Online Policy Manual
Upon completion of a Policy Manual, a district may choose to place their policy manual on their district website for district and community use. This service allows districts to have their policy manual placed in a secure online document library which will be maintained by Policy Services. The Online Policy Manual will be linked to the district's existing website to allow access by the public community. The Online Policy Manual is fully searchable by policy topic.
Districts will contract for an initial one-time set up fee for Policy Services to place the new or recently completed Policy Manual into the document library. In the following year (and subsequent years), the district will be charged an annual fee to maintain the Online Policy Manual in the document library. The annual fee will be in addition to one of the existing Policy Services maintenance options (Level 2 or Level 3). *Please note that this service will be phased out as of June 2023. New clients will no longer be able to contract for this service.
Districts must also participate in either Quarterly Policy Revisions and Updates (Level 2) or the Policy Audit (Level 3) in addition to the Online Policy Manual. The Quarterly Policy Revisions (Level 2) or the Policy Audit (Level 3) are the means by which the district will receive the information to update the Policy Manual through adoption by the board of education. The Online Policy Manual Service will place the updated and new policies online (into the document library).
The district will contact Policy Services to discuss their needs and options for placing the Policy Manual online. In order to participate in the Online Policy Manual, the district must also participate in either Policy Quarterly Revisions (Level 2) or the Policy Audit (Level 3).
For districts that use the Online Policy Manual in combination with Quarterly Policy Revisions and Updates (Level 2), the district will commit to and follow a system of regular policy review using the Quarterly Policy Revisions and the Monthly Policy Updates to ensure that the district's Policy Manuals remain up-to-date with law and regulation. The district will supply any revised policies to Policy Services in a timely manner to ensure our ability to update the Online Policy Manual.
For districts that use the Online Policy Manual in combination with Policy Audits (Level 3), the District will commit to working with Policy Services on the completion of the Policy Audit, following the designated timeline and processes. In order for the Policy Manuals to be updated in a timely fashion, the district must respond to the Policy Audit within a reasonable time frame. Following completion of the Policy Audit, Policy Services will add the revisions and new policies to the district's Online Policy Manual, in addition to providing an electronic Word version and a limited number of updated paper copies, CDs and/or flash drives.
Districts considering the placement of their new or recently developed Policy Manual online are invited to discuss this option during the final stages of development of the Policy Manual. At the end of the drafting process and following adoption of the new Policy Manual by the board of education, Policy Services will continue to provide a limited number of paper copies, CDs and/or flash drives of the final Policy Manual in addition to placing the Policy Manual online.
Policy Services will load the Policy Manual into the online document library and provide access to district personnel. A link will be created by Policy Services to allow the district the ability to view the Policy Manual from the district's website.
The district will receive either the Quarterly Policy Revisions or the Policy Audit as per existing service. All service levels also receive the Monthly Policy Updates. After the district adopts and revises their existing policies as recommended, Policy Services will update the Online Policy Manual accordingly. Policy Services will provide instructions for sending revisions and guidance at every stage of the process.