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Currently Under Revision - Updates Coming Soon

By Laws will be added at that time.

BURIEN COOPERATIVE PRESCHOOL

STANDING RULES, POLICIES, AND PROCEDURES

 

 

Children at Burien Cooperative Preschool are free to explore and satisfy their needs and curiosity through the magic of play. We inspire families to grow alongside their children while building a strong and lasting community.

 

ARTICLE 1

 

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the Preschool shall be to provide a supervised play-based program for the children and further the education of the parent members in the principles of child guidance.

 

ARTICLE II

 

MEMBERSHIP

 

Section I:         Parents or guardians with a child age 1-4 on August 31st of the enrolling year are eligible. Class divisions are by birth date, thusly:

  1. Firefly:             Age 1 by August 31st

  2. Dragonfly:       Age 2 by August 31st

  3. Otter:               Age 3 by August 31st

  4. Orca:                Age 4 by August 31st, not to exceed 6 years of age.

  5. Forest School Elective Class: Membership will be offered first to enrolled Orcas. Should enrollment not be filled by current students of BCP, enrollment will be offered to children in the community of the same age.

Exceptions to the above guidelines will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Board of Directors.

 

Section II:       The first month of preschool attendance shall be considered a trial period for the preschool, member family, and child. At the end of the first month period, either the member family or the preschool may cancel enrollment. If cancellation of membership occurs at the end of the first month, the last month’s tuition will be refunded and check deposits for cleaning, work party, and special event hours will be destroyed.

 

Section III:      Only persons who are willing to accept the duties and responsibilities of active participation shall be allowed to enroll their children. Working scheduled serve days, adhering to the Teacher’s classroom guidelines, attending the monthly parent meetings, making timely tuition and fee payments, completing cleaning, work party, and special event hour commitments, and fulfilling the responsibilities of a classroom support job constitutes being a cooperative member.

 

Section IV:      Before enrolling, the applicant may be interviewed by the Board of Directors and the teachers. Upon acceptance of membership, the applicant agrees to sign the Contract of Membership Responsibility.

 

Section V:       In order to withdraw from the preschool, two weeks’ written notice must be given to the Class Representative. The two weeks begins upon receipt of the written notice and regular tuition must be paid during that period. If tuition and fees are current at the time of withdrawal, and the member’s account is otherwise in good standing, additional tuition paid beyond the two-week period will be refunded. If tuition and fees are outstanding, tuition payments made during the two-week period will be applied to the balance owed. If notice to withdraw is made by the member after February 1st of the school year, final month’s tuition will not be refunded. If tuition payments do not cover the unpaid balance owed, the remaining balance is due immediately.

 

Section VI:      Registration priorities are given in this order:

  1. Currently enrolled students moving forward to the next class

  2. Currently enrolled students repeating a class based on teacher recommendation and Board approval

  3. Currently enrolled families registering new students, i.e. siblings

  4. Alumni families who have left the school in good standing

  5. New families

 

Registrations for the following year will not be accepted before the enrollment period begins.

 

Section VII:    All registration applications must be mailed, with the exception that currently enrolled members may submit applications in person during In-House Registration. Enrollment within each of the previously listed groups is conducted based on date of postmark on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

Section VIII:   Any currently enrolled family must be current financially and in all areas of responsibility (e.g. classroom support responsibilities, serve day attendance, parent education, etc.) in order to enroll for the following year.

 

Section IX:      In cases of twins or children of the same age from the same family enrolled in the preschool, the family will be assigned only one support position and required to facilitate only one cleaning, work party, and special event. However, they must serve multiple days in the classroom corresponding to the number of enrolled children.

 

Section X:       Termination of membership is at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will be presented for evaluation if three of the following circumstances occur in any combination:

  1. Tuition and fees are 30 days past due

  2. Failure to fulfill one obligation in the classroom as a serve parent

  3. Failure to fulfill the classroom support position requirements for one month

  4. One incident of serve day unexcused tardiness (arrival more than fifteen minutes after the start of class)

  5. One unexcused serve day absence

  6. One unexcused parent meeting absence

A family’s membership may also be presented for evaluation immediately under the terms of Article V; Section VI.

