San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Board Rule and Procedure 9310
Board Policies
This Rule and Procedure applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
As a single District county, the San Francisco Board of Education administers both the San Francisco Unified School District and the San Francisco County Office of Education. Accordingly, the Board of Education intends that, unless otherwise specified:
- All board policies are the policies of both the School District and the County Office of Education;
- All regulations are the regulations of both the School District and the County Office of Education;
- All rules and procedures are the rules and procedures of both the School District and the County Office of Education;
- References to the Board of Education shall mean both the County Board of Education and the Unified School District Board of Education;
- References to the Superintendent shall mean both the Superintendent of the County Office of Education and the Superintendent of the Unified School District;
- References to the District shall mean both the Unified School District and the County Office of Education.”
Board policies, regulations and rules and procedures shall be labeled “San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education” and contain the following language: “This [Policy Regulation/Rule and Procedure] applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.”
The Board of Education shall adopt written policies to convey its expectations for actions that will be taken in the District, clarify roles and responsibilities of the Board and Superintendent, and communicate Board philosophy and positions to the students, staff, parents/guardians and the community. Board policies are binding on the District to the extent that they do not conflict with federal or state law and are consistent with the District’s collective bargaining agreements.
(cf. 0000 – Vision)
(cf. 0100 – Philosophy)
(cf. 9000 – Role of the Board)
The Board recognizes the importance of maintaining a policy manual that is up to date and reflects the mandates of law. Policies shall be regularly reviewed at a time allocated for this purpose on the agenda of public Board meetings.
(cf. 9320 – Meetings and Notices)
(cf. 9322 – Agendas/Meeting Materials)
The Board shall review certain policies annually, as required by Education Code 35160.5. If no revisions are deemed necessary, the Board minutes shall nevertheless indicate that the review was conducted. Other policies shall be monitored and reviewed as specified in the policy itself or as needed to reflect changes in law or District circumstances.
(cf. 5116.1 – IntraDistrict Open Enrollment)
(cf. 6145 – Extracurricular and Cocurricular Activities)
Policy Development and Adoption Process
The District’s policy development process shall include the following basic steps:
- The Board and/or Superintendent or designee shall identify the need for a new policy or revision of an existing policy. The need may arise from a change in law, a new District vision or goals, educational research or trends, or a change in the superintendency or Board membership. The need may also occur as a result of an incident that has arisen in the District or a recommendation or request from staff or other interested persons.
- The Superintendent or designee shall gather fiscal and other data, staff and public input, related District policies, sample policies from other organizations or agencies, and other useful information to fully inform the Board about the issue. The information may include how the proposed policy may affect student learning, community expectations, staff recommendations, fiscal impact, legal compliance, as well as the policy’s impact on governance and operational efficiency, and timeline for implementation, and evaluation of effectiveness.
(cf. 1220 – Citizen Advisory Committees)
- Legal counsel shall review the draft policy as appropriate.
(cf. 9323 – Meeting Conduct)
Only policies formally adopted by a majority vote of the Board shall constitute official Board policy and adopted policies shall supersede all previous Board policies as to the subject matter contained therein.
(cf. 9322 – Agenda/Meeting Materials)
(cf. 9323.2 – Actions by the Board)
The District’s policy development process may be revised or expanded as needed based on the issue being considered, the need for more information, or to provide greater opportunities for consultation and public input.
Policies shall become effective upon Board adoption or at a future date designated by the Board at the time of adoption.
Board Rules and Procedures
The Board shall prescribe and enforce rules for its own government consistent with state law and regulations. (Education Code 35010)
Except where otherwise specified, Board rules and procedures may be suspended by a vote of five members of the Board.
Board rules and procedures governing Board operations may be developed, adopted, and amended following the same procedures as those used for the adoption or amendment of Board policy.
District Regulations
The Superintendent or designee shall be responsible for developing, enforcing and adopting regulations for the operation of the District. Regulations shall be consistent with law and Board policy and shall be designed to promote the achievement of District goals and objectives. Regulations may describe specific actions to be taken, roles and responsibilities of staff, timelines, and/or other necessary provisions. The Superintendent or designee also may develop procedures manuals, handbooks, or other guides to carry out the intent of Board policy.
When Board policies are proposed for amendment, the Superintendent or designee shall review corresponding regulations to ensure that they conform to the intent of the revised policy. In case of conflict between District regulation and Board policy, policy shall prevail.
The Board may review and/or approve regulations for the purpose of ensuring conformity with the intent of Board policy.
Monitoring and Evaluation
At the time a policy is adopted, the Board and Superintendent or designee shall determine whether an evaluation of the policy should be scheduled and, if so, shall agree upon a timeline and measures for evaluating the effectiveness of the policy in achieving its purpose.
(cf. 0500 – Accountability)
Access to Policies
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that all District employees and the public have access to an up-to-date District policy manual on the District’s public website.
(cf. 1113 – District and School Web Sites)
(cf. 1340 – Access to District Records)
As necessary, the Superintendent or designee shall notify staff, parents/guardians, students, and other stakeholders whenever a policy that affects them is adopted or revised. They may determine the appropriate communications strategy depending on the issue.
(cf. 1112 – Media Relations)
(cf. 4112.9/4212.9/4312.9 – Employee Notifications)
(cf. 5145.6 – Parental Notifications)
(cf. 6020 – Parent Involvement)
Suspension of Policies
No Board policy, Board rule and procedure, regulation, or exhibit, or any portion thereof, shall be operative if it is found to be in conflict with applicable federal or state law or regulations or court decisions. If any portion of a policy is found to be invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions of the policy.
(cf. 2210 – Administrative Discretion Regarding Board Policy)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
35010 Control of District; prescription and enforcement of rules
35160 Authority of governing boards
35160.5 Annual review of school District policies
35163 Official actions, minutes and journal
35164 Vote requirements
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Targeting Student Learning: The School Board’s Role as Policymaker, 2005
Maximizing School Board Leadership: Policy, 1996
WEB SITES
CSBA, Policy Services, including Policy Update Service, Governance and Management Using Technology (GAMUT OnlineTM), Policy Audit Program, Individual District Policy Workshops, Agenda Online, and Manual Maintenance: http://www.csba.org/ps
National School Boards Association: http://www.nsba.org
Please note that compare references, or “cf”, refer to CSBA model policies and do not necessarily indicate that the San Francisco Unified School District has adopted the referenced policy.