Media Guidelines
The Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD) understands and values the important role of the media in sharing information about our public schools and education system. The media provides an additional avenue for important NVUSD information to reach stakeholders, especially our families and larger community. While the media does not partner with the NVUSD—and we respect the importance of its independence—it complements NVUSD’s efforts to be transparent by helping ensure accurate information about policies, programs, funding, and challenges reaches a broad audience. Reasonable and responsible access supports transparency, builds public trust, and promotes accountability, enabling stakeholders to stay informed and engaged in the work of supporting student success.
These guidelines are being provided to help facilitate reasonable and responsible access for media in our district. For these guidelines, "media" refers to organizations with a consistent publication/broadcast schedule, a defined audience, and established journalistic practices.
Core Principles
Student safety and privacy come first
Schools must comply with FERPA, other important state and federal laws, and district policies promoting student safety and protecting student records and personally identifiable information.
Media have no automatic right of access to campuses or students
NVUSD’s public school campuses are not public forums during the instructional day. Access is permitted only with school or district approval following visitor registration rules and protocols. Specific protocols for media are set forth below.
Consistency and central coordination are critical
Media interactions must be coordinated through the NVUSD Communications Office.
Procedures for Media
To ensure efficient and effective collaboration, we ask members of the media to adhere to the following procedures:
Prior Clearance
All media visits to NVUSD campuses during the school day must be coordinated and approved by the NVUSD Communications Office. This allows us to schedule interviews with district leaders, limit distractions to learning, and verify necessary student media releases.
Check-In Procedures
After coordination with the NVUSD communications team and upon arrival, media representatives must check in at the school's front office and must wear a visitor badge and be escorted by NVUSD staff throughout their visit.
Detailed Inquiries
To expedite interview and footage requests, please provide specific details regarding the information needed, desired interviewees, and planned footage. Please also share your deadline.
Filming and Photography
When media is brought into NVUSD’s nonpublic spaces, media may only film or photograph approved individuals with proper consent.
Submission of Requests
All media inquiries and requests should be submitted to the Communications Office via email at
