THE PARK WEST SCHOOL DIVISION
Policy Manual
Policy setting is a crucial school board role in our system of educational governance. Like Parliament, provincial legislatures, and city or municipal councils, school boards establish the direction and structure of their school divisions by adopting policies through the authority granted by provincial legislation. School board policies have the force of law equal to statutes or ordinances. Policies establish directions for the division; they set the goals, assign authority, and establish controls that make school governance and management possible. Policies are the means by which educators are accountable to the public.
This manual is dedicated by the Board of Trustees to the students of
The Park West School Division.
August 2003
THE PARK WEST POLICY MANUAL CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
The Park West School Division Manual has been organized utilizing the National Education Policy Network classification system as recommended by the National School Board Association. NEPN uses an alphabetic coding system, designed so that policies can be easily and quickly located, to organize policies.~ The system is contained in 12 sections as follows:
FOUNDATIONS & BASIC COMMITMENTS
Section A of the NEPN/NSBA policy classification system is a repository for statements
related to the district’s legal role in providing public education and the underlying
principles on which the district operates.
SCHOOL BOARD GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS
Section B of the NEPN/NSBA policy classification system is a repository for statements
about the school board, how it is elected, organized, how it conducts its’ meetings and
operates.
GENERAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
Section C of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations, and exhibits on school management, administrative organization, and school building and department administration – including the administrative aspect of special programs and system wide reforms such as school- or site-based management. It also houses personnel policies on the superintendent, senior administrators (management team), and school principals. All phases of policy implementation – procedures or regulations – are properly located in this section.
FISCAL MANAGEMENT
Section D of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations, and
exhibits on school finances and the management of funds.
SUPPORT SERVICES
Section E of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations and
exhibits on non-instructional Services and programs, particularly those on business
management such as safety, building and grounds management, office services,
transportation and food services.
FACILITIES PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Section F of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations, and exhibits on facility planning, financing, construction, and renovation. It also includes the topics of temporary facilities and school closings.
PERSONNEL
Section G of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations, and exhibits on all school employees except for the superintendent (policies on the school chief are located in Section C, General Administration). The category is divided into three main divisions: GB has policies applying to all school employees or to general personnel matters; GC refers to instructional and administrative staff; and GD refers to support or classified staff.
NEGOTIATIONS
Section H of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations, and exhibits on the process of negotiating with bargaining units recognized by the school board and authorized under provincial law.
INSTRUCTION
Section I of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations, and exhibits on the instructional program: basic curricular subjects; special programs, instructional resources, and academic achievement.
STUDENTS
Section J of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations, and exhibits on students – admissions, attendance, rights and responsibilities, conduct, discipline, health and welfare, and school-related activities.
SCHOOL, COMMUNITY, AND HOME RELATIONS
Section K of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations, and exhibits on parent and community involvement in schools. Except for policies concerning education agencies, statements on public sector relations with the school district also are located in this section.
EDUCATION AND AGENCY RELATIONS
Section L of the NEPN/NSBA classification system contains policies, regulations, and exhibits on the school district's relationship with other education agencies – including other school systems, regional or service districts, private schools, colleges and universities, education research organizations, and state and national education agencies.
* An asterisk in the columns to the left indicates the presence of a policy, rule/procedure or exhibit applicable to The Park West School Division.
Wherever the masculine pronoun “he” and its derivations are used, it shall be understood as referring to personnel of both sexes.
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