Procedure

Procedure 10800.1 - Education Business Community Partnerships

This regulation provides operational guidelines to be used in the consideration and development of recommended Education Business Community Partnership agreements with School District No. 36 (Surrey) which normally have financial implications.

1. DEFINITIONS

In this context, a partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship which normally describes affiliations, associations and alliances as opposed to the legal definition which infers the formation of a legal entity.

Education, business and community partnerships are mutually beneficial relationships among educators, employers and the community which enhance learning. Such relationships can be categorized as a sponsorship relationship, a cooperative relationship, a commercial relationship, or a donor relationship.

A sponsorship relationship between the school district and an individual, group, company, or community-based organization involves the sponsor providing a product or service free of charge or at a reduced rate, or providing financial support, in exchange for public recognition, some form of advertisement or other benefit.

A cooperative relationship is founded on the concept of mutual benefit by way of an exchange of human and physical resources involving opportunities for learning with some financial ramifications.

A commercial relationship between the school district and a company involves the promotion or sale of a product or service in exchange for financial compensation or other benefits. A commercial relationship may have an educational benefit.

A donor relationship is a voluntary contribution of cash, materials or equipment by an individual, group or company. Official receipts for tax purposes may be issued. The donor receives no additional benefit from their gift.

Stakeholders are all individuals and groups who have an interest in education. They include, but are not limited to, parents, teachers, principals, vice principals, trustees, learners, business and school district management and staff.

2. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS

All partnership proposals will be considered using the following criteria as ethical guidelines.

2.1.

Inception and Development

a)	Develop partnerships that enhance the quality and relevance of education for learners.
b)	Develop proposals whose primary purpose is to meet learners’ needs and which minimize commercial impact on students.
c)	Develop proposals that are consistent with the ethics and core values of all partners.
d)	Based on the advice and direction of Education Business Community Partnership Advisory Committee (EBCPAC) regarding business practices, standards and procedures when pursuing partnerships.
e)	Benefit all partners mutually.
f)	Treat fairly and equitably all those served by the partnership.
g)	Set clear objectives and expectations that support the partners’ goals.
h)	Allocate resources to complement and not replace public funding for education.
i)	Ensure consistency with employee group collective agreements.

2.2.

Operation

a)	Identify resource needs to ensure that resources are adequate to complete activities successfully.
b)	Express expected behaviors and outcomes to all participants.
c)	Recruit champions or advocates in the partner organizations.
d)	Define roles and responsibilities for all the parties.
e)	Identify, study and where appropriate, replicate successful practices as the basis for improvement.
f)	Recognize and respect each partner’s expertise.

2.3.

Evaluation

a)	Measure and evaluate performance to make informed decisions that ensure continuous improvement.
b)	Prepare regular evaluations and share with partners and stakeholders.

2.4.

Communication

a)	Define communication needs and have a communication component at each stage of partnership activity.
b)	Build in personal recognition and feedback for participants.
c)	Recognize and celebrate the partnership’s successes.

3. PROCEDURES

The responsibility for identifying partnership opportunities rests with all stakeholders.

The Manager, Business Development is responsible for coordinating the identification and development of partnership opportunities.

The Education Business Community Partnership Advisory Committee (EBCPAC) will advise on partnership development and recognition practices and will review the work and grants generated by Business Development Department. The Committee will be comprised of representatives from all stakeholder groups.

If a proposal is deemed to be of a sensitive nature by the Manager, Business Development, the proposal will be referred to the assistant secretary-treasurer and then to executive committee and then to the board if required.

Schools will be required to submit any partnership proposal which has a financial component that exceeds a $5,000 value, or that impacts more than one school to the Manager, Business Development for approval.

