San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Board Policy 1400
Relations Between Other Governmental Agencies And The Schools
This Board Policy applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
The Governing Board recognizes that agencies at all levels of government share its concern and responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of youth. The Board and Superintendent or designee shall initiate and maintain good working relationships with representatives of these agencies in order to help district schools and students make use of the resources which governmental agencies can provide.
(cf. 0450 – Comprehensive Safety Plan)
(cf. 1020 – Youth Services)
(cf. 1330 – Use of School Facilities)
(cf. 3515.2 – Disruptions)
(cf. 3515.3 – District Police/Security Department)
(cf. 3515.5 – Sex Offender Notification)
(cf. 3516 – Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness Plan)
(cf. 5030 – Student Wellness)
(cf. 5131.7 – Weapons and Dangerous Instruments)
(cf. 5141.22 – Infectious Diseases)
(cf. 5141.4 – Child Abuse Prevention and Reporting)
(cf. 5145.11 – Questioning and Apprehension by Law Enforcement)
(cf. 5145.12 – Search and Seizure)
(cf. 7131 – Relations with Local Agencies)
The district may enter into agreements with other agencies which involve the exchange of funds or reciprocal services. Such agreements shall be approved by the Board and executed in writing.
Elections/Voter Registration
If a city or county elections official specifically requests the use of a school building as a polling place, the Board shall allow its use for such purpose. The Board may authorize the use of school buildings as polling places on any election day, and may also authorize the use of school buildings, without cost, for the storage of voting machines and other vote-tabulating devices. If school will be in session, the Superintendent or designee shall identify to elections officials the specific areas of the school buildings not occupied by school activities that will be allowed for use as polling places. (Elections Code 12283)
An elections official making a request for use of a school building shall include in his or her request a list of the schools from which the use of a building for polling places is needed. Requests must be made within sufficient time in advance of the school year for the Board to determine, on a school-by-school or district wide basis, whether to keep the affected schools in session, designate the school day for staff training and development, or close the school to students and nonclassified employees before school calendars are printed and distributed to parents. (Elections Code 12283)
(cf. 6111 – School Calendar)
When a school is used as a polling place, the Superintendent or designee shall provide the elections official a site with an adequate amount of space that will allow the precinct board to perform its duties in a manner that will not impede, interfere, or interrupt the normal process of voting and shall make a telephone line for Internet access available for use by local elections officials if so requested. He/she shall make a reasonable effort to ensure that the site is accessible to disabled persons. (Elections Code 12283)
(cf. 0410 – Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)
The Superintendent or designee shall designate a contact person at each high school for the Secretary of State to contact in order to facilitate the distribution of voter registration forms to eligible students. The Superintendent or designee shall provide the address, phone number, and email address of each contact person to the Secretary of State. (Elections Code 2148)
To encourage students to participate in the elections process when they are eligible, high school American Democracy courses will offer a lesson on the requirements and process for registering to vote, which includes instruction on the requirements and process for pre-registration of students as young as 16 in accordance with California law, and which offers the necessary forms for voter registration or pre-registration, with information on where to return such forms.
The district will partner with the County Registrar of Voters to develop information sheets outlining the legal requirements for voter registration and pre-registration, and partner with nonpartisan organizations that can offer voter registration drives at high school campuses at least once annually. The American Democracy course will include instruction on the platforms of political parties with significant (more than 5 percent) registration in San Francisco county and information on how to be an involved voter. Voter registration activities at school should be structured so that students who do not meet the voter eligibility criteria in California law may still participate in class work and activities without disclosing their eligibility status. (Resolution No. 162-23A3 “Encouraging Students to Exercise Their Voting Rights”)
(cf. 6142.3 – Civic Education)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
10900-10914.5 Cooperative community recreation programs
12400 Authority to receive and expend federal funds
12405 Authority to participate in federal programs
17050 Joint use of library facilities
17051 Joint use of park and recreational facilities
32001 Fire alarms and drills
32288 Notice of safety plan
35160 Authority of governing boards
35160.1 Broad authority of school districts
48902 Notification of law enforcement agencies
48909 District attorney may give notice student drug use, sale or possession
49305 Cooperation of police and California Highway Patrol
49402 Contracts with city, county or local health departments
49403 Cooperation in control of communicable disease and immunization
51202 Instruction in personal and public health and safety
ELECTIONS CODE
2145-2148 Distribution of voter registration forms
12283 Polling places: schools
WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE
828 Disclosure of information minors by law enforcement agency
828.1 School district police department; disclosure of juvenile criminal records
Management Resources:
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Secretary of State: http://www.ss.ca.gov
California Voter Foundation: http://www.calvoter.org
Cities, Counties, and Schools Partnership: http://www.ccspartnership.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.