9700 - RELATIONS WITH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Cuyahoga Valley Career Center

Bylaws & Policies

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 on balance such activities promote student interests without advancing the special interests of any particular group.

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 Superintendent or his/her delegated representative; 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.

A.	Political Interests

	All materials or activities proposed by outside political sources for student or staff use or participation shall be reviewed by the Superintendent on the basis of their educational contribution to part or all of the school program, and no such approval shall have the primary purpose of advancing the special interest of the proposing group.

	1.	The Board may permit the use of educational materials, programs, and equipment which contains commercial messages providing the content of such messages and the manner of presentation has been approved by the Superintendent and is in compliance with the District's administrative guidelines.

	2.	In addition, the Board may permit school organizations and/or school-affiliated groups to sell space in District facilities, on District property, or in District publications for the express purpose of advertising the products or services of a commercial organization, providing the content of such advertisements and the manner of their presentation has been approved by the Superintendent and is in compliance with the District's administrative guidelines.

	3.	Outside speakers representing commercial organizations will be welcome only when the commercial aspect is limited to naming the organization represented and the subject matter advances the educational aims of the District.

B.	Contests/Exhibits

	The Board recognizes that commercial 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 unless waived by policies of the District;

	4.	interrupt the regular school program;

	5.	unless the student body as a whole derives benefit from such activities;

C.	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 or director.

	The Superintendent shall establish administrative guidelines which ensure that:

	1.	criteria established in Policy 5722 - District-Sponsored Publications - are used to make a decision regarding materials that students seek to post or distribute;

	2.	distribution or posting of materials employees wish to distribute on behalf of an employee organization comply with the terms of negotiated, collectively-bargained agreements;

3.	the District or the school mail system is not used by the community, students or staff for distribution of nonschool-related materials;

4.	no materials from any profit-making organization are distributed for students to take home to their parents unless authorized by the Superintendent or his/her designee;

5.	flyers and notices from outside non-profit organizations may be made available for students to pick-up at the literature distribution rack/table by the school building's office, under the following circumstances:

	a.	the flyer/notice publicizes a specific community activity or event that is age-appropriate for the students that attend the school;

	b.	if the event or activity is religious in nature, the flyer may not contain a proselytizing message (i.e., promote the benefits of the specific religion);

	c.	the organization submits the number of copies of the flyer that it wants placed in the literature distribution rack/table;

	d.	the organization shows the building director its 501(C)(3) or other proof of non-profit status, and the director confirms that the flyer/notice does not overtly advocate or entice support for any religious organization;

		No student shall be required to take any of the flyers/notices placed in the literature/distribution rack/table, and the rack/table shall contain a clear notice that the Board does not support or endorse any of the organizations and/or activities/events identified in the flyers/notices.

D.	Solicitation of Funds

	Any outside organization or staff member representing an outside organization desiring to solicit funds on school property must receive permission to do so from the Superintendent or his/her designee.

	Permission to solicit funds will be granted only to those organizations or individuals whose purposes are consonant with the goals of this District and the interests of the community and 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.

E.	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.

	3.	The director, together with a committee of staff members designated by the director, shall be involved in the selection of the recipient and, if agreeable to the sponsoring organization, the selection shall be left entirely to the director and staff committee.

F.	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.

	Students shall not be required to complete surveys to provide marketing information to vendors, or distribute to vendors any personal information of students, including but not limited to names, addresses, and telephone numbers, except as may be required by law. In addition, the District shall not enter into any contract for products or services, including electronic media services, where personal information will be collected from the students by the providers of the services.

	See also Policy 2416 and AG 2416.

R.C. 3313.75-.78

Revised 6/27/02
Revised 8/30/07