ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

PARTICIPATION BY THE PUBLIC

The St. Louis Public School District is committed to an affirmative and ongoing effort to develop and maintain a relationship with the community that will result in general support, volunteerism, and parent and community involvement. These people shall be invited to act as advisers, individually and/or in groups, through service as volunteers and/or members of committees, councils, tasks forces, special interest groups, and school/community organizations or other appropriate means. The office of community outreach meets with each of these groups on a regular basis.

The board and the staff shall give substantial consideration to the input they receive from individuals and community groups interested in the schools and is aware of the positive impact of parent and community involvement on student achievement. The board and staff, however, will not abdicate their responsibility for decision making, but will use their own best judgment in arriving at decisions.

The board is cognizant of the importance of community involvement and participation and recognizes it as a priority concern that will require the allocation of personnel and financial resources. The Board will interact on a regular basis with these organizations at the city wide level.

The primary, though not the only way to bring about parent and community involvement in the schools shall be the school/community organizations. These organizations may be identified as:

Parent Assembly
Community Education Centers (CEC)
Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO)
Parent Teacher Associations (PTA)

The district encourages the development of school/community organizations to interact with each level of decision making within the system whether it be the principal, associate superintendent, or central administration.

Policy adopted: June 26, 1990

Revised: February 9, 1999

R1200

ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULATION

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

PARTICIPATION BY THE PUBLIC

Each program director or principal, at the beginning of the school year, shall identify the opportunities for involvement that exist in the program or school for which he or she is responsible. By October 1 of the school year, each director or principal shall communicate the opportunities to the office of volunteer services or to the coordinator of parent involvement at the appropriate secondary, middle, or elementary office. Each involvement office will support and assist the program directors or principals in maximizing the opportunities throughout the year.

Furthermore, each principal is required to organize and maintain a school/community organization at the school for which he or she is responsible. Moreover, the principal shall encourage staff participation with the school/community organization at the school. The school/community organization shall represent the following interests: principal, teachers, staff, parents, students, and community.

The coordinator of community involvement at the appropriate secondary, middle, or elementary office shall provide expertise and support to assure that each school has a functioning school/community organization. The coordinator shall organize and maintain elementary, middle, and high school community councils.

Regulation approved: June 26, 1990

Revised: February 9, 1999