The Cleveland County Board of Education recognizes that the public schools are an integral part of the community and that the public has a vested interest in having students develop into productive members of the workforce and society. The board encourages the community to be involved in the schools and to help the schools in attaining board and school goals for student success. The board affirms its intent to:

1. Inform the public of policies, programs, and planning of the school system.

2. Receive input from the community.

3. Stress academic excellence in every area through positive community involvement.

All personnel are expected to demonstrate a commitment to working with the community. Administrators will communicate to the public the goals and objectives of the schools and the progress of the schools in meeting those objectives, including the school building improvement reports required by G.S. 115C-12(9)c3.

The superintendent should identify appropriate opportunities for community input.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-12(9)c3, -36, -47

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Board of Education encourages participation in the school program by parents and others. Visitors are welcome in the school if their presence is in the best interest of the school.

In the interest of maintaining order, preventing disruption of instructional time, and ensuring maximum safety and security of staff and students, the following guidelines will apply to school visitors.

1. All visitors shall report to the principal’s office to register, gain approval, and receive a visitor’s pass before visiting within the building or on school grounds.

2. The principal shall have authority to grant or deny access to the campus.

3. Parents/guardians shall abide by the same rules as all other visitors.

4. Parents/guardians who request to observe in a classroom must have prior approval from the principal or designee.

5. Visitors may visit only in those areas for which approval has been granted.

The board expects all persons on school property, including all visitors at school events, activities, or functions, to obey the rules and regulations for behavior that have been established by the board, superintendent and school principal.

Any visitor who disrupts school operations or a school event, activity or function, is disorderly, damages school property, or threatens others shall be asked to leave school property immediately. The principal or designee may call law enforcement personnel to assist with crowd control or to remove from school property and any person who refuses to leave school property after being directed to do so.

In cases where a visitor engages in disruptive, disorderly or threatening behavior, the principal has authority to restrict visiting privileges or prohibit access to school property for up to the remainder of the school year. The principal’s decision may be reviewed according to the Cleveland County Schools’ grievance policy.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-36, -40, -288; G.S. 14-132, -288.4

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

Volunteers are welcome in the Cleveland County Schools if their presence is in the best interest of the school. Screening, training and supervision of volunteers is the responsibility of the school principal. The principal is responsible for ensuring that all volunteers who may have unsupervised contact with students or who volunteer routinely on school property have a completed volunteer application and approved criminal background check prior to beginning volunteer duties. All volunteers are subject to criminal background checks.

1. Volunteers are bound by the standards of conduct applicable to school employees. The principal may limit or terminate the services of a volunteer if the principal deems appropriate.

2. Schools are encouraged to notify parents/guardians of their entitlement under state law to four hours of leave each year to participate in activities at their child’s school.

3. Schools are encouraged to identify effective roles for volunteers, offer appropriate training, and assess and recognize the efforts of volunteers each year. For volunteers who serve the school on a regular basis, the principal or designee shall provide an orientation to include an outline of responsibilities, guidance about potential confidentiality issues, and guidelines for responding to emergencies.

4. Volunteers will be notified at the time the individual applies to volunteer that the board may maintain a volunteer file on the individual, and that information in that file may be open to inspection in accordance with state law.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-36, -40, -209.1; G.S. 95-28.3

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Board of Education recognizes that the PTO/PTA, booster clubs, and other parent organizations perform valuable services to the schools. The board supports active parent involvement in these organizations.

Parent organizations, including PTAs, PTOs and booster clubs, are not considered part of the school system. However, because the organizations and their activities reflect upon the Cleveland County Schools, all parent organizations must accept the conditions set forth by the board in order to operate on behalf of the schools.

Each parent organization or booster club which is involved with school activities or school students shall establish bylaws setting forth the purposes of the organization and the general rules and procedures by which it shall operate. Each organization or booster club shall provide a copy of its bylaws, and any revision thereof, to the principal.

The PTO/PTA, booster clubs and other parent organizations shall secure the advice and approval of the principal before planning any function in which students are to participate while under supervision of the school system. Such organizations shall secure the prior advice and approval of the principal in accordance with board policy before planning any fund-raising activity or solicitation intended to benefit a school program. The principal or designee shall suggest needs of the school, including those not requiring fund raising, that are conducive to the active involvement of significant numbers of interested parents in meaningful service to the school and its students.

