The general ledger includes all funds and is used throughout the year to facilitate the timely recoding of transactions and at year-end to facilitate the annual audit and comprehensive annual financial report. For additional details, see Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments.

All school lunch counts and school sales transactions will be recorded daily using the Point of Sale software. School cash receipts will be deposited daily. Bank reconciliation will be completed each month following the month for which the statement is prepared. Refer to Nutrition Services Handbook.

Free and reduced applications and "Parent Permission to Disclose Free/Reduce Meal Qualifications” forms are turned into the Nutrition Services office for eligibility determination. Applications are processed according to State and Federal regulations 7CFR Ch.II sec 245(1-1-01 Edition).

The principal shall be responsible for oversight of the accounting functions to be performed at the building level. The building-level accounting procedures shall be consistent with accounting and purchasing functions performed at the district office level. Procedures to be followed are outlined in the Student Body Handbook.

The following administrative rules apply to Fixed and Attractive Assets Inventory.

Fixed assets are defined as the initial, additional, and replacement items of equipment. An equipment item is a movable or fixed unit of furniture or furnishings, an instrument, a machine, vehicles, buildings, improvements, an apparatus, or a set of articles that meets all of the following conditions:

1. It has an anticipated useful life of more than 1 year.
2. It is of significant value (See the Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments), measured as original cost or estimated market value (in the case of donated items.) See Section D1320 for information on Equipment Purchased with Federal Funds.
3. It retains its original shape and appearance with use.
4. It is nonexpendable; that is, if the article is damaged or some of its parts are lost or worn out, it is usually more feasible to repair it than to replace it with an entirely new unit.
5. It does not lose its identity through incorporation into a different or more complex unit or substance.

Attractive assets are defined as those initial, additional, and replacement items of equipment that do not meet the above definition, but are movable and valuable. Attractive assets include, but are not limited to, computers and computer equipment, communication devices, and other items of a technical or non-technical nature that are movable and valuable. Directors and building principals are required, to inventory computers and computer equipment.

For information on recording and reporting of District asset see the Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments.

An annual inventory must be conducted by each department, school or building. Departments, schools or buildings must complete inventory by April 30 each year. Financial Services staff will make any necessary follow up inquiries and adjust the records adjusted accordingly. For additional information see the Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments.

Equipment Purchased with Federal Funds

Equipment purchased with Federal funds must be entered on inventory and accounted for under guidelines issued by the Oregon Department of Education. For additional information see the Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments.

Fixed and Attractive Asset Check-Out

Occasionally, district-owned property is temporarily removed from district premises. When this occurs it is necessary to complete the authorization form – Equipment Check-Out prior to removal. Those forms are available on the district’s website at:
http://web4j1.lane.edu/hr/rm/RiskManagement.html.

Loss/damage of district property

When district-owned property is lost, stolen, or damaged, it is necessary to complete the notification form – Incident/Property Damage Report Form as soon as practically possible. Those forms are available on the district’s website at: http://web4j1.lane.edu/hr/rm/RiskManagement.html.

The following administrative rules apply to Purchasing.

ORS Chapter 279 requires the school board to approve all contracts and allows the board to delegate this authority. Without the proper authority, the individual making the contract is personally liable. The school board has delegated authority for contracts under $150,000. Designees are identified in Board Policy DI and DJCA under Delegated Authority for Purchases Under $150,000. See the Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments for additional details.

See the Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments for direction on the most appropriate method for purchasing goods or services and obtaining the best value.

See Board Policies DJ, DJC 1, 2, 3, and DJCA for details.

The Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS 244) governs the prohibition of public officials from using, or attempting to use, their position to obtain financial gain or avoid financial detriment that would not otherwise be available but for the public official’s holding of the official position or office. See the Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments for additional details.

Purchase orders aid the collection of pertinent information necessary for the fixed and attractive asset inventory. See Section D1300. See the Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments for additional details.

1. Employee reimbursements are not made on purchase orders but are paid through payroll.
2. Independent contractor agreements: Complete appropriate check list to determine.
3. Personal Services contract: Complete appropriate checklist to determine.

See the Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments for additional details.

The following administrative rules apply to Budgeting.

District staff will prepare the annual budget in accordance with statute ORS 294.305 - 294.565; the Local Budgeting Manual published by the Oregon Department of Revenue, Property Tax Division; and the Program Budgeting and Accounting Manual prepared by the Oregon Department of Education.

