9700 - RELATIONS WITH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Any request from civic institutions, charitable organizations, religious groups or institutions, or special interest groups which involve such activities as patriotic functions, contests, exhibits, sales of products to and by students, sending promotional materials home with students, graduation prizes, fund raising, and free teaching materials must be carefully reviewed to ensure that such activities promote student interests.

It is the policy of the School Board that students, staff members, and District facilities not be used for promoting the interests of any nonschool agency or organization, public or private, without the approval of the Superintendent. Furthermore, it is the policy of the Board that any such approval, granted for whatever cause or group, shall not be construed as an endorsement of said cause or group by this Board.

Pursuant to State law, a person or group may not accept a donation of public funds from the District, or any person acting on behalf of the District, for a political advertisement or electioneering communication concerning an issue, referendum, or amendment, including any State question, that is subject to a vote of the electors.

A. Political Interests

All materials or activities proposed by outside political sources for student or staff use or participation shall be reviewed by the Superintendent and no such approval shall have the primary purpose of advancing the special interest of the proposing group.

The Board shall not permit the use of any type of educational material, program, or equipment in its curricular, co-curricular, or extra-curricular activities or at any time during the school day if such materials, programs, or equipment contain partisan political or commercial messages. Instructional staff may, however, utilize political materials or those provided by special interest-groups to supplement adopted courses of study with the approval of the principal.

School facilities or equipment may not be used as a means of producing or disseminating to the community any materials that advertises or promotes a political party, a political cause or the candidacy of an individual for public office. Students and employees of the Board shall not be used to distribute campaign literature within the schools or on school grounds.

B. Contests/Exhibits

The Board recognizes that contests, exhibits, and the like may benefit individual students or the District as a whole, but participation in such special activities may not:

1. have the primary effect of advancing a special product, group, or company;
2. make unreasonable demands upon the time and energies of staff or students or upon the resources of the District;
3. involve any direct cost to the District
4. interrupt the regular school program unless the student body as a whole derives benefit from such activities;

C. Distribution/Posting of Literature

No outside organization or staff member or student representing an outside organization may distribute or post literature on that organization's behalf on District property either during or after school hours without the permission and prior review of the Superintendent.

The Superintendent shall establish criteria to be used to make a decision whether or not to permit the distribution or posting of materials by students and shall establish and clearly communicate the time, place, and manner restrictions concerning the distribution of all nonschool-related materials.

F.S. 1013.10