Policies and Plans

District Policies

The role of a Board of Education is to set policy and the role of the administration is to execute it. Policy is a foundational governing document.  The basic definitions of policies and procedures, as defined by the Missouri School Boards' Association, are as follows:

Policies are values or principles adopted by the Board that establish the framework for what is to be done. Policies provide general guidance for the district and are based on the vision and mission of the school district. Policies include topics subject to direct board governance as well as those concerning the board's own operation. Some policies are included in the manual because of laws or regulations that require them. Others are included at the discretion of the Board in order to provide for consistent operation of the district and to meet the educational needs of students.

Procedures put policy into practice. They tell how, by whom, where and when things are to be done. Procedures often reflect legal and regulatory requirements that do not require Board approval.

These definitions reflect sound theory of governance and administration.

Various signs and symbols are used in connection with the classification system as follows:

-R Regulation: This symbol following a file code indicates that the material is a regulation, not a board policy. A regulation is a step-by-step process that contains legal material necessitating Board adoption.

-AP Administrative Procedure: This symbol following a code identifies material containing detailed directions developed by the administration to put a policy into practice. An administrative procedure will tell how, by whom, where and when tasks are to be accomplished.

-AF Administrative Form: This symbol following a file code indicates a form that complements Board policy and is used by the administration to collect or disseminate information or provide reference documents.

Cross Refs: Certain policies relate to others. Cross references are provided following many policy statements to refer the reader to related information in another section.

Legal Refs: Pertinent legal references direct the reader to the state or federal law or case law on which the document is based.

To use this site, simply click on a section below or navigate through the Policy menu above to access the section of the policy code or click on the search icon in the top right of this page or the Search button below to search by keyword.  By choosing the advanced search option, users may also search policies in other Missouri school districts using the MSBA online policy system.

Policy Index
A. Foundations and Basics
B. School Board Governance and Operations
C. General School Administration
D. Fiscal Management
E. Support Services
F. Facilities Development
G. Personnel
H. Negotiations
I. Instruction
J.Students
K. School-Community Relations