Each fall, Financial Services staff will prepare and post a budget calendar outlining key dates and activities for budget preparation and approval. The Budget Committee will provide direction on the parameters for preparing the budget. Superintendent’s staff will review and recommend budget changes to be proposed. Financial Services and Human Resources staff will allocate staffing and material/supply budgets in accordance with the superintendent’s staff recommendations and provide information to schools and departments.

Principals/department directors will prepare their sites’ budgets in the format required, by the deadline. Financial Services staff will accumulate budgets and prepare the budget document for presentation as required by statute. (See Financial Procedures for Schools and Departments and Budget Information on the Financial Services intranet http://fsweb.lane.edu/)

The community will be informed about budget committee meetings, and the proposed budget will be presented to the budget committee in accordance with statutory requirements. Revisions, if any, recommended by the budget committee will be incorporated into the proposed budget. The budget committee will approve the budget, declare tax rates and set the debt service levy for consideration by the Board.

After the Budget Committee has approved the budget, the Board shall consider it for adoption in accordance with statute. Financial staff will revise the approved budget, if required and the Board shall take action on the budget prior to July 1 of each year. The calendar for Board adoption is posted on the Financial Services intranet site under Budget Information http://fsweb.lane.edu/. The adopted budget will be sent to agencies as required by statute, posted on the district’s internet page at http://www.4j.lane.edu/fs/, and loaded into the district’s financial system.

The following administrative rules apply to Business Systems.

All financial transactions of the district, including those of organizations that have received permission from Financial Services to use the district’s federal employer identification number for donation purposes, shall be recorded in the appropriate district business system. Account codes required by the Oregon Department of Education shall be used to record such transactions. Financial Transactions shall be submitted to the Department of Education in the formats and time frames required by statute (ORS 294, 326, 327, 328, 329, and 332. OAR 150 and 581).

(Detailed procedures are located in Financial Procedures for Schools and Department books, Student Body Handbook, Nutrition Services Handbook.)

Requests for business system modifications will be analyzed for cost versus benefit. Requests should be submitted in writing to the business system support team (bussys@4j.lane.edu) and include the benefits of the modification. Business systems support staff will determine the cost and review the request with the Chief Financial Officer. The request will be prioritized and the requester notified of the action plan.

The following rules will be used to implement board policy DN, Disposition of District Property, and DNA, Removal of District Property.

Designated Employees of School District 4J shall comply with the provisions of the Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR 125-045 and OAR 125-050) in the disposition of the district's personal property of value with the approval of the Chief Financial Officer or Designee.

1. Personal Property of the district which has no value shall be disposed of as listed below.
2. Definitions
   1. "No value to the district shall mean its value is less than the cost of disposal in the opinion of the Chief Financial Officer or Designee.
   2. "Personal Property" means everything subject to ownership which is not real property ( i.e., land and buildings).
3. Disposition of Non - Value Personal Property
   The property shall be disposed of in the following order:
   1. Non 4J Schools
   2. Non Profit Organizations
   3. Recycling Companies
   4. Disposal Companies
4. No property shall be given to employees.

The Superintendent has established the following rules regarding the use of Cellular Telephones by district employees to ensure compliance with School Board Policy KGF, Use of District Property, and ORS 244.040 (1)(a), both of which prohibit the personal use of cellular telephones, except in the case of an emergency.

Cellular Telephone Allowance

The district shall provide a monthly allowance to employees whose assignments necessitate routine and ongoing access to a cellular telephone, consistent with the following:

1. The employee's supervisor and department director, or in the case of schools, the principal and principal's supervisor, have determined:
   1. that the employee's job responsibilities require the ability to communicate frequently and access to a district or personal telephone may not be readily available; and/or
   2. the employee's job responsibilities involve situations where immediate communication is necessary to ensure the security of district property or safety of students, staff, or others while on district property or engaged in district-sponsored activities.
2. The employee agrees by completion of the "Use of Personal Cellular Telephone for District Business Agreement" to the following:
   1. to obtain and maintain in good standing a private cellular telephone service with a local phone number;
   2. to use the employee's personal cellular telephone for required district business;
   3. to make the personal cellular telephone number available to the district for appropriate distribution to those who need to have access to the employee;
   4. to ensure that the cellular telephone is charged and in good repair and turned on during work hours and at other times when necessary for district business purposes, except that phones may be disabled during meetings, conferences, and when it will otherwise interfere with the ability of the employee to complete his or her work responsibilities; and
   5. that there is no restriction on the use of the cellular telephone for personal business except to the extent that such use interferes with the ability of the employee to complete the employee's work responsibilities;
   6. that except in the case of emergency, cellular telephones are not to be used for conversations involving district information of a confidential nature.
3. An employee may request a higher allowance if the employee can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the employee's supervisor and department director, or in the case of schools, the principal and principal's supervisor, that the employee's use requires an increased allowance.
4. Payment of the allowance shall be made monthly to the employee and charged to the appropriate school or departmental budget.
5. The Director of Finance and Support Services shall maintain a schedule of monthly telephone allowances that will be paid to employees.

