The Arp ISD is committed to maintaining a drug-free environment and will not tolerate the use of illegal drugs in the workplace. Employees shall not lawfully manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess, use, or be under the influence of any of the following substances during working hours while at school or at school-related activities during or outside of usual working hours:

1 . Any controlled substance or dangerous drug as defined by law, including but not limited to marijuana,

2. Any narcotic drug, hallucinogen, stimulant, depressant, amphetamine, or barbiturate.

3. Alcohol or any alcoholic beverage.

4. Any abuse of glue, aerosol paint, or any other chemical substance for inhalation.

5. Any other intoxicant, or mood-changing, mind-altering, or behavior-altering drugs.

An employee need not be legally intoxicated to be considered "under the influence" of a controlled substance. (Policy DH)

The District reserves the right to conduct searches when the District has reasonable cause to believe that a search will uncover evidence of work-related misconduct. The District may search the employee, the employee's personal items, work areas, lockers, and private vehicles parked on District premises or worksites or used in District business.

The District shall establish an alcohol and controlled substances testing program to help prevent accidents and injuries resulting from the misuse of alcohol and controlled substances by the drivers of commercial motor vehicles, including school buses. The primary purpose of the testing program is to prevent impaired employees from performing safety sensitive functions.

Only supervisors specifically trained in accordance with federal regulations may, based upon reasonable suspicion, remove a driver from a safety-sensitive position and require testing for alcohol and/or controlled substances. The determination of reasonable suspicion shall be based on specific observations of the appearance, behavior, speech, or body odors of the driver whose motor ability, emotional equilibrium, or mental acuity seems to be impaired. Such observations must take place just proceeding, during, or just after the period of the workday that the driver is on duty.

The observations may include indication of the chronic and withdrawal effects of controlled substances. Within 24 hours of the observed behavior, the supervisor shall provide a signed, written record documenting the observations leading to a controlled substance reasonable suspicion test.

In addition to the consequences established by federal law, a District employee confirmed to have violated the District's policy pertaining to alcohol or controlled substances shall be subject to district-imposed discipline, as determined by his or her supervisors(s) and the Superintendent. Such discipline may include any appropriate action from suspension without pay during the period of removal from safety-sensitive functions, up to and including termination of employment. [See DHE]

In cases where a driver is also employed in a nondriving capacity by the District, disciplinary action imposed for violation of alcohol and controlled substances policies shall apply to the employee's functions and duties that involve driving. Additionally, upon recommendation of the employee's supervisor, disciplinary measures up to and including termination of employment with the District may be considered.

All employees subject to alcohol and drug testing will receive a copy of the district's policy, the testing requirements, and detailed information on alcohol and drug abuse and the availability of assistance programs. Employees with questions or concerns relating to alcohol and drug policies and related educational material should contact Toney Lowery, Superintendent 859-8482.

Smoking or using tobacco products is prohibited by law on all district-owned property and at school related or school sanctioned activities, on or off campus. This includes all buildings, playground areas, parking facilities, and facilities used for athletics and other activities. Drivers of district-owned vehicles are prohibited from smoking while inside the vehicle. Notices stating that smoking is prohibited by law and punishable by a fine are displayed in prominent places in all school buildings. The use of tobacco products by school employees shall result in appropriate disciplinary action. (Policy DH, GKA, FNCD)

The following drug counseling, rehabilitation and employee assistance programs are available in the community:

