SACATON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT #18
Indian Policies and Procedures
These Indian Policies and Procedures (IPP) are adopted by the Governing Board of Sacaton Elementary School District No.18, pursuant to the requirements of the statute and regulations, 34 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 223, to assure that all Indian children attending the District's schools participate on an equal basis in the education program; to assure that tribal officials and parents of Indian children are given the opportunity to present their views and make recommendations regarding the planning and development of education programs assisted with P.L. 103-382, Title VII funds, the needs of their children, the ways they can assist their children to realize the benefits to be derived from the educational programs, and their overall views on the District's educational program including its operation and parental participation allowed; and to assure that input is examined and assessed in a meaningful way and that the District's policies and procedures may be modified based on the input.
GOVERNING BOARD MEETINGS
All meetings of the Governing Board are open to the public and are conducted pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes 38-431, the "Open Meeting Laws." Copies of the Board agenda are posted on the Sacaton Elementary School District website, the Gila River Indian Community website, and at the District Office at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Information relating to agenda items may be reviewed in the Office of the Superintendent.
There is a provision for public input in each agenda; however, per statute, action on any comment not relating specifically to an agenda item may be limited to directing staff to study the matter for later report or placing the matter on the agenda at a later meeting.
Regular meetings of the Governing Board are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Copies of the minutes of the proceedings as well as a summary of those proceedings are available in the Office of the Superintendent within 72 hours after the meeting.
The District holds monthly board meetings where members of the Community, Tribal Government, and parents can address the Board by having a Call to the Public. The notice of the meeting shall be posted on the school website, the tribal website, and at designated places within the District.
Following the public meeting, the administrative staff shall review comments made by tribal officials and parents and examine District data to assess the extent of Indian children's participation in the education program on an equal basis. A report or summary of the findings will be submitted to the Governing Board at a subsequent meeting.
In the event it is deemed necessary, the Governing board may appoint a task force to make recommendations for a modified educational program to ensure equal participation in the program by Indian children. After the Board has reviewed the recommendations and approved them, District staff will prepare and implement a modified education program.
GOVERNING BOARD
The Governing Board is composed of five members, elected by the voters of the District. All five are residents of the Gila River Indian Community and must reside within the School district boundaries.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Each campus has a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) that meets on a regular basis. The PAC is designed for specific functions and to meet the mandates of Federal programs, including Title I, Johnson O'Malley and Indian Education Programs.
DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
A copy of the P.L. 103-382, Title VIII application, program plans, IPP and evaluation will be mailed to the Gila River Indian Community when they are completed and mailed to the State and U.S. Education departments. A summary of these items will be sent home with each student with a note that any or all of these items may be requested in complete form by any parent.
School District administrators, board members, and other staff regularly attend Tribal Education and other community meetings to disseminate information about the District's programs and to solicit input and recommendations regarding educational programs. Tribal Education meetings allow the parents of Indian children and Tribal officials an opportunity to speak about the needs of children, parental participation in education, and the educational programs, which serve their children. Reports of these meetings are made at Board and Administrative staff meetings.
Both of the schools in the District schedule open houses at various times throughout the year. This provides parents with opportunity to discuss school matters with teachers and building principals and administrators.
Public hearings on matters affecting the district, including the budget, student participation, IPP, P.L. 103-382, Title VIII application, are held by the Governing Board.
Public media, including newspapers, and newsletters, are utilized to disseminate information about school programs, activities, meetings, and hearings to parents and community members.
COMPLIANCE/COMPLAINT PROCESS
To ensure compliance with the policies and procedures of the Board on matters relating to public participation, the Governing board will annually designate the Superintendent to serve as compliance officer. This person will continually review the efforts of the District and make any necessary recommendations to ensure that adequate actions are taken to fulfill the intent of the policy and procedures and initiate any administrative action necessary to ensure that concerns are answered and resolved.
TRIBAL INVOLEMENT ACTIVITIES
Recognizing the unique status of the District due to its location entirely on Indian Lands and the enrollment of predominately Indian students, the District will also follow these specific procedures to provide opportunities for tribal involvement.
The complete P.L. 103-382, Title VIII, application and narrative summary (since the application does not indicate the actual funding involved nor the use of such funds) shall be mailed to the Governor of the Gila River Indian Community and the Tribal Education Standing Committee members and be presented to the Governing Board for review and comment. Summaries of the application will be sent, via students, to all parents and will be distributed at community meetings and public hearings.
(Note: P.L 95-561 states that the application itself will be disseminated; however, the application is relatively meaningless and does not contain funding or educational program information. The summary will contain this information and advice any parent or community member that a complete application is available on request.)
Monthly Family meetings are held for all parents and family members in the District. Various topics are discussed to strengthen the family.
Parents and Tribal Council Officials, as well as members of the local communities in the District are always invited to attend and participate in any public meetings or hearings held by the Governing Board and/or the district in the planning and development of programs serving Indian students and in the evaluations of such programs.
Sacaton Elementary School District No. 18 Indian Policies and Procedures (Adopted on January 12, 2016)