For the Media
Grand Forks Public Schools recognizes and appreciates the role of media in providing news and information to our community. At the same time, procedures must be in place that ensures a safe and secure learning environment for our students and employees that supports learning with as few disruptions as possible. It is the role of the Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator to assist in providing information about the school system in a timely and accurate manner.
Requests for Employees and Students
Per Grand Forks School Board regulation KBA-BR1: any request to interview, film, videotape, photograph, or otherwise record students or district personnel on district property or at a school-sponsored event shall be submitted to the Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator for approval. Requests may be made by telephone or in writing, must include specific details regarding the purpose and scope of the request, and should be submitted within a reasonable time in advance, providing ample time to assess the request and, in the event that the request is approved, notify relevant employees, students, etc. as deemed necessary.
The District reserves the right to grant or deny any request for access to school(s), not in an attempt to suppress a viewpoint, but if access would: compromise the safety of students or staff; disrupt the educational environment, district operations, and/or impede the ability of employees to perform their duties; breach confidentiality; be overly demanding on district resources.
The Grand Forks School Board has both legal and implied obligations inherent in its in loco parentis relationship with students while under the jurisdiction of the school. Please keep in mind that a variety of factors affecting the school schedule (school-wide events, holidays, testing, or similar activities) may prevent a visit on a specific date and/or time. We also operate in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which provides parents/guardians/students to opt-out of the release of certain information.
The only exception: routine athletics coverage. As a general rule, members of the media may take general footage of students during school events that are open to the public, which includes athletic events.
Requests for the Grand Forks School Board/Grand Forks Air Force Base School Board
Requests for members of the Grand Forks School Board and/or Grand Forks Air Force Base School Board members can be made directly to the Board member. You will find their information on the Directory portion of the School Board website at https://www.gfschools.org/domain/11.
School Board Meetings
The media is urged to attend meetings of the School Board. Meeting announcements, agendas, meeting minutes, and other related supporting documents will be available to the media through the Superintendent’s Office or on the district’s website, www.gfschools.org. To avoid disruption of the meeting, media are asked to approach/interview Board members, guest speakers, or members of the audience outside of the meeting room.
Emergency Information
During an emergency, media will not be allowed inside the affected school building(s) per Grand Forks School Board regulation KBA-BR1. You are asked to refer any questions/requests to the Communications Office. We will work to obtain information from our response team and local authorities on-site and respond to you as quickly as possible. Please do not try to circumvent this process by contacting a school directly. School phones are needed to manage the situation and they must remain open.
Violations
Violations of school policies/regulations or behavior that is disruptive may result in the building principal or designee requiring such individuals to leave school property. Refusal to leave school property when asked will be deemed to be a willful disturbance of school operations, and the District will contact law enforcement to assist with removing the violator from school property or the school-sponsored event.