Each parent organization or booster club shall establish its own system for handling and disbursing funds. However, all board policies, including those governing individual school accounts, must be followed when expenditures are made for school activities or when funds are to be raised through the use of students, school buildings or school grounds. The school system encourages each parent organization or booster club to conduct an independent audit at the end of each fiscal year.

Any item purchased and/or funds generated by any parent organization for a school or school activity shall become the property of the Cleveland County Board of Education.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-36, -47

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

Policy  2130

The Cleveland County School System is committed to the goal of “educating every child” according to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title I, Section 1118(a)(2).  We believe that the education of children is a cooperative effort between parents and schools and that the involvement of Title I parents increase the effectiveness of the program and contributes significantly to the success of their children.

Cleveland County Schools’ Title I program will strive to involve parents in various activities throughout the year, including the development of the Title I plan and opportunities to review the plan and Parent Involvement Policy. 

Cleveland County Schools provides a web site for communication as well as a Title I web page, a newsletter, and the CCSS Communicator. The central office will provide assistance and support for planning and implementing parent involvement activities such as Parent/Child Make It/Take It workshops and Parent/Child Reading projects designed to improve student academic achievement. Parent training sessions are provided by the Parent Center. Letting the parents know they are welcome in their child’s school is also an important part of the program.  Parents are also invited to observe lessons, attend parent-teacher conferences and school activities, and volunteer their time.

Parents will be informed of their rights as specified in the NCLB legislation by:

· Inviting parents to an annual public meeting to discuss the Title I program.

·    Helping parents understand national, state, and local standards and expectations using languages specific to the community.

·  Providing materials and information to parents to increase student achievement.

·  Working closely with schools and parents to recognize the importance of parent involvement to achieve student success.

·  Involving parents in CCSS’s preschool programs and Parent as Teacher program.

·  Coordinating and integrating with other programs such as Head Start, More at Four, Smart Start, etc.

·  Insuring the understanding of communications between schools, parents, and community.

·   Including parents on the School Advisory Council and the School Improvement Team.

·   Providing language appropriate community programs such as Spanish Fair.

·   Providing technical assistance, coordination, and any other needed support.

·  Involving parents in an annual evaluation of the academic quality of schools served with Title I funds

Cleveland County Schools’ Title I program and parents will establish an equal partnership between the home and school in order to provide the best possible education for our children. Parents will be informed of their child’s progress and Title I activities through monthly newsletters, progress reports, telephone contacts, and/or parent-teacher conferences.

The superintendent is authorized to close the schools, to delay the opening, or to dismiss school early in the event of hazardous weather, national disaster, or other emergencies, as allowed by law. To the extent possible, the administration shall see that the administrative, supervisory, and operations functions of the schools continue.

The superintendent shall develop procedures for the temporary closing of a school or schools pursuant to this policy.

Students, parents and staff shall be informed early in each school year of the procedures which will be used to notify them in case of emergency closings. When schools are closed for emergency reasons, staff members shall be advised of the appropriate actions to be taken.

The school calendar adopted by the board each year will include a plan for making up days and instructional hours missed when schools are closed due to inclement weather or other emergency.

LEGAL REF G.S. 115C-47, -84.2

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Board of Education is committed to providing an on-going public information program about the school system. Through this organized program, the board seeks to achieve the understanding, involvement, and support of the public to operate the school system successfully.

Any school system or school-sponsored information should reflect the goals and objectives of the school district.

The board adopts the following guidelines regarding communication with the public:

1. The superintendent or designee shall be the official spokesperson for the Cleveland County Schools.

2. The superintendent and all school personnel will inform parents, parent organizations, and the general public about the administration and operation of the schools in an honest manner within the limits of established rules of confidentiality.

The superintendent will designate a staff member to coordinate the board’s public information program.

News Media Relations

The board encourages a policy of positive relations with the press and other communication media in the community and surrounding area. The superintendent shall designate a staff member to work closely with the press and other communication media in providing information to the community concerning its schools and various aspects of the school program.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-36

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Board of Education acknowledges its obligation to provide the public with access to non-confidential public records.

A record is any information kept in any physical form maintained by the Cleveland County Schools. The public’s right to access applies to existing records in any form and includes the right to obtain a copy of the record. The school system is not required to create or compile a record that does not exist or put into electronic medium a record that is not kept in electronic medium.

Confidential records are not open to the public. These include personnel and student records, minutes of closed sessions, records pertaining to such matters as may be discussed in closed session, and any other records required to be kept confidential by law or as may be exempt from the North Carolina Public Records Law (G.S. ch. 132).