Assignment of District Owned Cellular Telephones

In lieu of an allowance, an employee who qualifies for a cellular telephone allowance may choose instead to be assigned a district cellular telephone.

In those instances where the employee is assigned a district owned cellular telephone, the employee shall have on file with the employee's supervisor a signed copy of the "Cellular Telephone Use Agreement," which affirms in writing that the employee understands and agrees to comply with the following rules regarding use of the cellular telephone:

 

The District and individual employees must be careful to avoid the appearance or perception that they are using public funding inappropriately to benefit individuals and organizations associated with charitable and non-profit companies.

The District participates in the Combined Charitable Contributions Campaign which is an organized annual fund raising effort approved by the Superintendent that benefits many groups. United Way manages this multi-agency effort. Employees participating in the United Way Day of Caring must use vacation or other personal leave for the time away form work.

Any other fund raising activities that involve the use of District resources (computers, phones, faxes, etc.) or are done during work time must meet all criteria outlined in the District’s administrative policies.

The section is reserved for future use.

The following administrative rules apply to Miscellaneous Provisions.

Donations are items received by schools/district for which the donor doesn’t receive any benefit in return. Donations include, but are not limited to, cash/checks, supplies, and equipment; whether solicited or unsolicited. Examples are donated computers and proceeds from fundraising for supplies or athletic/club expenses. The following procedures should be used in accepting or refusing such donations.

When accepting donations, recipients’ shall comply with the following:

• Donated furniture and equipment shall be added to the district inventory at the fair market value on date of donation for insurance purposes. See Section D1300 for additional information.
• Donations for public building modification or ground improvement must have prior permission of the Director of Facilities.
• A receipt for donation(s) and an appropriate expression of appreciation will be provided by the principal and a copy retained for auditing purposes. The receipt provided to the donor should include the name of the donor, the date of donation, and a description of items donated. District personnel should not estimate the value of non-cash items. The donor should be directed to a tax professional or the Internal Revenue Service for guidance.

Administrators are authorized by the superintendent to accept donations from individuals and organizations on behalf of the district. Such donations may be in the form of funds, furniture, equipment, or other items of value to the schools, departments, and programs. The donations may be earmarked for special purposes, but not specific individuals. Before accepting donations of equipment, the administrator is responsible to determine whether such equipment is in good condition, is safe, and will benefit the school. If a monetary donation is offered, it can only be used for purposes permitted under policy and statute. For example, a donation to purchase religious books and magazines for a school library would not be acceptable because it would be a violation of policy and law. All administrative rules enumerated in Section D1910 shall apply.

When an individual or organization wishes to donate funds to the district, the person or organization should be referred to the Eugene Education Fund. See Section D1910.3. If for any reason the individual or organization prefers to donate directly to the district, the principal/director will accept the donation, and comply with the provisions of Section D1910.1.

An individual or organization may donate funds to the district through the EEF by contacting any EEF representative. Funds may be earmarked for specific schools, departments, or programs, but not for specific individuals.

The following rules apply to Safety and Emergencies.

The following rules apply to School Safety Plans.

The District shall publish and periodically update a school safety plan in the form of an Emergency Procedure Manual. The manual will provide guidance to schools and departments so that they are able to develop customized emergency procedures that are specific to their sites.

The Emergency Procedure Manual will provide information to sites about how to respond to threats of injury or death, how to respond to severe weather conditions or other potential emergency situations, and how to access emergency assistance.

Risk Management will also provide technical assistance to sites as they develop and update their customized emergency plans and as they respond to specific situations.
Risk Management will further publish and periodically update a District–level Emergency Operations Plan which follows the principles of the Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The plan will be implemented and maintained with the knowledge and cooperation of local emergency responder organizations. Appropriate District personnel will be trained in applicable ICS courses.

