Visitor Guidelines

District 5 Visitor Guidelines

The following is provided as a supplement to School Board Policy KI

Authorized visitors encouraged

The board encourages authorized parents/legal guardians, grandparents and other citizens of the district to fully participate in the educational process and to visit classrooms or attend other school activities at times authorized by the district or the principal to observe the work of the school.

Visit Purpose

Acceptable reasons for visits include observation of classroom instruction, observation of programs, participation in special events, conferring with staff and counseling, mentoring or providing support to a student. The visit should have legitimate purpose and not interfere with the continuity or delivery of instruction.  Visits should not be used for group activities, recruitment or marketing for a specific product or service.

Visitors must report to the front office of a school

The board and state law require that during school hours, all visitors to the school must report to the school’s front office. Visitors must follow the security check-in procedures and receive authorization and a visitor’s badge before visiting classes, students or elsewhere in the building. Visitors must wear their visitors badge until they depart the building. School employees should report violations of this law and school procedures to the school administration and law enforcement authorities immediately

Authorized Visitors

While visitors are encouraged, it is essential that school visits do not disrupt instruction.  It is important that parents know who is visiting their child(ren) during the school day.  Therefore, only parents and/or legal guardians can visit a student during the school day without permission and coordination.  All persons other than parents and legal guardians wishing to visit a student must receive written permission from the parent/legal guardian.  The permission request must be given to the school office in advance of the visit. Any court order restricting parental visits to a child supersedes this policy.

Visit Limitations

There may be occasions when a school visit is not appropriate.  When requesting to visit a student all visitors must state;

 - the specific student being visited, 

 - the intent of their visit, 

 - the location of the visit and 

 - the time period for the visit.  

Visitors must comply with their stated reason for the visit.  Visitors cannot roam the school or visit other students for whom they do not have permission. The school principal may limit the school visit if he or she believes that the visit will disrupt instruction or student assessments.

Volunteers

Approved and vetted school volunteers acting in their volunteer capacity are exempt from the requirements above.  However, volunteers must stay within the bounds of their volunteer activities.