Criteria for Materials That Can Be Purchased with Instructional Funds

 

Definition:

ADA funding is received for the purpose of supporting new learning for a student and some minimal practice of those newly learned skills. Therefore, ADA funding may be spent for basic educational items that support new student learning and that fall into the categories below. We may not spend ADA funding on anything that could be construed to be a “thing of value” of a “gift of public funds” (http://www.sscs.cc/Handbook/purchase/FAQthingof%20value.htm). An ES must remember to consult their ES Advisor if they have any questions about whether or not an item is acceptable, BEFORE PLACING A PO!

 

Specifics:

1.Materials must be used to meet school and state standards for the ENROLLED student that the materials are being purchased for (No non-enrolled sibling or parent purchases are allowed).

The following purchases are acceptable:

·         Educational curriculum appropriate for the student’s courses (Textbooks/online courses/DVDs/unit studies/software/etc).

·         Reading (library type) books that correlate to the student's English and History curriculum and are to be used in that study, as long as they are not sectarian, are allowed. (For example: A reading book with a study guide, phonics reader set, etc)

·         Supplemental educational materials appropriate for the student’s courses and practice of the basic skills (Educational games, manipulatives, etc)

·         Basic school & office supplies typically found in a classroom adequate for learning basic course skills (paper, pencils, etc).

·         Enough basic raw materials (not top-of-the-line) for learning basic course skills in one learning record documented educational project: fabric, wood, yarn enough for one project (Exception: no food purchases allowed.) (ESs are responsible for monitoring the quantities of items purchased.)

·         Basic equipment (not top-of-the-line) for documented learning as needed by the enrolled student only: sewing machine, VCR (only from school’s computer options), cassette players, telescopes, microscopes, cameras(only from school’s computer options), tools (not power tools), musical instruments (basic school models), computers (only from school’s computer options), printers(only from school’s computer options), scanners(only from school’s computer options).

 

The following types of items can only be ordered for a high school student (and the grade level must be noted on the PO) (This is a safety and school risk issue).  The item must be removed from the home when that study is over:

·         Bunsen Burners

 

The following types of items can only be ordered in small quantities for a student with the educational usage noted on the PO (This is a safety and school risk issue):

·         Chemicals (Note:  We prefer that an appropriate chemistry kit is ordered instead of individual chemicals, if at all possible.)

 

The following types of items are unacceptable: (If an ES accidentally orders and receives inappropriate materials, the ES should submit a PO Inquiry to arrange for the item to be returned to the vendor.  DO NOT give the materials to the family.)

·         Generic library books intended for free reading and not a part of the student's curriculum study. Please use your local public library.

·         Furniture, storage, organizational items (large or small items), picture frames, and other non-educational household items.

·         Computer parts, equipment, and software upgrades for non school-owned computers (exceptions made only for printers, scanners, and other external parts needed for the student’s educational courses).

·         Ready- made clothes

·         Ready-made jewelry

·         Toys

·         Live animals or animal food (Exception:  As a part of a science class, you may order praying mantis, butterfly, ladybug, silkworm to watch “hatching”; ant farms; tadpoles)

·         Personal hygiene items

·         Personal PE items: skis, bicycles, tricycles, golf clubs, trampolines, or top of the line sports equipment (ex: Order the basic level softball bat, not the expensive professional model)

·         Musical Instrument Rentals or Exchanges (The school must purchase a basic model only.)

·         Home and Office Equipment: faxes, copiers, phones, dictation equipment, TV's (we assume that the student's home is equipped with basic home and office supplies), DVD and VCR players, power tools

·         Kitchen Equipment: popcorn poppers, microwave, pots and pans, glassware (except for chemistry items), baking pans,  trays, plates, silverware (we assume that the student's home is equipped with basic kitchen supplies)

·         Yard Equipment: grass watering kits, garden ponds, swimming pools, greenhouses, rakes, shovel, hoe, gloves, pruners, lawnmower, etc.

·         Anything that must be installed permanently at a home in order to be used, or anything that will be too large or heavy for an ES to transport after it is put together (if it cannot be torn back down and be usable again).

 

2. Materials must not be sectarian or denominational

When ordering from vendors that sell both non-sectarian and sectarian materials, the items must be screened carefully by the ES before ordering, and reviewed when they arrive from the vendor prior to placing with a student.

·         If the ES is unfamiliar with an item, they should research it before ordering. The ES must go to the vendor’s website to read the item description or the customer reviews, or visit sites like Amazon.com for information on the item.

·         Consult with your advisor if you have ANY doubt, before placing the order.

·         Once items from these vendors are received, the ES must be careful to check any unfamiliar items before giving them to the student. It must be returned if it does not follow our policy.

·         We have noted some approved vendors to be particularly careful about when ordering. There is a STOP note on the PO form for vendors like this. Keep in mind that many large vendors such as Borders Books also sell some of the same products that we cannot purchase with state dollars. Watch List

 

The following types of items are unacceptable:

-Religious materials of any type: Including, but not limited to--Books, Magazines, DVDs, CD Roms, CDs, Videos, Cassette tapes, posters, etc.

 

3. Materials must not expose the ES or student to dangerous or serious injury

The following types of items are unacceptable (These are disallowed by our insurance carrier—no exceptions can be made) :

·         Poisons (except for small amounts of chemicals for lab work)

·         Knives (an exception for small woodworking blades may be made for older students)

·         Bows and Arrows

·         Darts with sharp points

·         Trampolines or any rebounding items

·         Swimming pools

·         Rocket engines

·         Weapons

·         Power tools

·         Welding equipment

·         Large or heavy items must be limited to those items which the ES can transport. Rule of thumb: Nothing over 4 ft by 3 ft should be ordered, as it may not be able to be transported by every ES as the item is shared around. Nothing should be ordered that is too heavy for an ES to lift (ES job description currently states you must be able to lift 50 pounds—let your family know if they wish a 50 pound item, and you have a medical issue that precludes this.)

 

4. The school conflict of interest policy must be followed. ( Note: If you are ordering from a vendor you are related to, or one your parent requesting the item is related to, reread the policy before placing a PO!)

 

5. For Service vendors, you may not place a PO for classes to any CDE registered California private school that charges tuition and teaches core classes and needs to "enroll" our students into their private school in order for our student to take classes.

(Per Ca Ed Code, a student may not be concurrently enrolled in a California private school and a California public charter school.)

We hope to find these types of issues during our vendor approval process and deny them as a vendor, but they might slip through IF SOMEONE IS BEING SNEAKY.  If what the parent is asking you to order for them does not sound right—CHECK IT OUT BEFORE PLACING THE PO!

 

Procedure to receive ordered items & additional notes:

·         When you receive your PO items, if you are not familiar with any of them, you must check to make sure that they are not on any of the unacceptable lists above.

·         Any inappropriate item received should have arrangements made for it’s return by placing a PO Inquiry in ES Webfiles. The item should NOT be marked/labeled or given to the family, and the ES will be held responsible for any inappropriate items placed in a student’s home.

·         Repeated ordering of unacceptable items will be cause for instituting the ES employee improvement process. It is YOUR responsibility to NOT place a PO for any item that the school has deemed unacceptable.

·         If an unacceptable item is placed with a student in their home, it may be grounds for ES dismissal. (Note:  Under the terms of your credential and ed code, you as the teacher of record may not make sectarian assignments to public school students.  Placing a sectarian item with a student places you personally at risk!).

·         State funding can only be spent on specific items that are allowed by the state constitution. The school is audited annually.

·         Very Important: If an ES has any question about whether or not an item can be ordered, they should consult their ES advisor. Do not operate in a vacuum!