The administrator at each site is responsible for working with the site staff to customize the District's Emergency Procedure Manual to the site, to periodically update the site plan, and to review the site's emergency procedures with staff on an annual basis. Questions and assistance needed regarding emergency procedures should be directed to Risk Management.

The following rules apply to Emergencies.

Only the superintendent or the superintendent's designee is authorized to approve the closure of a school in an emergency situation.

At least two earthquake drills shall be conducted each school year. State law requires that students be instructed in “Duck Cover and Hold,” techniques, as well as evacuation after the “all clear” signal is given, during these drills. ORS 336.071(3)

Fire (Emergency Evacuation) Drills shall be conducted by each school monthly during the school session. Responsibility for the planning and coordination of such drills is assigned to the site administrator.

At least 30 minutes in each school month shall be used to instruct students on Fire and Earthquake drills. This shall include communicating routes and methods of evacuating the building.

Drills shall be held at unexpected times and under varying conditions to simulate the unusual conditions in case of fire.

Each school site shall report to Risk Management monthly after the required drill is completed, using forms available from Risk Management.

Where a fire alarm system is provided, emergency evacuation drills shall be initiated by activating the fire alarm system.

As building occupants arrive at the assembly point, efforts shall be made to determine if all occupants have been successfully evacuated or have been accounted for.

An electrically or mechanically operated signal used to recall occupants after an evacuation shall be separate and distinct from the signal used to initiate the evacuation. The recall signal initiation means shall be manually operated and under the control of the site administrator. No one shall reenter the buildings until authorized to do so by the administrator in charge.

Each fall, prior to the Thanksgiving vacation, the superintendent's office will distribute the procedures to be used that year to respond to severe weather conditions and the potential need to cancel classes for the day or to dismiss early.

From time-to-time it may be necessary to consider canceling school at a specific site or to consider an early closure because of an emergency situation that arises at that site. After taking immediate action (see the Emergency Procedure Manual) to deal with an emergency situation, if the administrator believes it is necessary to consider closure, the administrator should consult with the Education Center Team of the School Crisis Response Team (see the Emergency Operations Plan) who will coordinate with the superintendent or the superintendent’s designee.

Eugene School District 4J is committed to ensuring all parents and staff are notified with the correct and up-to-date information regarding any emergency situation occurring at a school or building. Any information released will be confirmed to be as accurate as possible. The District maintains several communication avenues for emergency situations.

The District will use a rapid phone dialer to notify parents and staff of emergency situations.

Ongoing situation updates will be posted to the District’s main webpage during an emergency situation.

The District will utilize its radio station, KRVM, FM 91.9, to disseminate pertinent emergency information.

The District has a cooperative agreement with the American Red Cross to permit the use of certain school facilities in case of a natural catastrophe or other serious emergency. If the Red Cross requests facility use, the District will appoint a Facilities Use Coordinator to manage the request. The Facilities Use Coordinator will be responsible for collaborating with the Red Cross regarding operations, conducting a pre-inspection survey of the site, and securing all equipment that is not to be used by the Red Cross.

The following rules apply to Employee Safety.

Directors and Administrators will:

1. Have a working knowledge of applicable health and safety codes.
2. Implement and monitor a safety program within the Department.
3. Assure the development of general and specific job-related safety rules and procedures.
4. Monitor safety training activities.
5. Review accident and injury trends provided by Risk Management. Take additional corrective actions when necessary. Assure such actions have been documented.
6. Review serious accidents and discuss the corrective actions that have been taken. If necessary, recommend additional corrective actions that need to be taken to minimize reoccurrence.
7. Review the inspection of equipment and facilities and review safety meeting reports from supervisor(s). Make recommendations on areas of emphasis.
8. Monitor or administer disciplinary actions taken against employees for safety violations.
9. Develop general safety rules. Contact Risk Management for assistance if needed.
10. Include safety performance as a factor in performance reviews.  

Supervisors will:

1. Have a working knowledge of health and safety codes.
2. Comply with established safety rules, practices, and procedures.
3. Conduct and document safety meetings/training regularly.
4. Conduct and document safety inspection of equipment and facilities regularly (monthly for high-risk work groups and semi-annually for low risk work groups).
5. Investigate and document all accidents immediately. Determine cause and take corrective actions when applicable. Report to Department Administrator/Director.
6. Take immediate action to correct any known hazardous condition.
7. Consult with the Department Administrator on all safety problems that cannot be corrected at the supervisor level.
8. Counsel employees and use disciplinary action as corrective measures with employees for safety violations. Disciplinary actions will be documented.

