To access the Isaac School District's online policy manual, please visit ASBA's website or click the link below.

ASBA Arizona School District Publicly Available Policy Manuals

INTRODUCTION

This manual contains the policies of the Governing Board and administrative regulations of the Superintendent.  Policy and administrative regulation development in a modern, forward-looking school system is a dynamic, ongoing process.  New problems, issues, and needs give rise to the continuing necessity to develop new policies and regulations or to revise existing ones. The loose leaf format has been selected for this manual to facilitate its being kept up to date. Each person to whom a copy of this manual is assigned is charged with keeping it up to date as new policies and regulations are distributed by the central office.

How  to  Use  This  Manual

The Isaac School District No. 5 is operated in accordance with policies established by the Board and regulations developed by the Superintendent.  The Board, which represents the state and local community, adopts policies after careful deliberation, and the school administration implements the policies through specific regulations and procedures.  The Board and administration evaluate the effects of the policies and procedures and revise them as necessary.

To promote harmony, efficiency, uniformity of interpretation, coordination of effort, and fairness to all concerned, this manual will be accessible at the District office and at such other places as designated by the Superintendent.

How the manual is organized.  The manual is organized according to the classification system of the National School Boards Association.  The system provides an efficient means of coding, filing, and locating policies.

Please note:  All copies of this manual are the property of the Isaac School District No. 5.

There are twelve (12) major classifications, each identified by an alphabetical code:

     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
     H   MEET AND CONFER
      I   INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM
     J   STUDENTS
     K   SCHOOL - COMMUNITY RELATIONS
     L   EDUCATION AGENCY RELATIONS

Subclassification under each heading is based on logical sequence and alphabetical subcoding.  For an example of the subcoding system, examine the page immediately following the tab for Section A: FOUNDATIONS AND BASIC COMMITMENTS.

The pages that follow the tabs for each major section present the classification system, section by section, and serve as the tables of contents for the sections or "chapters" of this manual.

How to find a policy. There are two (2) ways to find a policy in the manual:

~  Consider where the policy would be filed among the twelve (12) major classifications.  Turn to the table of contents for that section and glance down the listing until you find the term that most closely fits the topic you are seeking.  Use the code letters given for the term to locate the sheet that appears in alphabetical order by code within the particular section.  (All pages of the manual are coded in the upper right-hand corner.)  Or -

~  Turn to the Code Finder Index at the end of the manual.  The code finder is an alphabetical index of terms commonly used in education.  Look up your topic as in any index, note its related code, and use the code to locate the sheet in the manual.

What if you can't find the term you are seeking? The code finder lists more than one thousand eight hundred (1,800) terms, but no index of useful size could include every possibility.  If the term you are seeking is not included, look up a synonym or another term, either more general or more specific, that you believe is related to the topic.

What if you can find the term and code, but there is no policy? This probably means that the school system has not adopted a written policy in the particular area.  All terms used in the classification system appear in the sectional tables of contents and code finder to accommodate the coding, insertion, and location of policies that may be adopted later.  But there is another possibility.  A brief statement related to the policy you are seeking may be incorporated in a "superior" policy that covers the more general area.  This "superior" policy will be coded under the broader category.  To find it, read up the classification system.  For example, a policy statement that encompasses all meetings of the Board might be filed under "School Board Meetings" (BE) rather than the more restrictive heading "Regular Board Meetings" (BEA).

Using the symbols.  Various symbols are used in connection with the classification system.  They are for your use in locating and/or recognizing the authority of the statements.  Included are the following:

-R     This symbol following a code indicates that the statement is a regulation, not a policy, and is generally the direction of the Superintendent to the staff for the implementation of a Policy.  If there is more than one regulation, the "-R" will be followed by a letter; e.g., "-RA," "-RB," et cetera.

REGULATION

-E     Exhibit.  This symbol following a code indicates that the statement is a reference document.  The exhibit is there to show the form to be used or for the purpose of information which may support the policy or regulation.  If there is more than one reference document, the "-E" will be followed by a letter; e.g., "-EA," "-EB," et cetera.

EXHIBIT

Using References.  Implementation of policies requires coordination with other policies and regulations.  A policy does not usually stand alone, rather, there are other policies or regulations that may apply.  For example the policy on Suspension is an integral part of the implementation of the policy on Weapons in the School.  The Weapons policy specifies what weapons are and how extensive the discipline may be but does not contain the step by step due process procedure necessary to accomplish the suspension of the student.  That is found in the policy on Student Suspension.  To assist districts with this complexity of policy, there may be a side heading at the bottom of each policy (not regulation) identifying cross referenced material and/or legal references.  When implementing policies, these cross references and laws should be reviewed for applicability to the circumstances or fact pattern bringing about the use of the policy.