Substance Abuse Services

Andrews Center 597-1351

Fister Counseling 561-8663

Trinity Counseling Association 561-7384

Substance Abuse Programs - Inpatient

County Rehabilitation Center 593-3131

Oak Haven Recovery Center (903)938-5149

Pinelands Hospital/Nacogdoches (800)541-4677

Sundown Ranch Inc/Canton (903)479-3933

Drug Testing

Andy Andrews & Associates 531-8995

Diagnostic Reference Lab 595-2478

Drug Free Youth in Texas 593-5300

Substance Abuse Counseling

Al Anon 597-6492

Alcoholics Anonymous 597-1796

Andrews Center Beginning 597-1351

County Rehabilitation Center 593-3131

HIS House 592-0757

Narcotics Anonymous 534-4490

Partners in Recovery 593-5865

Smith County Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse 561-7933

Texas Hotline Service (800)662-4357

Trinity Counseling Associates 561-7384

Tyler Drug Abuse Program 533-8299

Substance Abuse Hotlines

Cocaine Hotline (800)222-0828

Covenant House (800)999-9999

Smith County Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse 561-7933

Texas Hotline Service (800)662-4357

Smoking Cessation

Cancer Information Service (800)422-6237 University of Texas Health Center/Tyler 877-7255

This information reproduced from the 1998-1999 Quick Search/Information Line by permission of the United Way and does not indicate endorsement by AISD.

Employees, visitors, and students are prohibited from bringing firearms, illegal knives, or other weapons onto school premises or any grounds or building where a school-sponsored activity takes place. To ensure the safety of all persons, employees who observe or suspect a violation of the district's weapon policy should report it to their supervisors or the Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services (extension 3608) immediately. (Policy FNCG, GKA) (Student Code of Conduct)

Visitors in the Workplace

All visitors are expected to enter any district facility through the main entrance and sign in or report to the building's main office. Authorized visitors will receive directions or be escorted to their destination. Employees who observe an unauthorized individual on the district premises should immediately direct him or her to the building office or contact the administrator in charge. (Policy GKC)

Employee-to-employee. Sexual harassment of a coworker is a form of discrimination and is prohibited by law. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct under the following conditions:

Employees shall not engage in conduct constituting sexual harassment of other employees.

Employees who believe they have been sexually harassed by other employees are encouraged to come forward with complaints. District officials or their agents will investigate promptly all allegations of sexual harassment of employees by other employees, and officials will take prompt and appropriate disciplinary action against employees found to have engaged in conduct constituting sexual harassment of employees.

Complaint Procedure. For the purpose of the following complaint process, "days" mean calendar days. An employee who believes he or she has been or is being subjected to any form of sexual harassment shall bring the matter to the attention of the principal, immediate supervisor, or Title IX coordinator for employees. No procedure or step in this policy shall have the effect of requiring the employee alleging harassment to present the matter to a person who is the subject of the complaint.

LEVEL ONE: The employee shall request a conference with the principal or immediate supervisor by submitting the complaint in writing or by requesting a conference. If the complaint is made orally, the supervisor receiving the complaint shall reduce it to writing.

The principal or supervisor shall hold the conference as soon as possible, but in any event within seven days after receipt of the complaint. The principal or supervisor shall ordinarily have seven days following the conference within which to investigate and respond. The employee shall be informed if extenuating circumstances delay the investigation.

LEVEL TWO: If the outcome of the conference at Level One is not to the employee's satisfaction, the employee may request a conference with the Superintendent or designee to discuss the complaint. The request should be in writing and shall be filed within seven days following receipt of a written response, or, if no written response is received, within seven days of the response deadline.

The Superintendent or designee shall hold the conference as soon as possible but in any event within seven days after receipt of the written request. The superintendent or designee shall have seven days following the conference within which to respond.

LEVEL THREE: If the outcome at Level Two is not to the employee's satisfaction or if the time for a response has expired, the employee may present the complaint to the Board. The superintendent shall place the matter on the agenda for the next regular Board meeting. [See BE(LOCAL)J

'The Superintendent or designee shall provide the Board with copies of the employee's original complaint, all responses, and any written documentation previously submitted by the employee and the administration.

The Level three Proceeding before the Board shall be recorded by audiotape. The presiding officer shall allow a reasonable time for presentation of the complaint. The Board shall consider the grievance and shall request a response from the administration.

