Southern Local School District
Administrative Guidelines
 

9120A - PUBLIC RELATIONS
 A.Publicity Program
  In support of the Board's policy to utilize every appropriate medium through which the purposes, values, and needs of the schools may be communicated and to assist representatives of such media in presenting a true picture of the school system, the Superintendent or principals will send periodic bulletins to parents regarding events in their school during the year.
 B.The Use of Lay Personnel
  One of the greatest resources of the school is to be found in the people of the community who have special knowledge and particular talents to contribute to the school program. Therefore, it is most important to foster the idea in the community that many adults have something in their experiences, understandings, or philosophies that may contribute to the program of the school.
  1.The school staff should be concerned with locating and contacting people in different areas of interest. Contacts might be made through students in classrooms and such groups as the Home School Organization, the Boy and Girl Scouts, the Kiwanis Club, the American Legion, etc.
  2.The staff should be aware of the potential contribution that talented students in the school might make in the area of public relations.
  3.Letters or other contacts requesting any voluntary participation by such a person must be cleared through the principal's office of the school concerned.
  4.In order that volunteers may be utilized to the best educational advantage, sufficient preplanning should occur so that the individual knows the grade level, the time allotment, subject, and special materials desired.
 C.Community Visitation and Study
  To utilize the community effectively, it has become necessary for school personnel to acquaint themselves with the community and its resources.
  1.School personnel are urged to use workshops, faculty meetings, visitation days, etc. as times to effectively participate as groups in the understanding of the community and its resources. When special days provided for conferences, workshops, etc., are used for this purpose, permission should be secured in advance from the Office of the Superintendent.
  2.School personnel are urged to participate in and study the community either individually or with other members of the school personnel during the nonprofessional hours.
 D.School Displays
  Since displays of educational materials aid in bringing the school and the community together in a cooperative venture, they should be encouraged.
  1.Places frequented by large numbers of local citizens should be secured for display purposes whenever possible. Such places might include the store windows of local merchants, village buildings, schools, hospitals, libraries, banks, etc.
  2.Any display should first be approved by the principal of the school.
  3.The selection of various community facilities for display purposes should be based on the type of the display. An attempt should be made to use different facilities so not to burden any one (1) establishment. The duration of the exhibition will be contingent on its purpose, but a maximum of two (2) weeks is suggested.
  4.Requests for permission to use facilities for purposes of display should be made in writing to the organization. A file of replies should be available. In each instance, special arrangements should be made for the use of such facilities including the date, the type of display area desired, duration, and convenient time of installation.
  5.Letters of appreciation should be sent after a facility has been used.
 E.School Publications
  1.School-sponsored publications should present different viewpoints.
  2.Examples of school publications are:
   a.school newsletters,
   b.District Communicator,
   c.student produced newspaper.
  3.All new publications or revisions of existing publications should be approved by the Superintendent of Schools.
 F.Evaluation of Program
  The Public Relations Program shall be subject to periodic evaluation by the Superintendent.