Policy 720 - School Visitors
Adopted on August 25, 2022
Effective August 25, 2022
The Board welcomes and encourages well-organized visits to school by parents, other adult residents of the community, interested educators and community officials with previously arranged appointments. In order for the educational program to continue undisturbed when visitors are present and to prevent the intrusion of disruptive persons into the schools, however it is necessary to invoke visitor controls.
All visitors must enter through the designated main entrance immediately upon entering a school campus or other Roane County Schools facility. Each Roane County facility shall post a sign which requires visitors to enter through the designated main entrance and such sign shall be prominently displayed on the exterior doors of the school or facility. Each visitor shall declare his / her true identity and purpose for visiting upon admission to the facility and be presented with an identifying instrument that designates him / her as a visitor. He / she shall make such instrument prominently display on his / her person for the entirety of his / her visit to the facility and shall surrender this instrument to the designated Board employee prior to departure.
With the exception of those parent(s) or guardian(s) who wish to retrieve his / her child from a school and those vendors contracted by the Board for delivery of supplies, equipment, and other services, no visitor shall be admitted to a school unless he / she has made known his / her intention to visit to the school principal in advance and been approved for the same at a specified date and time.
The Superintendent shall promulgate such administrative guidelines as are necessary for the protection of students and employees of Roane County Schools from disruption to the educational program or to the efficient conduct of the school environment.
Rules regarding entry of persons other than students, staff, and faculty upon school grounds or premises shall be posted conspicuously at or near the entrance to such grounds or premises if there are no formal entrances, and at the main entrance to each school building. In addition, the rules shall be posted in a central location in each school and made available to students, upon request.
Prohibition or Removal of Certain Individuals from Facilities
The Superintendent, principal or other building administrator has the authority to prohibit the entry of any person to Roane County schools or to expel any person when there is reason to believe the presence of such person would be detrimental to the good order of the school. If such an individual refuses to leave the school grounds, threatens or creates a disturbance, the Superintendent, principal or other building administrator is authorized to request assistance from the local law enforcement agency.
If a student or adult is asked to leave or is removed from a school event, no admission fees shall be refunded.
Service Animals
Except as set forth in County policy, administrative guideline or in the case of "service animals" required for use by a person with a disability, no other animals may be on school premises at any time.
Visits by Board Members
Individual Board members who are interested in visiting schools, classrooms or other facilities on an unofficial basis shall make the appropriate arrangements with the principal or building administrator. Such Board member visits shall not be considered to be official unless designated as such by the Board.
The Board member shall be visiting as an interested individual in a similar capacity to any parent or citizen of the community. These visits should not be considered to be inspections nor as supervisory in nature.
If, during a visit to a school or program, a Board member observes a situation or condition which causes concern, s/he should discuss the situation with the principal and/or with the Superintendent as soon as convenient or appropriate.
Public Attendance at School Events
The Board of Education welcomes the attendance of members of the community at athletic and other public events held by the schools in the County, but the Board also acknowledges its duty to maintain order and preserve the facilities of the County during the conduct of such events.
The Board directs that no alcoholic beverage or other controlled substance be possessed, consumed, or distributed at any function sponsored by the Board and/or at any function occurring at any Board facility.
No qualified person with a disability will, because the County's facilities are inaccessible to or unusable by persons with disabilities, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity to which Section 504/ADA applies.
For facilities constructed or altered after June 3, 1977, the County will comply with applicable accessibility standards. For those existing facilities constructed prior to June 3, 1977, the County is committed to operating its programs and activities so that they are readily accessible to persons with disabilities. This includes, but is not limited to, providing accommodations to parents with disabilities who desire access to their child's educational program or meetings pertinent thereto.
Individuals with disabilities shall have an equal opportunity to purchase tickets for events that have been sanctioned or approved by the Board in accordance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended.
The Superintendent shall ensure that all notices, signs, schedules, and other communications about school events contain the following statement:
"In accordance with State and Federal law, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities who wish to attend and/or participate in school events. Such individuals should, in a timely manner, notify the Principal if they require a reasonable accommodation."
Video and / or Audio Recording on Board Property
The Board is aware of the increasing desire of many parents and other members of an audience to use audio/visual recording devices at school events. It has no objection, providing their use neither interferes with the conduct of the particular activity nor impinges on the enjoyment of the event by other members of the audience. The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines governing the use of audio/visual devices and equipment at any County-sponsored event or activity, particularly athletic events, dramatic presentations, and graduation ceremonies. Such guidelines are to be distributed in such a manner that members of the audience who wish to record the event are aware of the rules early enough to make proper arrangements to obtain their recordings without causing delay or disruption to the activity.
Any person or organization seeking to film students or a school activity which is not a public event shall obtain prior permission from the principal.
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