CLOSED MEETING: The Board may hear the allegation of sexual harassment in closed meeting, if posted in accordance with law, unless an open hearing, is requested in writing, by the employee or Board member against whom the complaint or charge is brought.

Employee-to-student. Sexual harassment of students by employees is a form of discrimination and is prohibited by law. Sexual harassment of students includes any welcome or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, other oral, written, physical or visual conduct of a sexual nature. Romantic relationships between district employees and students are strictly prohibited. Other prohibited conduct includes the following:

Sexual abuse of a student by an employee violates a student's constitutional rights to bodily integrity. Sexual abuse may include, but is not limited to, fondling, sexual assault, or sexual intercourse.

Employees who suspect a student is being sexually harassed or abused by another employee are obligated to report their concerns to the campus principal. All allegations of sexual harassment or sexual abuse of a student will be reported to the student's parents and promptly investigated. Conduct that may be characterized as known or suspected child abuse will also be reported to the appropriate authorities, as required by law.

Employees with questions or concerns relating to the alleged sexual harassment of a student should contact the campus counselor or immediate supervisor.(Policies DHC, FNCJ, FFG)

All employees are required by state law to immediately report any suspected child abuse or neglect to Child Protective Services. Teachers and other professional staff are required to file a report with a law enforcement agency or Child Protective Services within 48 hours of the event that led to the suspicion. Under state law, any person reporting or assisting in the investigation of reported child abuse or neglect is immune from liability unless the report is made in bad faith or with malicious intent. Employees who suspect that a student has been or may be abused or neglected should report their concerns to the campus principal.

Conflict of Interest

Teachers may not receive pay for tutoring students presently assigned to them other than during the regular tutorial program. Teachers who tutor students for pay, other than those assigned during the regular tutorial program, must file the students' names with their principal. (Policy DBF)

District employees are provided the opportunity to support outside organizations and charities. All solicitations other than school-related projects shall have prior approval of the superintendent or a designee. A list of agencies approved by the district shall be reviewed annually by the superintendent or a designee. Payments to charitable agencies may be made by payroll deduction when authorized by the board. (Policy DHA)

An employee's participation in community, political, or employee organization activities shall be entirely voluntary and shall not interfere with the employee's performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, result in any political or social pressures being placed on students, parents, or staff; or involve trading on the employee's position or title with the district. No district funds, vehicles, facilities (during scheduled school time or employee working time) shall be used in any manner for political activities, except for the facilities, which may be used as voting places for elections during 9

scheduled school time. (Policy DGA)

All employees shall adhere to district safety rules and regulations and shall report unsafe conditions or practices to the appropriate supervisor. To prevent or minimize injuries to employees, coworker, and students, and to protect and conserve district equipment, employees must comply with the following requirements:

* Observe all safety rules.

* Keep work areas clean and orderly at all times.

* Immediately report all accidents to their supervisors.

* Operate only equipment or machines for which they have training- and authorization.(Policy DH)

Employees with questions or concerns relating to safety programs and issues can contact Kyle Waldron.

BUILDING AND FACILITIES RESPONSIBILITIES

Each teacher is responsible for the furniture and equipment in the rooms. Habits, which are destructive to school property, such as marking on or leaning back in desks or chairs, must not be allowed. Do not allow a class to leave the room or activity area (example: gym or play area) in a messy condition. This is your responsibility as much as teaching in your subject area.

Teachers can aid in keeping our building in good working condition of they will:

• Check to see if exit door is locked when leaving at the end of the day.
• Turn off the lights when the room in not in use.
• Turn off the room heat/air systems at the end of the day or adjust thermostat in extreme weather.
• Encourage students to keep paper picked up from the floor and out of desks during the day. It is your responsibility to see that is done at the end of the day.
• Report all needed repairs to furniture or equipment to the building principal in writing.