Requests for access to public information documents shall be submitted in writing to the office of the superintendent. The superintendent or the designated officer for public records will make such records available to the public upon reasonable notice during regular business hours. No person will remove original copies of public records from the schools or school system offices.

Charges made for duplication of public records will be set at the actual cost of such copies, as determined by the finance officer based on generally acceptable accounting principles. A special service charge may be assessed if fulfilling the request requires extensive use of information technology resources or extensive clerical or supervisory assistance.

The superintendent may establish reasonable rules of procedure by which public records may be inspected or copied.

LEGAL REF G.S. 115C-3, -4, -276, -402; G.S. ch. 115C art. 21A; G.S. ch. 132; 20 U.S.C. § 1232g

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Schools will retain and dispose of records in accordance with the Records Retention and Disposition Schedule: Local Education Agencies issued by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, Division of Archives and History. A copy of this schedule will be maintained in the superintendent’s office. The superintendent may develop guidelines for implementation of this policy.

* The Records Retention and Disposition Schedule is also available online:

http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/archives/rec/local/schoolschedule.pdf

http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/archives/rec/local/schoolamendment.pdf

LEGAL REF: G.S. 121-5

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

Each school in the Cleveland County Schools system may promote itself by publishing an official school web site on the Internet. The primary purpose of such web sites is to provide to the community at large each school’s mission, organization, curriculum information, and demographics, and to present curriculum-related work by students and staff members. The following guidelines provide criteria for the development of school-sponsored web sites.

1. The content of school web pages must be approved by the school principal or the principal’s designee.

2. Official school web pages must be hosted on a web server approved by the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee.

3. Pages will only list outside World Wide Web sites which comply with board policy on Internet usage. Schools must obtain permission from other web sites before links are established to the web sites on the school’s web site.

4. The safety of students and staff must be considered when constructing school web pages. Schools will follow these guidelines:

a. Home addresses or telephone numbers of students and staff shall not be listed.

b. Student e-mail addresses shall not be listed.

c. Photographs of students and student work shall be used only with prior written consent of the student and student’s parent or guardian.

E. Staff and students are responsible for understanding and complying with the Cleveland County Schools Acceptable Use Policy. According to the Cleveland County Schools Acceptable Use Policy, students and staff must accept responsibility for the ethical use of information accessed through the Internet and other electronic networks. Any violations should be reported immediately to the school principal.

F. Copyright permission will be obtained where appropriate.

G. The principal or the principal’s designee must ensure that information presented on the school’s web site is kept current.

H. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in the removal of a school’s web site from the Internet.

I. School web sites should not be used for commercial purposes unless approved by the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee.


Internet Permission to Publish Form

LEGAL REF: U.S. Copyright Law; “Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians,” Circular 21, U.S. Copyright Office; “Copyright in an Electronic Environment,” DPI; 20 U.S.C. § 1232g et seq.

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

Except as provided otherwise in board policy, the superintendent or designee may accept on behalf of the board any bequest or gift of money, property or services for school purposes and may utilize such money, property or services for the benefit of the school district.

Before accepting donations of services, equipment, materials or other property, the superintendent or designee should confer with administrative, instructional, and/or technology personnel to ensure that the donations are compatible with and supportive of the educational program. In deciding whether to accept a gift of services, equipment, materials or other property, the superintendent or designee shall take into consideration any costs of installation, maintenance or disposal.

All donations become the property of Cleveland County Schools.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-36, -47

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Board of Education authorizes the superintendent or designee to apply for grants designed to promote the quality of the school system and to reduce the burden on local taxpayers. The board will decide whether to accept grant money. The superintendent, in expending grant money, shall follow the school system’s normal procedure for the expenditure of funds and shall obtain the approval of the board when required by policy or law.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-47(7)

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

No agent, solicitor, peddler, or other person or organization shall solicit, advertise, offer for sale, or sell any subscription, policy, service, article, or thing whatsoever to any employee or student in any Cleveland County school while the employee or student is upon the premises of the public school during the hours the public school is in session or during the working day, without the prior written consent of the superintendent, principal or principal’s designee.

Professional association representatives are not permitted to conduct association business on school campuses except as expressly approved by the superintendent or designee. Representatives shall contact the principals, with prior approval from the superintendent, and with the principal’s permission, may contact school personnel on a voluntary basis and not during instructional time.

Except as provided in this policy, non-students shall not be permitted to distribute publications on school grounds during the school day or at school activities. Materials directly related to instruction or a school-sponsored activity may be distributed with the prior approval of the superintendent, superintendent’s designee or principal.