Employees will:

1. Become familiar with established safety rules.
2. Comply with established safety rules, practices, and procedures.
3. Use proper safety methods, practices and equipment.
4. Report unsafe work conditions, practices, or methods to a supervisor. 

Risk Management will:

1. Establish District-wide safety objectives and goals.
2. Assist each department in the administration of their safety program.
3. Serve as a resource to each department for program development and consultation regarding specific hazards.
4. Provide statistical data to each department and assist in monitoring the progress of all programs.
5. Meet with both administration and union representatives to discuss safety issues.
6. Respond to any notification of a hazardous job condition and resolve the issue timely and satisfactorily.
7. When a hazardous condition or work procedure creates an "imminent danger" to the health and safety of any District employee, the Risk Manager is delegated  to issue a "stop work" order until the condition or procedure is corrected.
8. Assure the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Division that employees will be provided a safe work environment in accordance with OAR Chapter 437 Division 2.

 

The following rules apply to Safety Committees.

The District  Safety Committee is a Joint Labor and Management committee. All members are required to complete OSHA Safety Committee training.

Safety committees may be organized at departments and sites to assist  in improving the effectiveness of their safety programs. Committees should function in  an advisory capacity only.  Responsibility and accountability for creating and maintaining a safe environment and review of employee accidents for corrective action, including work evaluation and discipline considerations, will remain the responsibility of supervisors. 

The District Safety Committee will:

1. Identify and monitor department and site accident trends.
2. Assist in identifying program needs, e.g., training, improved inspections, first aid, etc.
3. Conduct general safety inspections and make recommendations to correct hazardous work conditions and procedures. This does not supersede the responsibility for job site or work station inspections.
4. Review major accidents occurring within the District to evaluate what can be done to avoid similar incidents in the future, particularly through different procedures or training efforts.
5. Request clarification of department safety policy where issues arise.
6. Serve as a resource to supervisors in providing support for monthly safety meetings.

 

Personal protective equipment will be used in accordance with OAR 437 Division 2 General Occupational Safety and Health Rules. Employees must use all safety equipment required/necessary for their assigned work. All personal protective equipment provided to District employees will meet all appropriate ANSI standards as prescribed by OAR 437 Division 2. In addition, according to these standards, certain training requirements and certification may be required. Contact Risk Management with any questions.

When an accident or on-the-job injury occurs, it must be reported immediately to the employee's supervisor.

1. Supervisors are responsible for reporting to the Oregon OSHA field office (800) 922-2689, any death of an employee or catastrophes within eight (8) hours, and all accidents or injuries resulting in a hospital admission with medical treatment other than first aid, within twenty-four (24) hours after receiving notification, according to the provisions of OAR 437-001-0053.
2. It is the responsibility of Risk Management to provide each Director with a monthly summary of all reported injury accidents, and to maintain and annually post all reported injury accidents in accordance with OAR 437.
3. Safety meetings and training will be conducted on a regularly scheduled basis (monthly for high risk work groups and semi-annually for low risk work groups). The topic and length of the meeting/training should be determined on the basis of need. Documentation must be maintained for all such meetings and training.

The district will provide safety programs as  required by OSHA. 

The following rules apply to Safety Inspections.

In order to maintain a safe environment for students, staff, and visitors, a quarterly safety inspection will be conducted in accordance with OAR 437-001-0760. Inspection results shall be reviewed with the site/department administrator, Risk Management, and a "correction plan" will be established for any identified safety concerns.

The Custodial/Building Maintenance Coordinator, or another qualified person, will conduct the site inspection.  The 4J School/Department Safety Inspection Checklist will be used as a guideline in conducting the inspection process.

Each 4J work site must conduct one safety inspection during each of the four quarters identified below:

• Quarter #1 – July 1 to September 30
• Quarter #2 – October 1 to December 31
• Quarter #3 – January 1 to March 31
• Quarter #4 – April 1 to June 30

The annual safety inspection performed by the 4J Safety Specialist(s) and the SAIF Loss Control Consultant may count as one of these quarterly inspections.

A reminder will be sent each quarter to all schools and departments that need to complete an in-house safety inspection.
 

The results of all inspections must be documented on the appropriate inspection form available through Risk Management.  The person conducting the inspection should review the completed inspection form with the school/department administrator, and develop a plan for correcting all identified safety concerns.