 

ARTICLE III

 

ATTENDANCE

 

Section I:         Class shall be held once weekly for the Firefly class, twice weekly for the Dragonfly class, thrice weekly for the Otter and Orca classes, and once weekly for the Forest School elective. School vacations will coincide with the Highline School District calendar.

 

Section II:       Class may be canceled for the purpose of attending approved field trips.

 

Section III:      Closing the school for any emergency shall be at the discretion of the Executive Board and the Teachers. When the Highline School District is closed or has a late start of any kind, the classes for the whole day will be canceled. Canceled classes will not be made up.

 

Section IV:      Children must be kept home if there are any signs of communicable disease.

 

Section V:       No siblings or additional children whatsoever will be allowed to enter the classroom during class hours, including babies in arms. Siblings are allowed in the hallway during drop-off and pick-up times (no later than fifteen minutes after the start of class and no earlier than fifteen minutes before the end of class) but apart from that, must also vacate the hallway connecting the classrooms. Babies in arms (not yet walking or crawling) are allowed to attend parent meetings.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

DUTIES

 

Section I:         SERVE DAYS.

  1. Each member family shall be responsible for their scheduled serve day, sending one parent/guardian from each family to assist in the supervision of the preschool group under the direction of the Teacher. In case a parent is unable to attend on their serve day, it is that parent’s responsibility to find another enrolled family with whom to exchange serve days or find a substitute who has completed the risk management training with BCP. The Class Representative must be notified of the replacement or if none can be found, by phone or in person. If a substitute cannot be found, evidence of a good faith effort must be presented in order to avoid incurring an unexcused absence. 

  2. Serve day parents are expected to arrive at school five minutes early, sign their child in, verify their workstation, put on an appropriate apron, read the work card for their station, and follow the instructions for the day. Serve day parents must remain at their workstation until the end of class and until all work card duties are fulfilled. The Teacher will provide descriptions of each position.

  3. Tardiness occurs when a serve parent arrives more than 15 minutes after the start of class. Members are also expected to pick their children up by the time class lets out. If tardiness occurs, the Class Representative will note this and a written warning will be given. Unexcused tardiness may jeopardize membership if repeated offenses occur or in combination with other offenses; for more information, please review Article II, Section X.

 

Section II:       CLASSROOM SUPPORT POSITIONS.

  1. One parent/guardian from each family is required to choose a Classroom Support position at the orientation meeting and fulfill the duties of that position throughout the year. These jobs are meant to help with cleaning, maintenance, projects, and other general work that must be done to support the operation of the school. They typically require approximately two hours per month.

  2. Descriptions of each position are included in the parent handbook. The specific positions include: Communications, Newsletter, Purchaser, Repairs and Maintenance, Webmaster, Kitchen Management, Plants/Playdough/Pets, Master Gardener, Fundraising/Special Event Assistant, Laundry, Substitute Teacher, Firefly Classroom Clean-Up, Class Photographer, and Special Project Team. Service on the preschool Board of Directors also satisfies this requirement.

  3. Parents on the Special Project Team will submit monthly timesheets demonstrating their completion of classroom support requirements. The Teachers, Resource Coordinator, or Class Representatives will confirm successful completion.

  4. Failure to complete a minimum of two hours of work or the required projects to the satisfaction of the Teachers or Resource Coordinator will incur a written warning. Failure to complete support requirements may jeopardize membership if repeated offenses occur or in combination with other offenses; for more information, please review Article II, Section X.

 

Section III:      PARENT EDUCATION.

  1. One parent/guardian from each family is required to attend the monthly parent meetings. These meetings are intended to provide parent education, address any issues or concerns in the classroom, inform parents of any upcoming events and other school business, and to build relationships and a sense of community. The parent meeting schedule is located in the Handbook as well as on the school’s yearly calendar.

  2. Members are expected to notify their Class Representative in person, in writing, or by phone if they are unable to attend a monthly parent meeting. If an absence occurs, the Class Representative will note this and a written warning will be given. If a total of three warnings are given, the membership will be presented to the Board for evaluation and possible termination.

 

Section IV:      FUNDRAISING/SPECIAL EVENT REQUIREMENT.

