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RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE:
The purchase of instructional resources
represents a significant expenditure of public funds each year in the Cobb
County School District (District). The availability of instructional
resources is critical to the successful operation of the instructional
program of the District.
RULE:
The accountability for textbooks, library
media materials, other instructional materials, and portable equipment,
including but not limited to, laptops, camcorders, digital cameras, cell
phones, pagers, PDAs, and PCs, purchased through public and/or school funds
(instructional resources) is the responsibility of the person to whom these
items are issued. For students, this means the student and his/her
parent/guardian; for employees, this means the employee.
A. PROCEDURES:
1. District:
a. The District shall establish
procedures for textbook, library media, supplemental
materials,
and portable equipment accountability designed to ensure the maximum
availability
of materials to all students and employees.
b. Procedures for the check-out of
technology equipment shall comply with the
provisions of
Administrative Rule DID
(Inventories: Property Control). See
Form DID-1 (District Technology
Property Checkout Agreement) for the appropriate
Portable Equipment
Checkout Agreement.
c. Lending Instructional Materials
to Parents/Guardians/Students
During the Summer Months:
The following
directives shall be observed concerning materials accountability:
(1) Instructional
resources, including textbooks, may be checked out to
parents/guardians/students according to the need of each individual request.
(2) Schools shall
be held financially responsible for instructional resources checked
out to parents/guardians/students:
(a) Principals or designees may require a deposit equal to the replacement
cost
of the resources borrowed;
(b) The collection of this deposit must be culminated by the close of the
school's
financial records at the end of the fiscal year.
(3)
Parents/guardians/students will be reimbursed the full amount of the deposit
upon return of the resources.
(4) In the event
instructional resources are not returned, or are badly damaged, the
deposit, or a portion thereof, will be forfeited in accordance with the fee
structure set forth in below.
2. School:
Each school shall also maintain a
standard procedure for materials accountability
consistent with the total District
plan.
3. Unauthorized Possession:
Any unauthorized possession of items
without approved check out will be investigated
as a possible theft.
B. ACCOUNTABILITY:
Once instructional resources are issued either to a student
or employee, it shall be the
total responsibility of the person to whom the item was
issued to return the items to the
District or school for further use.
1. Textbooks:
Refer to Administrative
Rule DID (Inventories).
2. Restitution:
a. Reimbursement:
When
instructional resources are not returned in a condition suitable for
continued
use, it shall
be the responsibility of the person to whom the item was issued to
reimburse the
District the replacement cost of the items. Fees for damaged
instructional
materials:
(1) If
instructional materials are damaged to the extent that they cannot be used,
the student must pay the full cost of replacement;
(2) Charges
for damages to print materials, including library media books and
textbooks, will be assessed as follows:
(a) Unusable:
The full cost of replacement must be paid if the book is declared unusable.
Damages rendering a book unusable include but are not limited to:
1) Torn out pages;
2) Broken spine;
3) Obscene drawing; and
4) Obscene writing.
(b) Major Damages:
One-half (50%) of the full cost of replacement must be paid for major
damages which include but are not limited to:
1) Broken cover;
2) Water damage; and
3) Excessive marking.
(c) Minor Damages:
Care should be taken in assessing minor damages so that allowances are
made for normal wear and tear. One-quarter (25 %) of the full cost of
replacement must be paid for minor damages which include but are
not limited to:
1) Pen and pencil markings;
2) Multiple folded pages; and
3) Multiple torn pages.
b. Ownership:
Damaged
instructional resources shall become the property of the person to whom
the item was
issued once full replacement funds are received by the school or
District.
c. Failure to Reimburse:
(1) Students:
(a) Textbooks:
Students who do not pay for textbooks issued to them which have been
lost or damaged shall not be issued additional textbooks or other
instructional materials until restitution is made. Students who have not
been issued textbooks due to unpaid debts should be loaned text materials
for classroom work when required.
(b) Instructional Resources:
Students who do not pay for instructional resources issued specifically to
them shall be denied the privilege of checking out additional materials or
equipment until restitution is made.
(c) Report Cards/Diplomas:
Students who do not pay shall not receive grade cards, diplomas or
progress reports until restitution is made.
(d) Records/Transcripts:
Student records should be sent to other K-12 public or private schools upon
request of the institution. Procedures are provided in Administrative
Rule JRA (Student Records).
(e) Inability to Pay:
Indigent students and their parents/guardians who have debts resulting
from lost or damaged instructional resources must make good faith and best
efforts to pay the debts or make suitable equivalent restitution. If the
Principal determines the parents/guardians/students are financially unable
to make restitution, the debts may be forgiven as follows:
1) Textbooks, Library Media Books, and Other Print Materials:
Upon the written request of the parent/guardian.
2) Portable Equipment:
Upon the written request of the parent/guardian if approved by the
Superintendent or his/her designee, may forgive the debts upon the
written request of the parent/guardian.
3) Financial Accountability of Schools:
Schools shall not be held financially accountable for lost or damaged
instructional resources resulting from:
a) Forgiveness of indigent debts; or
b) Students discontinuing enrollment.
These losses are to be annually reported on the textbook inventory for
adjustment in the yearly financial allocation.
(2) Employees:
Employees who do not pay for instructional resources issued specifically to
them
shall be denied the privilege of checking out additional materials or
equipment
until restitution is made.
Adopted: 8/12/81
Reclassified an Administrative Rule: 9/1/04
Revised: 4/28/83; 8/8/84; 1/10/90; 6/12/91; 6/25/92; 7/28/94; 3/8/95;
8/9/95; 3/26/98; 7/26/01; 6/11/08
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BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE
RULE