In the event that safety concerns are identified during the quarterly inspection, corrections need to be made in a timely manner. In the event that safety concerns are not corrected in a reasonable period, then the matter should be referred to the site administrator. The administrator or designee should contact a Safety Specialist at Facilities Management, or the Risk Management office if additional assistance is required.

If the item poses an immediate threat of injury it should be corrected immediately. Otherwise, site and department administrators should determine a reasonable length of time for correcting each item, submit work orders as needed, and monitor progress to ensure that each safety concern in addressed.

A copy of all completed inspections, including a list of the safety concerns identified, and a description of the actions taken to correct the problem must be forwarded to the Risk Management office. The Risk Management office will maintain the "official" file for all District quarterly inspections.

It is recommended that schools and departments maintain copies of their quarterly inspection results for use in tracking and resolving identified safety concerns.

General and specific safety rules and procedures should be posted permanently in such locations as to be readily accessible to all employees.   Other safety information to be posted includes:

• OSHA Citations:  Supervisors should post any OSHA citation, or copies of the citation, in such locations in the work place as to reasonably inform the affected employees.  Each citation will remain posted until conditions causing it to be issued have been corrected.
• Meeting/Training Dates:  Meeting/training dates will be posted long enough in advance to allow all employees to become aware of the date, time, and place of meeting/training (at least three working days).
• Warning Signs, Etc.:  Warning signs, danger signs, warning flags, warning lights, or similar devices will be conspicuously posted at all locations where existing conditions warrant their use.
• OSHA 300 Log:  The OSHA 300 Log will be posted by February 1 of each year and remain posted for a 90 day period per OAR 437-01-275.  Risk Management will submit the OSHA 300 Log to each department.
  
  

 

The required quarterly safety inspections at each school should be comprehensive in nature, and encompass the entire site, including the playground. 

The following rules apply to Property and Liability.

All property damage and loss must be reported by the staff member with the most knowledge of the situation to Risk Management within 72 hours of discovering the loss.  Reports may be made by phone, but must be followed by a written report as soon as possible.  Losses of cash, including checks, credit card receipts and currency, must also be reported to the Financial Services Department.

Risk Management will maintain updated procedures for reporting property losses, including Incident/Property Damage Report forms.  

Amount Allowed for Replacement

The school or department is reimbursed for the cost of replacing the stolen or damaged item with one of comparable quality made from comparable materials. No deduction is made for depreciation. District insurance covers only the replacement of an equivalent item. If an item is substituted with a more costly item, the site/department is responsible for the difference.

The building or department is responsible for a $250.00 deductible for each covered incident.

Risk Management is responsible for pursuing recovery, to include legal action, for recovery of costs from the responsible party. Any recovered costs will be used to offset the repair or replacement costs, and offset to the Department experiencing the loss, if feasible.

The following rules apply to Insurance Coverage.

Any actual or alleged injury or damage to members of the public or their property involving the District must be reported to Risk Management as soon as possible following the occurrence. Reports are required for any bodily injury or damage to property of members of the public as a result of District operations. A report is required by Risk Management if an incident involves:

• District vehicles or equipment (vehicle accidents)
• District operations (i.e., construction, maintenance)
• District premises (i.e., grounds, streets, sidewalks, buildings)
• Accidents involving District employees or approved volunteers while on District time or approved District functions.
• Any hazardous conditions, potential claims, complaints or near-misses should also be reported to Risk Management.

Procedures for reporting Incidents

1. All bodily injury or property damage to members of the public must be reported to Risk Management within 72 hours. Reports may be made by phone, but must be followed by a written report as soon as possible.
2. Written reports must include the following information (incident report forms are available in Risk Management):

• Date, time, and location of incident or loss
• Nature of the incident or loss
• Name(s) of involved third party
• Property damage description and/or photographs
• Bodily injury description and/or photographs
• Names of witnesses
• Name of involved employee(s)
• Name of reporting supervisor and date of report

Auto Insurance Coverage

The District provides auto coverage for all employees, approved volunteers, and agents, over the age of 21, while driving District-owned vehicles or personal vehicles on District business. (excess liability above the individual’s personal coverage).

