District Policy
|
Introduction These manuals contain the governance and school district policies of the Fort Zumwalt Board of Education, and the major administrative procedures and forms intended to implement the policies.
Policy development in a modern, forward-looking school district is a dynamic, on-going process. New problems, issues and needs give rise to the continuing obligation to develop additional policies or to revise existing ones. This is why the Board employs the looseleaf format for its policy manuals. The format allows for ease in updating the materials. How to Use These Manuals The Fort Zumwalt School District operates according to policies established by the Board of Education. The Board, which represents the state and local community, develops the policies after careful deliberation, and the school administration implements them through specific procedures and forms. The Board then appraises the effects of its policies and makes revisions as necessary. In the interest of harmony, efficiency, uniformity of interpretation, coordination of effort, and in fairness to all concerned, the Board makes these manuals available to all who are affected by its policies and procedures. How The Manuals Are Organized The manuals are organized according to MSBA's modified coding system of the National School Boards Association (NSBA). Because that system is designed to accommodate the needs of all 50 states, NSBA material contains a Section H which relates to negotiations. Since Missouri is a non bargaining state, this section does not apply to the districts MSBA serves, and is therefore not included in the manual. The system provides an efficient means of coding, filing and finding policies, administrative procedures and other related documents. Eleven major classifications, each bearing an alphabetical code, are utilized in the MSBA Classification System. The 11 major classifications are: A Foundations and Basic Commitments B School Board Governance and Operations C General School Administration D Fiscal Management E Support Services F Facilities Development G Personnel I Instructional Program J Students K School-Community Relations L Education Agency Relations Subclassifications under each heading are based on logical sequence and alphabetical sub coding. For example, policy CB is used for a general policy statement regarding the school superintendent. Policy CBA relates to the more specific topic of qualifications and duties of the superintendent. Policy CBA, therefore, is a sub code of CB, and CB is the "superior" code of CBA. Using the Signs and Symbols Various signs and symbols are used in connection with the policy classification system. They are for use in locating and/or examining policies. Included in the signs and symbols are the following:
About Board Policies Generally, the role of a Board of Education is to set policy and the role of the administration is to execute it. The basic definitions of policies and procedures, as set forth by the National School Boards Association, are as follows:
These definitions are serviceable most of the time. They reflect sound theory of governance and administration. But the real world does not always conform. For example: As long as the administration operates within the guidelines of a general policy adopted by the Board, it may change administrative procedures without prior approval of the Board -- unless the Board has specifically asked for Board approval. however, only the Board may adopt new policies or revise old ones. Order of Precedence Board of Education policies and administrative procedures must be read and interpreted in the light of the Federal and Missouri State Board of Education/Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education regulations. Wherever inconsistencies of interpretation arise, the federal and state laws and regulations shall prevail. It is the hope of the Board of Education of the Fort Zumwalt School District that this collection of policies, procedures and forms will provide for greater harmony and efficiency in all areas of school operations. This will enable the Board to devote more time to its primary duty -- the development of long-range policies and planning for the future of the school district. This manual must be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Reader is free software available from Adobe. Once you have downloaded it to your hard drive, you do not have to reload it each time a ".pdf" file needs to be read. Please click here if you do not already have the program and wish to view and/or print portions of the District Policy Manual. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