On election days at schools used as polling places, candidates may place posters on school property and campaign workers may offer prospective voters printed campaign material in accordance with the restrictions imposed on those activities by law and the respective boards of elections.

Under no circumstances will any activity permitted under this or any other policy be construed to create a forum for communication by any member of the public. Advertising, if permitted, is expressly limited to identifying information such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 14-238; G.S. 115C-36, -47(6); G.S. 163-129; U.S. Constitution, 1st Amendment

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Board of Education encourages and welcomes community support for educational programs and activities through approved procedures.

Solicitation as used in this policy involves the attempt to secure or acquire for school purposes such items as money, pledges, equipment, supplies, materials, etc., from individuals, businesses, or organizations for which there is no tangible or direct benefit returned. Solicitation as used herein does not include the raising of funds for approved endowment or foundation programs that are or may be approved by the board, nor does it include fund-raising activities conducted by the schools, PTO/PTAs, or booster organizations in which the sale of products results in revenues for school activities.

School employees are specifically forbidden from soliciting on behalf of the schools without prior written approval of the superintendent, principal or designee in accordance with board policy.

School support organizations such as booster groups and parent organizations are encouraged to limit direct solicitation and must secure approval of the school principal prior to engaging in solicitation activities on behalf of a school.

No school employee or school support organization shall solicit or accept items of value in exchange for advertising for the donor except as provided in board policy. Advertising, if permitted, is expressly limited to identifying information such as names, addresses and telephone numbers.

Any items of value, whether they are received through solicitation or by voluntary donation, become the permanent property of the school system.

Under no circumstances will any activity permitted under this or any other policy be construed to create a forum for communication by any member of the public.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 14-238; G.S. 115C-36, -47(6), -276; U.S. Constitution, 1st Amendment

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Board of Education authorizes the superintendent, in accordance with this policy, to approve periodic cooperation with individuals and agencies wishing to conduct research in the school system insofar as the proposed research is likely to result in improved services to students without detracting from the educational mission of the school. The superintendent or designee shall review requests from individuals and/or agencies outside of the school system to distribute or administer any research project, survey, analysis or evaluation to students. Any such instrument must be approved by the superintendent or designee before a survey is administered or distributed to students.

Surveys or other instruments used to collect information from students that are administered by teachers or other school employees or organizations must also be approved by the superintendent or designee before a survey is administered or distributed to students, if the instrument requests information regarding one or more of the following:

1. political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;

2. mental and psychological problems of the student or student’s family;

3. sexual behavior and attitudes;

4. illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating or demeaning behavior;

5. critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships;

6. privileged relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers;

7. religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student’s parent; or

8. income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program).

Right of parent or guardian to inspect certain surveys

A parent or guardian of a student has the right to inspect, upon request, any survey created by a third party (i.e., any individual that is not employed by the school system or any organization or agency that is not affiliated with the school system) and any survey that requests information regarding one of the above categories. The parent or guardian has the right to inspect any such survey, analysis or evaluation before it is administered or distributed to students. The parent’s request to inspect should be made to the principal or designee. A parent or guardian will be provided with reasonable access to a survey within a reasonable period of time after the request is received.

Parental and student consent requirements

Before a student shall be required to submit to a survey, analysis or evaluation funded in whole or in part by a program of the United States Department of Education that requests any information regarding one of the above categories, the principal or designee shall obtain prior written consent of the student’s parent or guardian or the consent of the student, if the student is an emancipated minor or is 18 years of age or older. For any survey, analysis or evaluation requesting any of the above information that is funded from any other source, a parent or guardian will be given the opportunity, before the survey is administered or distributed, to request that their child be excluded from participation in the survey.

Notification requirements

Parents or guardians will be directly notified, by U.S. mail or email, at least annually at the beginning of each school year, of the specific or approximate dates during the school year of the administration of all surveys, analyses or evaluations containing or requesting any of the above information, if such dates have been identified. Thereafter, parents or guardians shall be provided reasonable notification of planned activities and surveys before such surveys are administered or distributed to allow parents to review such surveys and to allow parents to provide consent or opt their child out of participation.

In addition, general notification regarding the rights of parents and guardians under this policy shall be distributed at the beginning of each school year. Notice also will be provided to parents and guardians, within a reasonable period of time, regarding any revision made to this policy during the school year.

