representing the various news media.
Releases About Board Matters
It shall be the policy of the Board to have news releases prepared about Board matters and to disseminate them to residents in the area.
Copies of agendas for regular Board meetings shall be supplied to all news media that have filed a request for notice, at the same time they are made available to Board members or at least 24 hours before the meeting.
The Board president or superintendent of schools, or delegated staff should be available to media representatives to answer any questions that may arise concerning Board matters.
Legal Reference: Iowa Code Section 21.4; 22.7
Court Cases: Widmer v. Reitzler 182 N.W. 2d 177;
Dobrovolny v. Reinhardt 173 N.W. 2d 837
Attorney General Rulings O.A.G. April 10, 1979 (Miller)
Adopted: April 14, 1986
Reviewed: March 20, 2000
October 18, 2004
April 19, 2010
May 18, 2015
DUPLICATED OR PRINTED MATERIALS
Duplicated or printed materials related to or explaining various phases of the school program will be made available for staff and public use as deemed advisable by the superintendent of schools. Decisions concerning such publications may be delegated to staff assistants appointed by the superintendent.
Rules of good taste, scholarship, and general acceptability should apply to all such publications.
Adopted: April 14, 1986
Reviewed: March 20, 2000
October 18, 2004
April 19, 2010
May 18, 2015
BOARD PROCEEDINGS
Tentative agendas for official board meetings shall be submitted to board members and news media at least 24 hours in advance of regularly scheduled board meetings. Information necessary for consideration of items on the agenda shall also be made available to Board members when possible.
All official proceedings of the Board shall be made a matter of public record and shall be open for inspection on demand of the public during regular office hours. The minutes of regularly scheduled board meetings shall be a matter of public record and shall be furnished to each member of the Board of Directors.
The board shall keep the members of the school district community informed about the actions taken at board meetings. The proceedings of each open board meeting will be published in a newspaper designated as a newspaper for official publication within two weeks of the date of the meeting.
It shall be the responsibility of the board secretary to publish in concert with this policy. It shall also be the responsibility of the board secretary to develop administrative regulations, if necessary in the board secretary’s judgment, to carry out this policy.
Legal Reference: Iowa Code Sections 21, 22, 279.35 - .36, 291.6, 618.3
(1987 as amended by H.F. 499, 72nd G.A. 1st Sess.).
Attorney General Rulings O.A. G. June 16, 1971 (Johnston);
O.A.G. 1968, p. 656; O.A.G. April 20, 1979 (Menke)
Court Cases: Widmer v. Reitzler 182 N.W. 2d 177;
Dobrovolny v. Reinhardt 173 N.W. 2d 837
Cross Reference: 204.7 Notice for Meetings
Adopted: April 14, 1986
Reviewed: January 11, 1988
March 20, 2000
October 18, 2004
April 19, 2010
May 18, 2015
Revised: February 8, 1988
PUBLIC EXAMINATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT RECORDS
Public records of the school district may be viewed by the public during the regular business hours of the administration offices of the school district. These hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for holidays and recesses.
Persons wishing to view the school district's public records will contact the board secretary and make arrangements for the viewing. The board secretary will make arrangements for viewing the records as soon as practicable, depending on the nature of the request.
Persons may request copies of public records in writing, including electronically. The school district may require pre-payment of the costs prior to copy and mailing.
Persons wanting copies may be assessed a fee for the copy. Persons wanting compilation of information may be assessed a fee for the time of the employee to compile the requested information. Printing of materials for the public at the expense of the school district will only occur when the event is sponsored by the school district.
Records defined by law as confidential records are viewed or copied upon receipt of written permission by the board secretary or superintendent from the person or entity whose confidential records are being requested.
It is the responsibility of the board secretary to maintain accurate and current records of the school district. It is the responsibility of the board secretary to respond in a timely manner to requests for viewing and receiving public information of the school district.
Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 21.4; 22; 291.6 (2005).
1980 Op. Att'y Gen. 88.
1972 Op. Att'y Gen. 158.
1968 Op. Att'y Gen. 656.
Cross Reference: 215 Board of Directors' Records
401.5 Employee Records
506 Student Records
708 Care, Maintenance, and Disposal of School District Records
902.1 News Media Relations
Approved: April 14, 1986
Reviewed: March 20, 2000
October 18, 2004
April 19, 2010
May 18, 2015
Revised: August 15, 2005