School Policies

In accordance with Ministry of Education policy, @KOOL can purchase certain education-related resources for parents. The following can be found on the Ministry Policy Site for Distributed Learning.

If the public board or authority uses a third party to provide educational services, materials, or resources to Learners, the board or authority will:

• Ensure that the educational services, materials, resources are part of the educational program supervised by an employee of the Board of Education who is a member of the British Columbia College of Teachers, and
• Pay the third party directly and not the Parent, Learner or any other person.

The public board or authority may not provide financial payments or reimbursements to Learners or their Parents, nor may they use any amount of money budgeted to support an educational program as an incentive to have a Learner enrol in a Distributed Learning educational program or course.

The public board or authority may provide financial assistance to Learners or their Parents for a portion of the Family’s Internet connection fees ONLY if the Learner requires an Internet connection to participate in an educational program delivered in whole or in part through Distributed Learning.

In response to this policy, @KOOL – Kamloops Open Online Learning will abide by the following administrative guidelines:

@KOOL will endeavor to provide all necessary services related to the educational needs of its students. We recognize that depending on a student’s individual set of circumstances, the use of the services provided by a third party may be necessary. In such circumstances, the use of third party educational services will be contracted once the following conditions have been met:

• Third party billing is available only to Elementary students who are enrolled full-time with @KOOL, and to Secondary students who are active in at least four courses.
• The student and parent(s) meet with their teacher (K-9) or Academic Advisor (10-12)  to review the educational goals of the student. The student, parent and teacher will collaborate to assess the educational needs of the student to determine whether or not a course or educational services beyond @KOOL’s course offerings is warranted.
• The teacher will meet with the principal to discuss the student’s needs and to explore options for the student. Where possible, @KOOL will recommend that the student acquire the educational services from a local school within the district.
• In the event that the student is unable to acquire the necessary services from a local school, the student and parent may negotiate with the principal as to a third party educational service provider. Depending on the services sought, the principal will determine the portion of costs of the services that will be covered by @KOOL.
• If the services sought are supplementary to an existing @KOOL course (such as Physical Education or an Elementary subject area), the student and parent must meet with their teacher (K-9) or Academic Advisor (10-12) to negotiate the degree to which the third party service meets the prescribed learning outcomes for that course. In such cases, @KOOL will fund a portion of the costs of the third party service acquired relative to the degree to which the service meets the prescribed learning outcomes as agreed upon by the teacher, student, and parent. @KOOL will be billed for its portion of the cost, as approved by the principal.
• In circumstances where a student or parent suggest that there is a need to purchase materials, resources, or supplies to support the student’s educational program, the student and parent will meet with their teacher (K-9) or Academic Advisor (10-12)  to discuss the need in relation to the learning outcomes of the course. In cases where the acquisition of materials, resources, or supplies is warranted, the teacher will consult with the principal for approval. Materials, resources or supplies purchased will become the property of the @KOOL and will be allocated on a loan basis.