Student privacy requirements

The superintendent or designee will make arrangements to protect student privacy in the administration or distribution of any survey, analysis or evaluation containing any of the above information.

Rights of students

The rights provided to parents and guardians under this policy transfer to the student when the student turns 18 years old or is an emancipated minor at any age.

The superintendent may establish and enforce additional reasonable rules and regulations to implement this policy.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-47(8), -230; 20 U.S.C. §1232h

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Board of Education endorses community use of school facilities for civic, cultural, educational, recreational and other activities, so long as such use does not conflict with the use of school facilities for school purposes and activities, state or federal law or local ordinance, or the proper care and maintenance of school property.

The superintendent or designee is authorized to enter into agreements for use of school facilities or property for terms of one year or less. All such agreements shall be reviewed and approved by the school attorney as to form.  The administration shall prepare and administer regulations and procedures otherwise necessary for the general use of school facilities.

No Cleveland County School ’s facility or property shall be used by a non-school group without an agreement entered pursuant to this policy.

Classification for Facility Use

Each request for use of a school facility shall be classified as to one of the following categories and assessed corresponding charges.  The principal shall have discretion in category placement, but whenever there is doubt as to classification of use, the superintendent or designee should be contacted.

A.        School-related organizations including, but not limited to, the Communities in Schools Program, adult education sponsored by the board in cooperation with various community colleges, after-school programs, and parent-teacher or teacher organizations or associations.  These organizations shall be given priority over organizations that are not school-related.  There is no charge except for personnel as required by the principal.

B.         Non-profit organized recreational groups, community-oriented organizations, civic groups, private non-profit groups, churches, and governmental agencies.  There is a charge for personnel, as required by the principal, utilities (when applicable) in addition to non-profit rental charges.

C.        Commercial profit-making businesses, organizations, or individuals selling a product or providing a service for a fee.  There is a charge for personnel as required by the principal, in addition to for-profit rental.

The Central Office administrator charged with facility responsibility will have discretion in making decisions in special situations with the group identified in Group B under Classification for Facility Use.

Rules Governing Facility Use

1.         Any phase of public education including the instructional program, recreational, entertainment, athletic, or any other programs conducted by school personnel to promote the welfare of the school and community shall have priority over other uses.

2.         Facilities may be made available for non-school use on a year-round basis, including legal holidays, subject to the availability of facilities and approved individuals to supervise facilities and perform custodial services, and in accordance with other provisions of this policy.

3.         A user of school facilities shall not sublet the use of school facilities or assign or transfer its permit to use school facilities to any other person or organization without the express written permission of the appropriate school official.

4.         A one-year limit shall exist for an agreement for the use of a school facility by a specific group.  If a request for renewal is submitted, such request shall be treated as a new application.

5.         Any games of chance or other forms of gambling that are illegal by state or federal law are prohibited on school premises.

6.         Possession, consumption or sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on school premises.

7.        Possession of weapons is prohibited on school premises.

8.         Possession, consumption, distribution, or sale of illegal drugs is prohibited on school premises.

9.         In accordance with the board’s tobacco free policy, the display or use of tobacco products is prohibited on school premises. Tobacco use is prohibited inside school buildings.

10.     A school employee, at user’s expense, may be required to be on duty when a school building is used or rented as required by the principal.  This employee shall not be directly responsible for the supervision of the activity.  If, in the opinion of the principal, additional supervision of an intended use of a school facility is needed for crowd control and/or to protect the board’s property, the principal may require either that additional school employees are on duty to assist with the supervision of the activity at the user’s expense and/or that security be provided by law enforcement or by the organization or individual using the facility at the user’s expense.

11.       The use of kitchen equipment such as dishwashers and mixers is prohibited except under the supervision of an approved food services employee as determined by the principal.

12.       In accordance with G. S. 115C0524(b), non-school groups may use school property for other than school purposes so long as such use is consistent with the proper preservation and care of the property.  In all cases, the user will be held responsible for one hundred percent (100%) of any damages to board property and equipment that occurs in connection with its use of the facility.

13.       Pursuant to G. S. 115C-524(b), the Cleveland County Board of Education shall not be held liable for personal injury suffered by reason of the use of school property under an agreement pursuant to this policy.  All non-school use of school property or facilities shall be pursuant to an agreement entered in accordance with this policy.

14.       Teams may charge admission and may operate their own concession stand only with the principal’s approval.  A schedule of games must be sent to the principal or designee.

Fee Schedule for Facilities Use

The fee schedule will be available in the office of the superintendent and each principal’s office.  The fee schedule will be periodically updated by the superintendent with the approval of the board.

