School business managers are in the unique position of supervising the areas of the operation that present the greatest opportunities for legal issues to arise. New construction and renovation projects are strewn with legal land mines. The possibility of lawsuits hovers like a black cloud over personnel issues. Opportunities for transportation or…

Communication through technology occupies an increasingly greater role in people's lives, whether by way of cell phones and other handheld communication devices, such as Blackberries and iPods, or Internet access using computers. Not surprisingly, students and young adults have devised unanticipated applications for technology that raise…

In the midst of growing controversy over the limits of student expression on the Internet, a federal trial court in Pennsylvania addressed the extent to which education officials can restrict the ability of student teachers and, by extension, teachers and other school employees, to exercise their rights to free speech on Internet social networking…

School business officials and other education leaders worry now more than ever about facing legal battles. Maybe today's parents are more likely to run to the lawyer's office. Or maybe they simply expect everything to be a certain way--their way. Regardless, the result is the same: today's school leaders are likely to find themselves having to…

Describes the use of video surveillance for school security, includes when to use video cameras, the features of video cameras, reasons not to use video surveillance, and legal issues. (PKP)

Two constantly appearing claims in most playground accident suits are improper supervision and lack of warning to the users. This article discusses legal implications of improper signage, explains use of symbols, and presents general sign guidelines to ensure proper safety measures. (MLH)

Field trips are troublesome for educators, because normal responsibilities may be exacerbated by supervision and transportation requirements. Forms should be very comprehensive as to field-trip description, objectives, provisions, special instructions to students, and liability-release statements. Emergency preparedness and specific supervision…

Failure to prevent indoor air quality problems or act promptly can result in increased chances for long- or short-term health problems for staff and students, reduced productivity, faster plant deterioration, and strained school-community relations. Basic pollution control measures include source management, local exhausts, ventilation, exposure…

Provides tips for decreasing liability, containing costs, and promoting smooth operation of special education transportation. Schools need to review wheelchair transportation procedures, length of bus rides, arrival times, integration of special needs students on regular routes, driver training documentation, record keeping, transportation, staff…

Schools cannot eliminate all risks but can manage them so they minimally affect the "bottom line." A sound risk-management program has four categories: risk avoidance, control, transfer, and retention. Schools retain some risk in situations when insurance is unavailable, costs are negligible, or loss probabilities are remote. (MLH)

Although athletic events generate their share of negligence lawsuits, the relatively small number, compared with other education areas, suggests that defenses (like assumption or risk and contributory negligence) have a better fit in athletics. Implications of newer litigation trends involving coaches' misconduct and interpretation of state…

This article presents an analysis of six major issues involved in ASBO's resolution opposing mandatory Social Security: fiscal implications for taxpayers; impact on the economy; mandatory coverage as a solution; patriotism as an issue; promises violated by Social Security; and the legal issues of mandatory coverage. (Author/MLF)

Shows school business officials how to detect and avoid bid rigging, price fixing, and other types of unlawful collusion prohibited by the Sherman Antitrust Act. School administrators should expand the list of bidders, consolidate purchases as a defensive tactic, consider reletting the contract in tie-bid situations, recognize the elements of…

E-mail has created friction between school districts' proprietary needs and employees' privacy rights. This article examines e-mail law (constitutional, statutory, and common) and issues (employer monitoring, discover problems, admissibility, and attorney-client privilege) and provides policy guidelines. The 1996 Communications Decency Act,…

The most overlooked facet of school construction is the dovetailing of permanent construction insurance and technology construction insurance. Advice is provided about technology and technology purchases, highlighting problems associated with costs, copyright infringements, delivery delays, electrical wiring, hardware, student records, vendors,…