It is also the responsibility of teachers to take a complete inventory of equipment and teaching materials at the end of each school year and turn it in to the building principal. This list will be checked again at the beginning of the new school year. Technical equipment will require inventory, maintenance, and updates through your campus technology coordinator. See District Technology Policy for details.

The district dress code is designed to ensure that the employees and staff members of the district present a professional image to the public and students they serve. The AISD dress code is listed below: (Policy DH)

8. Men shall wear socks.

On special school days (spirit days and other designated days), exceptions may be made.

Custodians and cafeteria employees shall wear clothes or uniforms appropriate for their job responsibilities. Building principals in situations where safety, modesty, or appropriateness relating to an employee's responsibilities are factors may make modifications in requirements.

Employees shall comply with the standards of conduct set out in this policy and with any other policies, regulations and guidelines that impose duties, requirements, or standards attendant to their status as District employees. Violations of any policies, regulations, and guidelines may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment. (See DCD and DF series)

AISD is in full compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). AISD has inspected all district buildings and developed management plans for these facilities. The district is committed to providing a safe environment for employees.

The superintendent has the authority to dismiss school for a part of a day or for longer periods of time, if necessary, in case of unusual or emergency situations. Updated and accurate reports will be communicated to the faculty and staff through the local radio and cable television stations. If such actions require the alteration of the annual school calendar, the superintendent shall prepare recommendations to the board for approval of a revised annual calendar as soon as practical. (Policy CKC)

All employees should be familiar with the evacuation diagrams posted in their work areas. Fire, tornado, and other emergency drills will be conducted to familiarize employees and students with evacuation procedures. Fire extinguishers are located throughout all district buildings. Employees should know the location of the extinguishers nearest their place of work and how to use them. (Policy CKC)

Employees are expected to comply with the provisions of copyright law relating to the unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, performance, or display or copyrighted materials (i.e., printed material, videos, computer data and programs, etc.). Rented videotapes are to be used in the classroom for educational purposes only and must be approved by the Principal or Curriculum Director. Duplication or backups of computer programs and data must be made within the provisions of the purchase agreement. (Policy EFE)

The district's cellular telephones and beepers are to be used for district use only. Employees authorized to use the cellular telephones must abide by the administrative regulations. Failure to do so can result in suspension or termination of privileges and may lead to disciplinary action.

Electronic communications are now available to students, teachers, administrators and staff in the Arp Independent School District. Electronic communications services include e-mail, Internet access, local and wide-area networks, video conferencing and any other resources available through the use of the District's network. We are very pleased to offer this service to Arp Independent School District and believe electronic communications offer vast, diverse and unique resources to both students and teachers. Our goal in providing this service to teachers and students is to promote educational excellence in schools by facilitating resource sharing, innovation and communication. The district's Acceptable Use Policies and Guidelines govern these resources. The Network Administrator has emergency rights to revoke any use or privileges to these resources for the benefit of protecting district resources and data.

The Internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands of computers and millions of individual subscribers. Subscribers have access to:

Networks are groups of people and computers who share information and services. Networks can share information and services within a location (school), within an organization (Arp ISD), and worldwide through the Internet.

With access to computers and people also comes the availability of material that may not be considered to be of educational value in the context of the school setting. Arp Independent School District has taken precautions to restrict access to controversial material. However, on a global network it is impossible to control all materials and an industrious user may discover controversial information. The valuable information and interaction available on this network far outweighs the possibility that users may procure material that is not consistent with the educational goals of the District.

Electronic communications is coordinated through a complex association of government agencies, regional, state and local networks. In addition, the smooth operation of all electronic communications relies upon the proper conduct of the end users that must adhere to strict guidelines. These guidelines are provided here so those users are aware of the responsibilities they are about to acquire. In general this requires efficient, ethical and legal utilization of all electronic resources. If an Arp Independent School District user violates any of these provisions, his or her account may be terminated and/or limited, and future access could possibly be denied. Violations will be dealt with according to District, State and/or Federal policies and laws.

