4200: School Visitors

The Bellevue School District welcomes and encourages visits to the District and schools by parents/guardians/caregivers, community members, and interested educators. The Superintendent or designee will establish guidelines governing school visits to ensure orderly operation of the educational process and the safety of students and staff.

A visitor is anyone entering school property who is:

1. Not a staff member checking into their regularly assigned building, or
2. Not a student enrolled at the school.

All visitors must check in on arrival when the main office is open.

Visits to schools will be allowed under the following conditions:

1. All persons visiting the schools must have a purpose related to the district's educational program or the personal welfare of a student or employee.
2. Schools arrange visits dependent on the purpose of the visit and the current conditions in the school, therefore visitors should contact the school before they plan to come.
3. Visitors are welcome but building principals, or designee, will determine the length and time of visits based on minimizing disruptions to the school and school program.
4. Visitors found on school premises who have not registered at the office shall be told to either report to the school office or leave the school property. Visitors so notified who remain on school premises without registering are subject to the sanctions set by criminal trespass laws (RCW 9A.52.070-090). The appropriate law enforcement agency may be requested to respond.
5. Any person whose intention is to pressure or solicit students for commercial, religious, or illegal purposes shall not be permitted on the school grounds, nor shall any person be allowed to engage in campaign activities for state, local or national elections at district facilities except as permitted under Policy 4400.
6. No one may enter school premises for the purpose of conducting activities prohibited by local, state, or federal law or School Board policy.
7. If a principal, or designee, determines that any person is disturbing, interfering with, or obstructing the lawful operation of the school (as defined by RCW 28A.635.020), the person may be ordered to leave the school property; and upon failure to do so, may be subject to the sanctions set by law pertaining to school disturbances. (See also RCW 28A.635.030.)
8. Persons who are prohibited from or limited in access to school property for unauthorized presence or disruption as outlined above shall be notified of their options to contest the prohibition(s) or limitation(s), first to the school administrator (if applicable), and thereafter in timely succession to the Superintendent (or designee), and then to the School Board, and then to the superior court pursuant to RCW 28A.645.

Visitors to other District properties shall comply as outlined above where applicable.

Use of school and district facilities outside of school hours and district events is covered by Policy 4260 Use of School Facilities.

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Cross Reference

• Board Policy 4400 Election Activities
• Board Policy 4260 Use of School Facilities
• Board Policy 5009 Employee Identification Badge Policy

Legal Reference

• RCW 28A.605.020 Parents' access to classroom or school sponsored activities — Limitation
• RCW 28A.635.020 Willfully disobeying school administrative personnel or refusing to leave public property, violations, when — Penalty
• RCW 28A.635.030 Disturbing school, school activities, or meetings — Penalty
• RCW 28A.635.090 Interfering by force or violence — Penalty
• RCW 28A.635.100 Intimidating any administrator, teacher, classified employee, or student by threat of force or violence unlawful — Penalty
• RCW 28A.645.010 Appeals -- Notice of -- Scope -- Time limitation.
• 20 U.S.C. § 7908 No Child Left Behind Act, Military Recruiter Provision