Hourly rates for employees will be the actual hourly rate of the individual employed plus retirement and social security costs.  If overtime is involved this amount will be multiplied by 1.5.  A deposit of $100.00 is required to cover the personnel cost for each event.  All accounts will be settled within 5 business days following the event.

All facility charges must be paid to the Cleveland County schools at least five (5) business days prior to the intended use of the facilities.  Groups using facilities on an on-going basis will be billed quarterly with payment due at least five (5) business days prior to that quarter’s use.

Procedure for Facility Use Application

The superintendent shall prepare and provide to principals a standard application form for the use of school facilities.

Any agency, group or individual interested in using a school facility must submit a completed application to the principal of the facility desired at least 10 business days prior to the date of the intended use.  The principal or designee shall be responsible for deciding who may use the local facilities and for setting the date and time of such usage subject to board policy.

Applications must be signed by an authorized representative of the organization who is 18 years of age or older.  In case of an individual user, the individual must be 18 years of age or older.

Approval of Application for Facility Use

The principal shall evaluate each application for use of a school facility as to the intended use.  In the event the principal does not recommend use in a specific case, he or she shall return a copy of the application to the party requesting use and explain that the request does not have his or her recommendation.

Any person or organization may request a review of a decision made by school personnel pursuant to this policy.  Requests for review must be submitted to the superintendent in writing within 10 days of the decision to be reviewed.

Termination and Cancellation

An agreement to use school facilities may be canceled by either the user or appropriate school official for good cause provided five (5) days notice is given to the other party.  This provision may be amended only by mutual agreement of the parties.  If no good cause is shown for cancellation, the user shall forfeit fifty percent (50%) of the rental fee or other charges.

LEGAL REF:  G.S. 115C-527(b); 115C-204 et seq.

ADOPTED: Oct. 10, 2004

Equipment and materials purchased for the Cleveland County Schools are not to be used for private purposes, except when such use is authorized in conjunction with the rental or use of school facilities as provided by board policy.

When such use is authorized, the principal or designee will ensure that appropriate school personnel are on duty to operate and/or to supervise the operation of school system equipment.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-36

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages, including but not limited to beer, malt liquor and wine, is not permitted on any property owned, leased, maintained or contracted for by the Cleveland County Board of Education.

Any visitor who possesses or consumes an alcoholic beverage on school property will be asked to leave the school property immediately, and, if he or she fails to do so, will be reported to law enforcement for criminal trespass, disorderly conduct or such other charges as may be appropriate.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 18B-102, -103, -301; G.S. 115C-36, -40, -47

ADOPTED: September 13, 2004

The Cleveland County Board of Education believes that employees and students are entitled to work and study in a tobacco-free environment. In addition, the board recognizes that it has an obligation under federal law to provide smoke-free schools.

1. Students may not possess, display, or use any tobacco product at any time while on school premises, or while participating in any school-sponsored event, whether on or off school premises.

2. No employee, visitor, volunteer, guest or contractor shall use or display tobacco products at any time on school premises. No emloyee or other adult acting in a supervisory capacity for the Cleveland County Schools shall use or display tobacco products in the presence of students while participating in or on duty at any school-sponsored event off school premises.

3. Use or display of any tobacco product is prohibited in all vehicles owned, operated, maintained, or leased by the school system or private vehicles authorized to transport students.

4. The prohibition of the display of tobacco products shall not extend to display that has a legitimate instructional or pedagogical purpose.

5. Persons or organizations not affiliated with the Cleveland County Schools who rent, lease, or otherwise temporarily occupy any school property, including school vehicles, are prohibited from displaying or using tobacco products during that period of use.

For purposes of this policy, "tobacco product" is defined to include cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, snuff, and any other items containing or reasonably resembling tobacco products. "Tobacco use" includes smoking, chewing, dipping or any other use of tobacco products. "School premises" include any building, facility or property that is owned, leased, maintained or contracted for by the Cleveland County Schools.

This policy will be enforced by the superintendent or designee at the central office, the principal or designee of each school, and the building department head or designee of any other school building or office.

Notice of this policy will be posted in school buildings and will be provided to all students and school personnel annually.

LEGAL REF: G.S. 115C-36, -47, -391, -407; 143-595 to -601; Pro-Children Act of 1994, 20 U.S.C. § 6081 et seq.; Pro-Children Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. § 7181 et seq.

ADOPTED: September 27, 2004