About Schools Departments News Staff Parents About Lincoln Public Schools Policies and Regulations Introduction These documents contains the policies and regulations of the Lincoln Public Schools. In accordance with regulations promulgated by the Nebraska Department of Education, these policies and regulations are based on the purposes and goals of the Lincoln Public Schools as noted in the 8000 series. Search Search for term: Limit Search to Category Community Relations Administration Business Human Resources Student Services Instructional Program Special Education Board Operating Procedures Definitions As a rule, the role of the Board of Education is to establish policies, while the role of the administration is to implement those policies through regulations. The following definitions are set forth by the National School Boards Association to draw a distinction between policies and regulations: Policies are principles adopted by the board to chart a course of action. They tell what is wanted and may include why and how much. They are broad enough to indicate a line of action to be taken by the administration in meeting a number of day-after-day problems; they are to be narrow enough to give the administration clear guidance. Regulations are detailed directions usually developed by the administration to put policy into practice. They tell how, by whom, where, and when things are to be done. By definition, policies are actions of the board, while regulations are actions of the administration, undertaken to implement actions of the board. A policy may provide sufficient direction by itself, and, as a consequence, it may not be accompanied by regulation. Regulations, however, do not exist in the absence of policies. Therefore, every regulation is written to implement a policy adopted by the board. Although definitions are good guides for understanding the distinction between the two types of statements, practice does not always follow sound theory of governance and administration. For example: State and federal governments often require boards of education to make or officially approve detailed regulations and procedures in certain areas, such as special education. Boards of education often sign contracts which may interweave policies, regulations and procedural details. A board of education from time to time may decide that it is in the public interest to take action itself on specific regulations or procedures, especially when highly sensitive areas are being considered. Beyond these kinds of examples, it is sometimes difficult to separate policy from regulation in day-to-day practice. While every effort is made to maintain the appropriate separation, the line between the two is oftentimes blurred and ongoing discussion and clarification often are necessary to establish the appropriate separation. The board is kept informed of all district regulations issued by the superintendent and all such regulations are subject to board review. The board may also choose to develop and adopt regulations in certain areas. In developing this manual, the following guidelines were followed: Wherever law requires board approval of detail that might otherwise be designated as regulation, the entire statement is presented here as policy. Wherever the board has interwoven policy and regulation in a statement adopted by the board, the entire statement is presented as policy. Where the board has adopted rules and bylaws concerning its organizational and operating procedures, these statements appear as policy. How the Manual is Updated It is very difficult to keep print copies of the Policy Manual updated. For this reason, the online PDF version of District Policies and Regulations is considered the official version. Policies of the Lincoln Public Schools are created by action of the board and become effective on adoption, not when they are printed and disseminated for inclusion in the manual. When the Board votes to approve policies, they are immediately posted in the appropriate policy series .pdf and the Policy Omnibus PDF. A brief description of the policies is sent to all staff in the Board meeting description provided by the Communications Department following each Board meeting. Responsibility for disseminating changes rests with the Superintendent's Office. Inquiries regarding policies or regulations should be directed to that office. Download Policy Documents 0000 - Master Index 1000 - Community Relations 2000 - Administration 3000 - Business 4000 - Human Resources 5000 - Students 6000 - Instructional Process 7000 - Special Education 8000 - Board Operating Procedures Policies Omnibus Educational Service Unit Manual Organization The official policy “manual” moved from print form to digital form in 2013. The PDF version of the policy series and the Policy Omnibus at http://www.lps.org/about/policies is the official source of up-to-date policies and regulations. Some individuals in the District continue to use a print version of the policy manual for convenience, but they are not considered official. The official policies and regulations of Education Service Unit #18 is organized into a single PDF document, and it is included on the same webpage as the Lincoln Public Schools policies. All of the processes in place for creation, review, and implementation of policy and regulation that apply to the Lincoln Public Schools, applies to ESU #18 policies. The only difference is that the policies and regulations of the ESU #18 are under the authority of the ESU Board, and not the LPS Board. The policies and regulations of the Lincoln Public Schools are divided into nine major sections. These sections provide the first digit of the four-digit number used to reference each policy. Thus, the number 1000 refers to a policy in the 1000 series. The nine major divisions are as follows: 1000 Community Relations 2000 Administration 3000 Business 4000 Human Resources 5000 Students 6000 Instructional Program 7000 Special Education 8000 Board Operating Procedures The second digit of the reference number refers to a large division within the series. Within the 5000 series, for example, ADMISSIONS is covered in the 5100s, ASSESSMENT in the 5200s, and STUDENT RECORDS in the 5300s. The third and fourth digits refer to smaller and smaller sections within these headings. Regulations are numbered in a similar way. They are keyed to the appropriate policy whenever possible by using the same number. Regulation numbers always include decimals to distinguish them from policies. A policy on admission procedures, for example, would be numbered 5110 and the related regulation numbered 5110.1. In some cases a number of regulations wil1 be subsumed under one policy. In those cases, the regulations will carry an additional digit following the decimal: under a policy numbered 5140, for example, the related regulations would be numbered 5140.1 and 5140.2. Interpretation Policies of the Lincoln Public Schools must be interpreted in accordance with federal or state law, regulations promulgated by the federal or the state government, or decisions of courts or other similarly empowered unit of government. Wherever inconsistencies may be found, such laws and regulations prevail. Keep up-to-date with what's happening throughout Lincoln Public Schools Subscribe to receive our LPS Update email newsletter Lincoln Public Schools Lincoln Public Schools is the second largest public school district in Nebraska, located in the heart of the plains, renowned for its long-standing legacy of educational excellence and tradition of rigorous academic achievement. The school district is growing and thriving, serving over 42,000 students in more than 60 schools and programs. Education Equity The Lincoln Public School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status or economic status in its programs, activities and employment. Accessibility Statement Lincoln Public Schools is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all persons, including people with disabilities. 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