512 - School Sponsored Student Publications

I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to protect students' rights to free speech in production of official school publications and activities while at the same time balancing the school district's role in supervising student publications and the operation of public schools.

II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY
[Note: A school district generally will wish to reserve a forum it sponsors for its intended purpose in light of the special characteristics of the school environment. By doing so, the school district will have more authority/editorial control over student expression in such a forum. Sponsorship alone may not be enough, however, if the exercise of control is challenged, courts will examine factors such as whether the school district's purpose in creating the forum was educational, whether school officials supervised the publication or activity and exercised editorial control over the contents, whether the materials were produced as part of the curriculum and whether students received grades and academic credit for the publication or activity. If a forum is reserved, regulation of student expression as in Section IV.B. of this policy will be permissible. If a forum is not reserved, but rather is opened for public communication by tradition or designation, then only the limited regulation of speech as described in Section IV.A. of this policy will be permissible.]
     A. The school district may exercise editorial control over the style and content of student
         expressions in school-sponsored publications and activities.
     B. Expressions and representations made by students in school-sponsored publications and
         activities are not an expressions of official school district policy. Faculty advisors shall
         supervise student writers to ensure compliance with the law and school district policies.
     C. Students who believe their right to free expression have been unreasonably restricted in an
         official student publication or activity may seek review of the decision by the building principal.
         The principal shall issue a decision no later than three (3) school days after review is
         requested.
            1. Students producing official school publications and activities shall be under the
                supervision of a faculty advisor and the school principal.  Official publications and
                activities shall be subject to the guidelines set forth below.
            2. Official school publications may be distributed at reasonable times and locations.

Adopted: 10-24-2001; Revised: 7-14-2003/ Reviewed: 7-12-2010

Download fulll policy: 512-School-Sponsored Student Publication