LEGAL REF.:  Pertinent legal references are given to inform the reader where in law certain statutes that relate to a policy may be found.  References direct the reader to the federal or state laws, pertinent regulatory pronouncements, important legal opinions and will occasionally cite case law.  It is important to mention here that other laws and/or court decisions may also be applicable to a particular policy but not all can be cited.  The following abbreviations are used in legal references:

     A.A.C.    Arizona Administrative Code
     A.G.O.   Attorney General Opinion
     A.R.S.    Arizona Revised Statutes
     C.F.R.   Code of Federal Regulation
     P.L.       Public Law (federal law as it is identified by
                   Congress).  Such laws will at some time after
                   passage be codified in the United States Code
     USFR    Uniform System of Financial Records
     U.S.C.   United States Code

CROSS REF.:  Certain policies are related to other policies.  Cross references are provided following many statements to help the reader find the related information.  This related information should be referenced for an in depth understanding of policy.

About  Board  Policies

Generally, the role of a Board is to set policy, and the role of the administration is to execute it.  The basic distinction as set forth by the National School Boards Association is:

~  Policies are principles adopted by the Board to chart a course of action.  They tell what is wanted and may include also why and how much.  They are broad enough to indicate a line of action to be taken by the administration in meeting a number of day-to-day problems; they need to be narrow enough to give the administration clear guidance.

~  Regulations are the detailed directions developed by the administration to put policy into practice.  They tell how, by whom, where, and when things are to be done.

~  Exhibits are checklists, sample documents, forms, and other informational items to assist in implementing policies or procedures.

~  The state and federal governments at times require governing boards to make detailed rules, or the Governing Board may decide that such rules are necessary.  In spite of the detailed nature of such rules, once adopted by the Board they become policy.

Therefore:

~  Where the Board has voluntarily adopted statements of principle or written regulations required by law or has established a position in particularly sensitive areas, and one or more of them are incorporated into policy, the entire statement is presented as policy.

~  Where the Board has adopted rules concerning its own operations (for instance, how it conducts meetings), these statements concerning operations of the Board also appear as policy.

As long as the administration operates within the guidelines of policy adopted by the Board, it may issue regulations without prior Board approval unless Board action is required by law or unless the Board has specifically directed that certain types of regulations be given Board approval.  The Board, of course, is to be kept informed of all District regulations issued by the administration, and all are subject to Board review. In keeping with the definitions and rules of thumb, the current policies of the Board are presented in this manual.

Is  the  Manual  Complete?

No.  The manual contains all of the current written policies of the Board.  However, there is an almost continual need to draft and adopt new written policies and revise the existing ones.  Additionally, changes in state law and State Board of Education regulations may necessitate policy modifications.  No matter how well a policy manual is conceived and developed, it can never be totally comprehensive and absolutely up to date.  Therefore, as new policies are developed, they will be coded according to the classification system and issued for insertion into the manual.

Order of precedence.  Board policies must be read and interpreted in conformance with the applicable state and federal statutes and regulations.  Wherever inconsistencies of interpretation arise, the law and regulations prevail.

Terminology

Whenever the term Superintendent appears in this manual it is to be interpreted as "Superintendent or a person designated by the Superintendent."

Whenever the term principal appears in this manual it is to be interpreted as "principal or a person designated by the principal."

Whenever the term District appears in this manual it is to be interpreted as the "Isaac School District No. 5."

Whenever the terms Board or Governing Board appear in this manual they are to be interpreted as the "Governing Board of the Isaac School District No. 5."

Whenever the term day appears in this manual it is to be interpreted as any day in which the District or School Administrative Offices conduct business.

Whenever the term school day appears in this manual it is to be interpreted as any day in which the students are present for instruction.

Whenever the term parent appears in this manual it is to be interpreted as parent or legal guardian and the legal guardian is a person to whom custody of the child has been given by order of a court.

It is the expectation of the Board that this collection of policies provides a platform for harmony and efficiency in all areas of school operations.  This enables the Board to focus on its primary duty: the development of long-range plans and policies for the future of the School District.

Isaac School District Governing Board

Date of Manual Adoption:  January 28, 2010

PHOENIX,  MARICOPA  COUNTY,  ARIZONA