1) Acceptable Use - The purpose of providing electronic communications is to support education and research by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. The use of your account must be in support of education and research and consistent with the educational objectives of the Arp Independent School District. Use of electronic resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that resource. Transmission of material in violation of U.S. or state regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, pornography, or material protected by trade secret. Also prohibited are illegal access to computers or networks ("hacking"), commercial activities, product advertisement, personal advertising, chain letters, and political lobbying.

2) Privileges - The use of electronic communications is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use may result in a cancellation or restriction of those privileges. Each person who receives an account or uses District network resources agrees to the terms and conditions of the Acceptable Use Policy. All electronic communications, including, but not limited to, e-mall, Internet activity and network resources may be monitored at any time by the system administrators. No electronic communications activity using District resources is considered private. The system administrators will routinely perform maintenance and monitoring of the system that may lead to the discovery that a user has violated policy or law. Additionally, an individualized search will be conducted if there is reasonable suspicion that a user has violated a policy or law. Inappropriate use of electronic communications constitutes a Level I offense for students, and "hacking" constitutes a Level 2 offense as outlined the AISD Student Behavior Policy. Offenses will be dealt with according to District policy. District employees shall be governed by the Standards of Conduct outlined in the Employee Handbook. Activities in violation of state of federal laws will be reported to the appropriate authorities. The system administrators will deem what is inappropriate use. Also, the system administrators may close an account at any time as required. The administration, faculty and staff of Arp Independent School District may request the system administrator to deny, revoke or suspend specific user accounts.

3) Network Etiquette - Users are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include (but are not limited to) the following:

4) Warranties - Arp Independent School District makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed of implied, for the service it is providing. Arp Independent School District will not be responsible for any damages. This includes loss of data resulting from delay, nondelivery, misdelivery, or service interruption caused by the District's own negligence or user errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the Internet is at user's own risk. Arp Independent School District specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through the network.

5) Security - Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If a user can identify a security problem on the network, the user must notify a system administrator. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Do not use another individual's account without written permission from that individual. Attempts to logon to the network as another user will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to the network. The System Administrator can monitor all computers at any time.

6) Purchases - Users are solely responsible for services, memberships or merchandise purchased through the District's access to electronic communications. The Arp Independent School District shall not be a party to such transactions or be liable for any costs or damages arising out of, either directly or indirectly, such actions.

7) Telephone Charges - Users may not incur long distance phone charges. Arp Independent School District assumes no responsibility or liability for any phone charges including, but not limited to, long distance charges, per minute (unit) surcharges and/or equipment or line costs, incurred by the user. Any disputes or problems regarding phone service are strictly between the user and his or her local phone company and/or long distance provider.

8) Vandalism - Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy equipment or data of another user, the network, or through electronic communications. This includes, but is not limited, to, uploading or creating computer viruses, gaining illegal access to a computer or network or altering electronic information belonging to others.

9) Damages - The user specifically agrees to reimburse the Arp Independent School District and the system administrators for any losses, costs, or damages, including reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Arp Independent School District and the system administrators relating to, or arising out of any breach of the electronic communications policy by the user.

All requests for purchases must be submitted to the business office via a generated purchase order requests. No purchases, charges, or commitments to buy goods or services for the district can be made without a PO number. The district will not reimburse employees or assume responsibility for purchases made without authorization. Employees are not permitted to purchase supplies or equipment for personal use through the district's business office. Contact the Business Director for additional information on purchasing procedures.

It is important that employment records be kept up to date. Employees must notify the central office if there are any changes or corrections to their name, home address, home telephone number, marital status, emergency contact, or beneficiary.

Most district records, including personnel records, are public information and must be released upon request. A limited amount of personal information may be withheld. Employees may choose not to allow public access to or have the following information included in a staff directory by submitting a written request to the human resources department not later than 14 days after employment with the district begins or ends. Employees also may request open access to this information be closed at anytime.

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