All keys issued by the Alhambra Unified School District remain the property of the Alhambra Unified School District and shall not be duplicated, loaned, and/or used by other than the person to whom they are issued.
The criteria for justifying the issuance of keys are a need to enter those rooms or that area in which one's normal duties are performed. The lowest level of entry key shall always be the level of key issued.
The process for issuing keys, assessing the cost of replacing keys and increasing the efficiency and accountability in the management of this operation are established in the following procedures.
For purposes of administering this program, the district's maintenance manager, under supervision of the Director of Facilities Services shall act as the key control officer. The principal at each school and the administrator at each non-school site are responsible for key control and inventory at their respective locations.
1. Implementation:
a. A master record of all keys issued to employees throughout the district shall be maintained at Facilities Services.
b. Each site shall maintain a complete record of keys. An annual inventory of keys shall be sent to Facilities Services.
c. Site staff shall sign for each key issued. A copy of each record of keys maintained at every site shall be sent to Facilities Services.
d. All key requests will be processed by the Facilities Services Locksmith.
e. A district approved key cabinet will be provided for each site. All non-issued keys shall be kept in this cabinet. The cabinet shall remain locked at all times.
f. Each principal / site administrator shall designate a key control person to administer the distribution of keys to site personnel and oversee the collection of keys at the end of the school year.
g. All keys shall be cataloged with an AUSD serial number and a record of who the key or key set was issued to.
h. Each employee will be required to sign a key acceptance form. The form shall include but not be limited to the employee's name and identification number, work location, job classification, issue and return dates, notation of Penal Code 469 as it relates to keys and state owned buildings, and signature agreeing to the AUSD key control policy.
i. Keys issued for short-term use to substitute teachers, substitute custodians, or others shall be returned immediately following the use for which the keys are issued. Persons requesting keys for short term use will be required to sign a short term key acceptance form.
2. Distribution of Keys:
a. Keys for district buildings and properties shall be issued to school district employees only.
b. Keys for district buildings and properties shall not be issued or loaned to students.
c. Site master keys will be issued by Facilities Services to elementary school principals, assistant principals, senior custodians, night custodians, high school principals, assistant principals of business & activities and student services, plant foremen, lead custodians, maintenance mechanics and district tradesmen.
d. Site master or block master keys may be issued by Facilities Services to adult school principals and assistant principals, elementary school office managers, specific program directors, assistant directors, and department managers as needed.
e. Block master keys will be issued by Facilities Services to high school custodians.
f. Classroom, cabinet and rest room keys will be issued to teachers by site designated key control person. A supplemental distribution system may be established for the Adult Education Program.
g. Keys for filing cabinets, desks, wall cabinets, and other non-security areas will be issued to personnel on an as needed basis.
h. As a rule, gate keys will not be issued. A site administrator or program director can request a gate key for an individual and that request may (or may not) be granted on a limited basis pursuant to site-specific responsibilities and needs.
i. Keys for high school athletic areas will not be issued to walk-on coaches who are not district employees. All opening and closing of athletic areas will be done by site custodial staff during regular school and activity hours. Access for events occurring outside of regular hours will be done by site permit and prior arrangements for custodial staffing.
j. All keys requested by other site personnel are to be evaluated and approved by the principal / site administrator and issued by site designated key control person.
k. All keys are to be returned at the end of each school year or if an employee is absent for an extended personal, medical, workers' compensation leave or vacation. An extended leave is considered to be more than two weeks. Winter and spring recess periods are not considered extended leaves. Keys issued to personnel identified in 2.c., d., and e., are to be returned to Facilities Services, keys issued to personnel identified in 2.f. and 2.g. are to be returned to the site designated key control person.
l. All keys are to be returned upon an employee's transfer, resignation, retirement, or termination as indicated in section 2.k.
m. Keys for vendors needing regular access to district grounds and buildings for trash pickups, food deliveries, or other occurrences outside of regular site or department operating hours, shall be coordinated through facilities services. A signed vendor key acceptance form and deposit for all issued keys will be required. The district's key control manager is responsible to recover the keys at the end of the agreement.
n. Keys for construction contractors shall be issued by the district's key control manager upon receiving the request in writing from the district's construction office or designated project manager. Contractors shall return keys to the district's key control manager at the end of the job and before final payment is made.
o. As a matter of policy, keys shall not be distributed for civic center use of district grounds and buildings. However, in extreme circumstances or joint use agreements that would warrant issuance of keys, such keys shall be coordinated through the Risk Management Department and the district key control officer. A signed key acceptance form and deposit for all issued keys will be required. The Risk Management Department is responsible to recover the keys at the end of the civic center use.
p. Principals / site administrators shall not allow any installation of locks by staff or outside contractors at their sites unless written permission is obtained from the district key control officer in advance.
3. Responsibility:
a. Employees are fully responsible for all keys issued to them.
b. All lost or stolen keys are to be reported to the district principal / site administrator and district key control officer immediately.
c. All keys are to be returned to either Facilities Services or designated site key control person upon an employee's transfer before new keys can be issued for their next work location.
d. District keys should not be left unattended, in a desk drawer, mail box, vehicle, or any other location that may be subject to theft or unauthorized use.
e. Each principal / site administrator shall be personally responsible for the issuance, security, and return of all keys pertaining to his or her site for the duration of their assignment at that site. The principal / site administrator may delegate the site process of key issuance, record keeping, and return, but not the responsibility.
f. Each principal / site administrator is responsible for coordinating keys returned to the office for complete inventory at the end of each school year. Keys are to be turned in to the designated site key control person on the last working day specified by the contract / agreement.
g. Penal Code 469 states: "Any person who knowingly makes, duplicates, causes to be duplicated, or uses, or attempts to make, duplicate, cause to be duplicated, or use, or has in his possession any key to a building or other area owned, operated, or controlled by the State of California, any state agency, board, or commission, a county, city, or any public school or community college district without authorization from the person in charge of such building or area or his designated representative and with knowledge of the lack of such authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor".
h. The AUSD key acceptance form shall be signed by all employees when keys are issued. The form will include a section informing employees that all keys issued to them must be returned to either facilities services or the designated site key control person upon their resignation, retirement, or termination before they can receive their final pay warrant.
i. A fee shall be charged for all lost keys to partially reimburse the district for the cost of replacement and re-keying. The amount is to be determined. A fee will not be charged for any stolen keys if theft is verified by a police report.
j. Any worn or broken keys should not be discarded but are to be returned to the district locksmith. Replacement of broken or unusable keys will occur only upon return of the damaged key and a replacement requisition.
Regulation ALHAMBRA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
approved: August 29, 2006 Alhambra, California