  1. One parent/guardian from each family is expected to commit their time to prepare for and participate in one special event hosted by the preschool per year. Families will sign up for the special event they plan to participate in at Orientation.

  2. Families are expected to submit a $75 deposit check (to be held by the Treasurer) at the beginning of the school year. In the event the Special Event requirement is not fulfilled, the check will be cashed.

 

Section V:       CLEANING REQUIREMENT.

  1. One parent/guardian from each family is expected to commit their time to participate in one cleaning party during the school year, which will be hosted monthly by the Board. Families will sign up for the cleaning party they plan to attend at Orientation.

  2. Families are expected to submit a $75 deposit check (to be held by the Treasurer) at the beginning of the school year. In the event the Cleaning requirement is not fulfilled, the check will be cashed.
     

Section VI:      WORK REQUIREMENT.

  1. One parent/guardian from each family is expected to commit their time to participate in one work/maintenance party during the school year, which will be hosted thrice yearly by the Board. Families will sign up for the work party they plan to attend at Orientation.

  2. Families are expected to submit a $75 deposit check (to be held by the Treasurer) at the beginning of the school year. In the event the Work requirement is not fulfilled, the check will be cashed.

 

Section VII:    Non-enrolled adults are encouraged to help as much as desired.

 

ARTICLE V

 

ACCIDENTS, SAFETY, & INSURANCE

 

Section I:         In case of an accident, the parent and emergency services will be notified immediately.

 

Section II:       In case of an accident, regardless of the degree of injury to the child, an accident report must be filled out by the observing adult and kept on file at the school.

 

Section III:      Parents are required to provide all records necessary for enrollment at a date to be determined by the Board on a yearly basis, but in no case later than the beginning of the school year. Failure to do so will result in the parent and child being barred from attendance and may result in dismissal from from the program.

 

Section IV:      All serve parents must receive Risk Management training and understand the policies and procedures contained therein before working in the classroom.

 

Section V:       Quarterly safety checks will be performed by the Health and Safety Chair. Monthly fire and earthquake drills will be performed by the Teacher, once for each separate class.

 

Section VI:      No firearms, whether concealed or not, or any other dangerous weapons as defined in RCW 9.41.250 are allowed on the school property. Failure to comply will bring the offending family’s membership up to the Board for immediate review

 

ARTICLE VI

 

FINANCIAL POLICY

 

Section I:         All registration fees are non-refundable. All tuition fees are non-refundable, except where indicated in Article II; Sections II and V.

 

Section II:       Tuition is calculated on a yearly basis and divided into nine equal payments. The monthly tuitions are due every month on the first of the month, except first and last month’s tuition, which are collected at the Risk Management training prior to starting school. It is the member’s responsibility to notify the Treasurer of any extenuating circumstances concerning their financial responsibility. Failure to notify the Treasurer will incur a late fee of $25 that will be assessed for checks received after the 5th of each month. Monthly tuition and fees may be turned in to the Treasurer at the previous month’s parent meeting, or to the locked tuition boxes located in each classroom. Neglect of financial responsibility will be brought before the Board by the Treasurer which may result in the termination of membership. In case of an NSF check, the member will be assessed the amount of the check plus any fees which the bank charges the preschool’s account. Payment will be expected within ten days.

 

Section III:      Before any member falls two months delinquent in tuition payments, a combined effort between the Treasurer and the Class Representative shall be made to identify the reason(s) for the delinquency and how to solve the problem. The following options are available to the member:

  1. To become current by either

    1. immediately paying all back tuition

    2. paying through a mutually agreeable payment plan voted upon by the Board.

  2. To drop from the program with restitution of back tuition being made as soon thereafter as possible.

 

Section IV:      A limited number of scholarships are available for member families. Scholarships cover up to one-half of the member’s tuition and are awarded on a quarterly basis. Applications for scholarships must be submitted with a copy of the member family’s most recent federal tax return(s). The Federal Poverty Guideline limit is used to aid the Board in determining need, but there are no mandatory income level requirements. Scholarship awards will be determined by the Board on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Treasurer or Class Representative for information or to apply. Tuition and fees not covered by the scholarship must continue to be paid by the member. Eligibility for scholarships will be based on the following:

