DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS

Board of Education Section 3

Policy 3.15

In order to ensure student safety and the orderly operation of the technology center, non-school materials (fliers, booklets, magazines, buttons, announcements, signs, etc.) will only be distributed to district students under limited circumstances. All campuses will provide notice of the proper procedures for the distribution of materials. Permission to distribute materials is not an endorsement of the content of the materials either by the individual granting the permission or the board of education.

This policy does not apply to official technology center publications, such as yearbooks or student newspapers, and does not apply to signs posted for school events.

Authorized Groups

Authorized Groups include technology center recognized organizations and school sponsored student organizations, programs, and activities. These Authorized Groups may distribute materials to students as long as these materials are related to the Authorized Group’s mission. 

Other Individuals and Groups

Other Individuals and Groups (Others) may distribute materials directly to students with the superintendent’s prior approval. Others may also request that the technology center distribute materials to students by contacting the Campus Director. The superintendent has final authority in determining whether the materials are appropriate for distribution and the terms and conditions for the distribution. The following criteria will be used in the superintendent’s consideration of the request:

1. Materials which are of educational value to students should be considered for distribution;
2. Materials which provide notice of a community service or event likely to be of value to students and families may be considered for distribution;
3. Materials which are of a political or commercial nature will generally not be considered for distribution, unless there is a compelling reason that the material should be distributed;
4. Materials which are inappropriate for the education environment will not be considered for distribution, including materials which:
   • Are obscene to minors –  
     • material which, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors and,
     • when an average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the material, taken as a whole, appeals to an obsessive interest in sex by minors of the age to whom distribution is directed;
5. Are libelous - a false and unprivileged statement about a specific individual which tends to harm the individual’s reputation;
6. Are vulgar, lewd or indecent - material which, taken as a hole, an average person would deem improper for presentation to minors because of sexual connotations or profane language;
7. Display or promote unlawful products or services - material which advertises or advocates the use of products or services prohibited by law from being sold or provided to minors;
8. Defames any group - material which disparages a group or a member of a group on the basis of race, color, sex, pregnancy, gender, gender expression or identity, national origin, religion, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, age, or genetic information – including racial and religious epithets, “slurs,” insults and abuse;
9. Disrupts school operations - material which, on the basis of past experience or based on specific instances of actual or threatened disruptions relating to the written material in question, is likely to cause a material and substantial disruption of the proper and orderly operation of school activities or school discipline.

If distribution is approved the superintendent or his/her designee shall designate the appropriate time, method, and location of distribution of the materials.

Adopted July 1, 2022

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