[BakerButlerMatters] Update

[Thomas Pajewski]

1.  PTO Meeting
2.  Notice from the Superintendent



1. PTO Meeting
Our next scheduled PTO meeting will be this coming Monday, December 11,
starting at 6:30 pm in the Media Center. Please plan on attending.


2. Notice from the Superintendent
The following notice was sent out by Dr. Moran regarding a recently
distributed flyer.

  
Office of the Superintendent 
401 McIntire Road Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-4596 
Phone: (434) 296-5877 Fax: (434) 296-5805 
www.k12albemarle.org 
 
Superintendent¹s Message to the Community 
December 7, 2006 
 
Dear Community Members,
  
 
Albemarle County Public Schools, like all other school divisions across the 
country, is guided in its daily operations by state and federal laws, and lo
cal School Board policy. From time to time we receive questions about practi
ces in Albemarle County schools. This ³Superintendent¹s Message to the Commu
nity² is a communications vehicle I will use occasionally to share informati
on about School Division practices and issues people are talking about.
  
 
Recently, a flyer from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church regarding an edu
cational program for children about the traditions of December and their ori
gins was distributed through our schools. The flyer was carried home to fami
lies by elementary students and posted at the middle and high schools. The e
vent included a pagan ritual to celebrate Yule. The flyer generated inquirie
s about our policy for distribution of materials through schools.
  
 
The related Albemarle County School Board Policy KF (Distribution of Materia
ls by School-sponsored, Government or Outside Organizations) can be viewed o
n our website at www.k12albemarle.org under the ³School Board² link.
  
 
Policy KF was updated by our School Board this fall to meet changes in legal
 requirements regarding rights of access to public schools under the 1st Ame
ndment. The School Board was prompted to revise this policy during the summe
r months when a parent challenged a Division decision to prohibit the distri
bution of a flyer in an elementary school for a community Bible Club. The Di
vision¹s policy at the time required staff to deny requests from groups aski
ng to circulate flyers for partisan, sectarian, religious or political purpo
ses. However, federal court decisions during the past few years regarding ac
cess to schools have enforced the rights of religious groups to distribute m
aterials in public schools to the same extent as other organizations.
   
 
Under current legal requirements, local public schools may not discriminate 
against religious or other community organizations that seek to have their i
nformation distributed in the schools.  
Our School Board therefore had two options to consider ­ allowing all outsid
e groups to distribute flyers in schools or allowing none. The School Board 
defines ³outside organizations² as any non-profit or tax-exempt organization
 other than school-related or governmental organizations. The School Board a
greed that materials distribution is a valuable community service that can p
rovide families with information
about opportunities they can choose to participate in outside of school if t
hey determine the activity is beneficial for their child. The School Board v
oted to allow equal access to all community organizations for flyer distribu
tion in schools. It also approved some new requirements relating to the time
, place and manner for materials distribution in schools. The Board added li
mitations in the revised policy to minimize the time that school staff spend
s distributing the materials.
  
 
In general, the revised Policy KF states:
  
€ 
Materials to be distributed or displayed in schools must be submitted in adv
ance for review by the School Division¹s Executive Director of Support Servi
ces.
 
€ 
Schools can distribute or display communications from school-related, govern
mental or outside organizations that promote youth programs, activities or e
vents that aim to improve the health, education or welfare of students.
€ 
 The distribution of materials by political campaigns and by commercial for-
profit organizations is generally prohibited.
€ 
Outside organizations are required to include the following disclaimer: ³Alb
emarle County Public Schools neither endorses nor sponsors the organization 
or activity represented in this material. The distribution or display of thi
s material is provided as a community service and is not printed at taxpayer¹
s expense.²
  
 
Organizations that receive School Division approval to distribute materials 
in the schools also must meet a series of requirements such as how and when 
the materials are provided to schools. Organizations are also subject to cer
tain guidelines for the appropriate process for distributing these materials
. Starting in January 2007, a limit of two flyers per organization, per seme
ster will take effect.
  
 
The Albemarle County Public Schools received 97 requests to distribute flyer
s to students in the 2005-06 school year. Each request was evaluated under t
he former policy and either approved or denied. This school year, flyer requ
ests are evaluated under the new Board policy and applicable guidelines. Sch
ool Board Policy KF can be viewed on-line on the Division website at www.k12
albemarle.org under the ³School Board² link.  The policy also can be obtaine
d by calling the School Board Office at (434) 972-4055. The School Board is 
monitoring the impact of the new policy in the County schools and has the op
tion to review and revise the policy in the future.
  
 
Parents and community members who would like to share input on this policy c
an put their comments in writing and direct them to
the School Board Clerk by e-mail at 
jjohnston at k12albemarle.org. Comments also can be sent by U.S. Mail to the Al
bemarle County School Board Office, 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 2
2902. The Clerk will share all comments received with the School Board.
  
 
Should you have additional questions about Policy KF, please contact your sc
hool principal or the School Division¹s Administrative and Support Services 
Office at (434) 296-5877.
  
 
Sincerely,
   
Dr. Pamela R. Moran 
Superintendent
  
 
 
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