Excess Car Insurance for Employees

The school District provides excess insurance coverage for regular school employees and approved volunteers. The policy will cover excess liability amounts, excluding property damages, subject to the conditions and limitations of the District's liability policy with a requirement that those employees and volunteers using this coverage agree to carry at least $25,000/$50,000 public liability and $10,000 property damage on their own vehicle insurance.  It covers employees and volunteers while working or acting within the course and scope of their employment / volunteer activity while traveling to and from approved scheduled school activities and will provide coverage while transporting students riding in the vehicle of a regular employee or volunteer.

Principals or department heads should explain to their employees and volunteers that they must have private coverage as listed above in order to be eligible for the excess insurance coverage even though they are using their own vehicle on school business.  Principal or department heads are required to approve the use of private cars by both employees and volunteers before their cars are used for school business.

The 4J Staff and Volunteers Private Auto Insurance Form is required to be completed and submitted to the supervisor. The form is available on the Risk Management website.

The following rules apply to District Vehicles.

The Oregon Department of Education's Oregon Administrative Rules require that students be transported to or from authorized school activities in the following vehicles only:

1. A school bus that meets current school bus standards and is currently in service as a school bus.
2. A district-owned school activity vehicle including:
   
   1. Type 10 activity vehicles designated to carry 10 people or less including the driver
   2. Type 20 activity vehicles designated to carry 15 people, including the driver. Type 20 activity vehicles are constructed to school bus standards but may be different color than yellow and do not have the safety light system, or have it covered while being used as a school van.
3. A chartered motor coach approved by the Oregon Department of Education as a School Pupil Activity Bus or a public transit bus. A charter bus can be used only under one or more of the following conditions:
   1. Approved by the building principal or appropriate director.
   2. A District-owned bus in not available
   3. A District driver is not available
   4. Additional storage space is needed for equipment
   5. Additional comfort and features such as individual lighting is needed for lengthy trips.
   NOTE: All charter buses must be reserved through the Transportation Department to insure District compliance with the applicable Oregon Administrative Rules.
4. A private passenger car or van that is used by the owner of the vehicle to transport students. (See the current seat belt and booster seat law.)

Non-Approved Vehicles

• Students are not to be transported in large privately-owned vehicles such as ‘retired’ school buses, motor homes, or airport-type buses.
• Students are not to be transported in vans that carry over 10 people including the driver.

 

All vehicles used to transport students must be operated by an approved driver when transporting students.

To drive a Type 10 and Type 20 vehicle, the driver must have ‘approved driver status’ from the Department of Education. This requires successful completion of the District driver training, and a criminal record check. Contact the Transportation department for information.

Approved drivers operating private vehicles must complete the Staff and Volunteers Private Auto Insurance Form, which is on the Risk Management website.

District motor vehicles shall be used for District business only and must be operated in a safe, courteous, and lawful manner. The Oregon Vehicle Code applies to all operators of vehicles being operated for District purposes. All applicable motor vehicle laws must be obeyed, and seatbelts, if the vehicle is equipped with such, must be used at all times pursuant to Oregon law.

The same standard of traffic law enforcement shall apply to District employees, during the routine operation of motor vehicles for District purposes, as applies to other citizens. The cost of any traffic or parking citations are the responsibility of the operator, unless an exception is approved by the operator’s supervisor for circumstances deemed to be beyond the control of the employee.

The involvement in an at-fault motor vehicle accident, or the conviction of a violation of the Oregon Vehicle Code while operating a District vehicle while on District business, may result in a change of assignment, revocation of driving privileges, the requirement of the operator to participate in a driver safety course, and disciplinary action up to, and including, discharge and/or disqualification from a position assignment.

Risk Management will maintain updated procedures for vehicular accident reporting.

The Automated Reporting Status is operated through Oregon Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicles Division (DMV), allowing the District to enter names and license numbers of applicable employees and volunteers operating vehicles for District use into its database.  It is designed to ensure that those people who operate vehicles for the District hold a current and valid operator’s license, that the class of license held be appropriate for the vehicle operated, and that they demonstrate the ability to drive safely.

The Automated Reporting Status reporting system generates a report when an action is taken against a license number entered into its database, e.g., if an operator has a moving violation; license suspension; motor vehicle accident; or receives a DMV advisory letter, Risk Management will receive a transcript of the operator’s driving record.  Driving record transcripts and Driving Report Review forms are maintained on file by Risk Management.  

If Risk Management becomes aware of a change in an operator’s license status, which has an immediate effect on an employee’s or volunteer’s ability to legally operate a motor vehicle, that information will be communicated directly to the employee’s supervisor for corrective action.

In addition, if Risk Managemen