4. EDUCATION BUSINESS COMMUNITY PARNERSHIP ADVISORY COMMITTEE (EBCPAC)

4.1.	Committee Structure The Education Business Community Partnership Advisory Committee shall be comprised of representatives from each of the following: Trustees (two) Senior Management Representative (Chair) Manager, Business Development Surrey Principals’ & Vice Principals’ Association Surrey Teachers’ Association Canadian Union of Public Employees District Parents’ Advisory Council Secondary School Students (two) Surrey Board of Trade White Rock/South Surrey Chamber of Commerce Attendance at committee meetings will be at no cost to the school district.
4.2.	Functions of the Committee Vote on the allocation of Business Development discretionary funds. Advise on new issues that arise regarding partnership development or recognition. Assist in identifying new partnership opportunities.
4.3.	Meetings Meetings will be called by the chair. A record of meetings will be kept by staff. All meetings will be considered closed, except on the invitation of the chair to the interested partner or to resource person(s) to assist the committee with its deliberations.
4.4.	Quorum A quorum for a meeting will be fifty percent (50%) of members and must include one Trustee.
4.5.	Consensus Development The EBCPAC will work on the consensus model to develop recommendations and action plans. Failing full consensus, a simple majority of opinions will be utilized.

5. PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS

The nature of the partnership agreement may dictate how financial proceeds or benefits are distributed. In some instances, a sponsorship agreement may target a specific school or activity.

Where schools or departments take initiative to raise funds via Education Business Community Partnerships, they will not be expected to subsidize those schools or departments that do not undertake such activities by sharing their financial proceeds or benefits except as noted below.

In the case of discretionary financial proceeds or benefits raised through the efforts of the Business Development Department, EBCPAC will vote to determine their allocation. Where possible, financial proceeds or benefits will be equitably allocated to all schools in the district unless one school, or group of schools, has special reasons, acceptable to the EBCPAC, to vary the allocation.

6. FINANCIAL PROCEEDS DISTRIBUTION

Financial Proceeds from revenue generation projects will be distributed using the following guidelines. However, there may be special projects and/or sponsor and partner stipulations that necessitate separate and different plans for revenue distribution.

6.1.	Primarily Site Based Projects Revenue Generation Projects that take place at a school site or through school communication networks, and in which there is district involvement in developing and/or operating the initiative, and that generate revenue from promotion or sales to the students, parents and staff of that school or that require ongoing fundraising activity by representatives of the school (e.g: revenue generation through the purchase of products by students, parents or staff at a school site): 90% of net revenue will be given directly to the schools involved in the project. When there is more than one participating school in the project, net revenues will be assigned in direct proportion to their participation in the project. 10% of net revenue will go into the pool of funds which EBCPAC advises on to deal with emergent funding requests that are not funded by the Ministry of Education or other sources.
6.2.	Mostly Site Based Projects Revenue Generation Projects that take place at a school site and that impact on the visual appearance of the school’s property or affect day to day operations, but that do not promote or sell items to the school’s students, parents and staff and that do not require ongoing fundraising activity by the school or its representatives (e.g: sign placement on the outward facing wall of school fences): 80% of net revenue to the schools involved in the project. Where there is more than one participating school in the project, net revenues will be assigned in direct proportion to their participation in the project. 20% of net revenue will go into the pool of funds which EBCPAC advises on to deal with emergent funding requests that are not funded by the Ministry of Education or other sources.
6.3.	Partially Site Based Projects Revenue Generation Projects that take place at a school site but that do not impact on the visual appearance of the school’s property, that do not affect day to day operations, that do not promote or sell items to the school’s students, parents and staff and that do not require ongoing fundraising activity by the school or its representatives (e.g: placement of radio towers on school buildings): 20% of net revenue to the schools involved in the project. When there is more than one participating school in the project, net revenues will be assigned in direct proportion to their participation in the project. 80% of net revenue will go into the pool of funds which EBCPAC advises on to deal with emergent funding requests that are not funded by the Ministry of Education or other sources.
6.4.	Non Site Based Projects Revenue Generation Projects that do not involve either a school site nor the staff and students of individual schools (e.g: maintenance vehicle partnerships): 100% of net revenue will go into the pool of funds which EBCPAC advises on to deal with emergent funding requests that are not funded by the Ministry of Education or other sources.
6.5.	Signing Fees and Bonuses Signing fees and bonuses will be assigned according to the above set out guidelines.
6.6.	Sites Unable to Participate in Projects The district recognizes that while the mission of the Business Development Department is to enhance the education of all students in the district, not all schools will be able to participate in all revenue generation projects.

Revised:	2015-06-05 2004-01-06 2001-06-05
Approved:	1999-03-02