  1. Tuition and fees are paid in full and current at time of application

  2. Classroom support position duties are fulfilled and current

  3. Special event hours completed or scheduled to be completed

  4. Cleaning hours completed or scheduled to be completed

  5. Work party completed or scheduled to be completed.

  6. No unexcused absence or tardiness at required parent meetings

  7. No unexcused absence or tardiness in fulfilling serve-day obligations

Entry into the preschool requires registration fee and first month’s tuition. Scholarships are available October through May, and are valid only for the quarter in which they are issued. Families hoping to continue receiving scholarship benefits must resubmit a new application for each quarter. Applications must be received one month prior to the start of the next quarter. Scholarships may be awarded for up to a total of 3 quarters per student. New students become eligible after their first quarter of enrollment.

 

Section V:       Tuition and fees remain the same during months with school holidays, vacations, and emergency closures.

 

Section VI:      Past delinquent tuition or fees of a member family must be paid before reentering the organization.

 

Section VII:    The registration fee is $50.00 per child, and includes accident and liability insurance.

 

Section VIII:   If a child registers after preschool classes have begun, tuition will be prorated for the month enrolled.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

 

Section I:         A written request for a leave of absence must be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval, or it may be approved at the discretion of the Executive Board in case of an emergency.

 

Section II:       A member family may be given a maximum of six weeks of leave due to serious illness or hospitalization, surgery, addition of a child to the home, or other emergency circumstances. In maternity cases, the leave of absence must coincide with the birth of the baby; either before, after, or in combination, but not to exceed six weeks. Any extenuating circumstances must be brought to the Board of Directors for approval. An approved leave of absence relieves the member family of their serve day responsibilities as well as their classroom support position for that period of time.

 

Section III:      Member families who choose to take a vacation leave will be responsible to find a substitute for all serve days they will be absent. Tuition must still be remanded.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Section I:         The Board of Directors of the preschool shall consist of the President, Health and Safety Chair (Co-President), Secretary, Treasurer, Co-Treasurer, Firefly Class Representative, Dragonfly Class Representative, Otter Class Representative, Orca Class Representative, Fundraising and Special Event Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, Resource Coordinator, and the Teachers.

 

Section II:       The Executive Board of Directors of the preschool shall consist of the President, Health and Safety Chair (Co-President), Secretary, and Treasurer.

 

Section III:      Regular Board meetings are open to all members of the preschool. An executive session may be called by any member of the Board for business pertaining to an individual to protect the privacy of the members.

 

Section IV:      The Board of Directors will serve on the Board instead of receiving a Classroom Support Position.

 

Section V:       Tenure of office will begin with the close of the previous school year and will continue until the end of the elected school year. The duties of the Board are as set forth in the Bylaws; Article V: Officers.

 

Section VI:      The Board of Directors may take a vote via email, however, the vote must be unanimous and all board members must register a vote. If the vote is not unanimous, the motion is rejected.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

ELECTIONS

 

Section I:         A Nomination Committee consisting of one current board member and one non-board member from each class shall be selected at the March parent meeting.

 

Section II:       The Nomination Committee will present a slate of nominees for all Board positions yearly. Nominations will be open from the floor before voting takes place at the April parent meeting. Incoming Firefly families should be contacted to inform them of available Board positions. Any new members interested in one of these positions will be added to the slate of nominees.

 

Section III:      When more than one candidate is running for one specific office, a written ballot will be prepared by the Nomination Committee. A simple majority of the entire membership will rule.

 

ARTICLE X

 

DUTIES OF TEACHERS

 

Section I:         The teachers shall have a signed contract for the school year including terms and hours of work, salary, and conditions of teaching; holidays and provisions for absence; termination of contract; and will maintain them in their files.

 

Section II:       The teachers’ contracts shall be negotiated annually with the Executive Board and finalized before the school year ends.

 

Section III:      The teachers shall be supervised and conduct preschool sessions.

 

Section IV:      The teachers shall plan the preschool program for their group.

 

Section V:       The teachers will attend Bates in-service trainings and all Board and Parent Meetings.                                                                                   

 

 

The Standing Rules of the Burien Cooperative Preschool may be amended in the future by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

 

Last amended on March 8th, 2018.

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