This school board welcomes comments and suggestions for improvements from the community and general public served by the school district.  Constructive criticism of the schools is welcome whenever it is motivated by a sincere desire to improve the quality of the educational program or to allow the schools to do their tasks more effectively.  The public is reminded that this board has confidence in its professional staff and desires to support their actions in order that they may be free from unnecessary, spiteful, or negative criticism and complaint.  With this in mind, whenever a complaint is made directly to the board as a whole or to a board member as an individual, the complaint will be promptly referred to the school administration for study and possible solution.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES FOR RESOLVING COMPLAINTS

 

Since individual board members have no authority to resolve complaints, other than by formal board action, administrators are expected to follow up on all complaint referrals and to advise the board members of the nature of the complaint and the action/s taken.  The board expects that the administration will develop a procedure for receiving complaints courteously and that it will take steps to make a proper reply to the complainant.  Follow-up shall be in the form of a written memorandum to the board members.

 

Anonymous complaints provide no avenue for response or redress of the complaint; therefore, it is the policy of this board that anonymous complaints will not be pursued.  An unsigned complaint will not be read or acted upon at any meeting of the board and anonymous telephone complaints will not be brought to the board by any individual board member, administrator, or other district employee.  Further, the administration will not act on any anonymous complaint.

 

Complaints for which specific resolution procedures are provided shall be directed to those channels.  This includes complaints about personnel, instructional materials, etc.

 

Complaints should be resolved at the lowest possible level of authority.  If the complaint cannot be resolved at the building level, either party is encouraged to bring the matter to the attention of the superintendent.

 

If all other remedies have been exhausted and a complaint can be satisfactorily resolved, the complaint may be appealed to the school board.  No appeal will be heard by the board and no charges or accusations against an employee will be investigated or acted upon unless the accusations are reduced to writing, signed by the party making the complaint, and presented to the board through the superintendent.

 

 

In addition to the above, the board will request written reports be provided to the board prior to the meeting from the following:

 

The person against whom the complaint is made;

The principal of the school involved;

The superintendent; and,

The complainant.

 

Generally, all parties involved will be asked to attend the board meeting for the purpose of presenting any additional facts, making further explanations, and clarifying the issues.

 

The board will not consider or act upon complaints that have not been explored at the appropriate administrative level or complaints for which specific resolution procedures have been established that do not include board review.  If the board decides to hear the complaint, the board shall make a decision which shall be sent to all parties.  The board’s decision is final.

 

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

 

A.        Constructive comments and evaluations of the schools are welcome through whatever medium when they are motivated by a sincere desire to improve the quality of the education program and to equip the schools to perform their tasks more effectively.

 

B.         Persons and groups wishing to be placed on the agenda for a meeting of the school board shall file a written request with the superintendent seven (7) days in advance of the meeting.  The request shall contain the following information:

 

1.  Name and address

2.  Organizations or persons represented

3.  Topic to be discussed

4.  Specific questions to be answered or specific action requested

 

C.        The superintendent shall answer in writing any person or group making such a request as to the date of the meeting and the place on the agenda assigned to them.  In the event that the agenda for the next meeting is crowded, the superintendent shall place in order of time the hearing request for the following meeting; but in no event shall any request be postponed for longer than two meetings.

 

D.        The superintendent shall provide a copy of said complaint or request for information to each board member prior to the meeting involved.

 

E.         The superintendent is directed to have a report from the administration regarding the subject matter attached to the complaint and placed in the agenda of each board member at the meeting involved.