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Flier Approval Process

San Diego Unified Flier Approval Guidelines

San Diego Unified School District distributes fliers to its students on behalf of organizations as a courtesy to the community. Below are the district's guidelines for fliers as of Dec. 1, 2015.

Approval Process

Flier distribution must be approved by principal or designee. Approval should be in the form of a written signature on the flier. One copy should be given to the person requesting distribution with a copy retained at the school site. Approval by Central Office is no longer required. These guidelines are based on advertising policies and procedures outlined in the District Policy Manual and Administrative Procedure 9350.

Please contact the school site for distribution information. All costs associated with flier distribution will be paid for by the requesting organization.

Authorized Distribution or Display of Literature and Publicity on School Sites

No flier should be approved unless it meets one of the following criteria:

a. Athletic activities. Literature and publicity advertising athletic or sports-related activities for youth sponsored by a nonprofit public organization may be sent home via students only once during the school year. Vendor should be prepared to offer proof of IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status to the school site upon request.

b. Public Entity Park and Recreation Department materials. Literature and publicity advertising activities that are core-curriculum based and officially sponsored by the park and recreation departments of public entities may be sent home via students. Core subjects include: English language arts, mathematics, science, history-social studies, world languages, physical education, and visual and performing arts.

c. Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and Community Advisory Committee (CAC) information. Literature and publicity advertising activities by, or containing information from, the PTA or CAC may be sent home via students.

d. American Red Cross Youth Services is the only organization authorized by district policy to collect money from students and to distribute material for this purpose in schools.

e. Academic and instructional program materials. Literature and publicity advertising academic instruction programs in core subjects for students offered by public educational institutions or nonprofit organizations may be sent home via students. Core subjects include: English language arts, mathematics, science, history-social studies, world languages, physical education, and visual and performing arts. Vendor should be prepared to offer proof of IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status to the school site upon request.

g. School Foundations. Literature and publicity advertising fundraising activities and events of foundations whose sole purpose is to raise money for specific district schools or for the district as a whole may be sent home via students.

Fliers promoting programs, classes or activities that compete/conflict with San Diego Unified School District programs are not allowed.

Please note:

  • Fliers that pertain to school-based fundraisers go through the principal/site administrator for approval and are subject to the Administrative Procedures 9325 and 9326 relating to fundraising, not flier approval (AP 9350).
  • Fliers that solicit district students for research studies, whether the study involves students at multiple schools or a single school, must first be approved by the Research Proposal Review Panel within the Research and Development Department.

Unauthorized Sales and/or Restricted Distribution or Display of Literature and Publicity

a. On-campus solicitation—limitation. During school hours, and within one hour before school opening and within one hour after school closing, no materials used (or any activity) by teachers or others shall be permitted for purposes of soliciting students to subscribe to or contribute to the funds of, to become members of, or to work for, any organization not directly under control of school authorities unless the organization is a nonpartisan, charitable organization organized for charitable purposes by an act of Congress or the purpose of the solicitation has been approved by the Board of Education (Education Code Section 51520), as for American Red Cross Youth Services.

b. Unauthorized solicitation. No person shall solicit any other person to contribute to any fund, or to purchase any item of personal property, upon representation that the money received is to be used for the benefit of the school or the student body, without prior written approval of the governing board or its designee. This prohibition does not apply to any solicitation or contribution the total proceeds of which are delivered to the school, nor to solicitation or transfer to be effected by a testamentary act (Education Code Section 51521).

c. Advocates of unlawful acts. No material that advocates the commission of an unlawful act shall be displayed or distributed.

c. Commercial salesmen/agents on district property.Commercial salesmen or agents shall not be permitted to discuss business on district property. Representatives of textbook publishers, school furnishing houses, and student activity suppliers may be exempted from this restriction by the division head (Procedure 4500). Salesmen, vendors, and/or peddlers are prohibited from using district property for purposes of selling or distributing items for personal use or consumption by district employees or students except as provided above.

e. Distribution of campaign-type materials to homes. School personnel may not, except as private citizens on their own time, distribute literature or publicity supporting or opposing school bond or tax elections, legislative proposals, or materials of a partisan political nature.

f. Literature/publicity violating existing laws.No literature or publicity may be displayed or distributed that violates existing laws covering specific matters including, but not limited to:

(1) Harmful matter: Matter that, taken as a whole, the predominant appeal of which to the average person, applying contemporary standards, is to prurient interest; i.e., a shameful or morbid interest in nudity, sex, or excretion; and is matter which taken as a whole goes substantially beyond customary limits of candor in description or representation of such matters; and is matter which taken as a whole is utterly without redeeming social importance for minors.(Penal Code Sections 313, 313.1; Ginsburg v. New York, 390 U. S. 629, 1968)

(2) Profanity: Matter containing words that, according to standards of the San Diego Unified School District community, are deemed to be profanity. (Education Code Section 48900; Penal Code Section 415; California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 300)

(3) Prejudicial or discriminatory matter: Matter advocating prejudice or discrimination on account of race, religion, creed, color, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or disability. (Education Code Sections, 51500, 51501; District Policy A-3500)

(4) Injurious matter: Matter that encourages or advocates the use of tobacco, intoxicating liquor, narcotics, or other hallucinogenic or dangerous drugs. (Education Code Section 48900; California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 301)

(5) Materials or instruction concerning human reproduction and venereal disease. This matter may not be distributed because state law prohibits students from receiving such information in the schools without first having written approval of their parents/guardians. (Education Code Sections 51550, 51551, 51820; Procedure 4189)

(6) Libel or slander: Matter, disseminated either in writing or verbally, that defames a person or, in some cases, a private organization. (Civil Code Sections 44 et seq.)

(7) Distribution of literature by the public on sidewalks adjacent to schools. Peaceful picketing and handing out leaflets by members of the public on public sidewalks adjacent to district schools are activities that are protected by the First Amendment. However, these activities may be prohibited if they materially disrupt the operation of the schools, involve substantial disorder, or invade the rights of others. For example, boisterous activities that interfere with school operations, blocking school entrances, and inciting pupils to leave school may be prohibited. (Grayned v. City of Rockford, 408 U.S. 104 (1972))

Questions regarding these guidelines may be directed to the Communications Department at 619-725-5578 or by emailing [email protected].

Peachjar

If the school at which you would like to distribute fliers is using Peachjar, the school will approve your flier electronically after you upload the flier to Peachjar. To upload your flier to Peachjar, please follow these instructions:

  1. Register at www.peachjar.com.
  2. Go to "My Acount"
  3. Click on "Post a Flier"
  4. Select desired schools

Once your flier is uploaded to Peachjar, it will be sent to the school for approval, then posted online and emailed directly to parents.

Please click here to learn more about Peachjar.