Criteria for Purchasing Materials with Instructional Funds

revised 4/3/08

Instructional funding is provided for the purpose of supporting a student’s new learning and for some minimal practice of those newly learned skills.  Instructional funding may be used for basic educational items that support the student’s educational program.  All materials must be approved by the ES as educationally appropriate and necessary.  The ES should consult her/his ES Advisor if s/he has any questions about whether or not an item is acceptable.

All items purchased with IF are the property of GVCS.

General Criteria

·       Materials must be used to meet state and school standards for the student for whom the materials are being purchased.

·       All materials must be non-sectarian and non-denominational.

·       Materials must not expose the ES or student to danger or serious injury.

·       Size and weight restrictions apply.

·       Tracking forms & educational plans are required for certain items.

·       A maximum of 50% of the Instructional Funding for each semester may be spent on NON-CORE curriculum, including materials and/or services.

The following purchases are acceptable:

·       Curriculum and supplies appropriate for the student’s educational program (e.g. textbooks, workbooks, reading materials, etc.).

·       Basic school supplies adequate for completing basic course activities (e.g. paper, pencils, etc.).

·       Enough basic raw materials for learning course skills in educational project(s) documented on the learning record(s) (craft supplies enough for one project).  No food purchases are allowed.

·       Basic equipment for documented learning as required by student [e.g. sewing machine, cassette player, manipulatives, camera, tools (art tools, craft tools, basic tool kits, no power tools), musical instrument, printer].

·       Computers. (See Computers – Acquiring, Tracking, & Returning for specifics on ordering computers.)

·       Chemicals required for science projects may be ordered in small quantities.  Safety precautions must be followed.

Notes:

·       All materials must be basic, economical models, not top-of-the-line.  Items must be in the lower price range of available models.

·       ESs are responsible for monitoring the quantities and appropriateness of items purchased.

The following types of items are unacceptable:

·       Furniture, storage, organizational items (e.g. desks, file cabinets, drawers, large bins, etc.)

·       Computer parts, memory, specialized cords or connectors, equipment specific to that computer, and software upgrades for non school-owned computers

·       Ready-made clothing, costumes

·       Ready-made jewelry

·       Magazine Subscriptions

·       Backpacks

·       Toys

·       Personal hygiene items

·       Personal PE items (e.g. no PE equipment; acceptable PE purchases include books, software, videos, charts, and posters.)

·       Home and Office Equipment (e.g. fax machine, copy machine, combo or all-in-one printers/copiers/faxes, phone, dictation equipment, TV, VCR/DVD player, etc.) 

·       Kitchen Equipment (e.g. popcorn poppers, trays, platters, plates, silverware, small appliances, etc.)

·       Yard Equipment (e.g. grass watering kits, garden ponds, swimming pools, yard tools, etc.)

·       Power tools, welding equipment, soldering equipment

·       Food

·       Poisons

·       Knives

·       Bows and Arrows

·       Darts with sharp points

·       Trampolines

·       Rocket engines

·       Weapons

·       Materials, books, CDs, tapes, videos, CD-ROMs, etc. of a religious nature

All materials must be non-sectarian and non-denominational.

When ordering from vendors that sell both non-sectarian and sectarian materials, the items must be carefully screened by the ES prior to ordering and after receiving.

If the ES is unfamiliar with an item, s/he should research it before ordering.  The ES should go to the vendor’s website to the item description or the customer reviews, visit sites like Amazon.com for information on the item, or call the vendor directly.  Once items from these vendors are received, the ES must be careful to check any unfamiliar items before giving them to the student.

Size and Weight Restrictions

Large or heavy items must be limited to those items that the ES can transport.

Items purchased with IF are limited to a weight of 50 lbs.  If there is a necessary item that is heavier than 50 lbs., contact the School Director for permission.  A team lift plan will be required if approval for the item is given.

All materials ordered must be checked to make sure that they are acceptable and non-sectarian. 

The ES should arrange for the return of any unacceptable item immediately.  The item should NOT be 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 disciplinary action.  If an unacceptable item is given to a family, it may be grounds for ES dismissal.

Tracking forms & educational plans are required for “big ticket” items, including:

·       Computers (no educational plan necessary)

·       Microscopes

·       Telescopes

·       Large skeletons

·       Cameras

·       Video Cameras

·       Guitars

·       Violins

·       Other String Instruments

·       Keyboards

·       Musical Instruments/Equipment over $100

·       Sewing Machines

·       Incubators

·       Graphing Calculators

·       Any item over $100 (excluding textbooks and teacher’s editions)

GVCS reserves the right to add to or modify this list as necessary.