May 21, 2013

Policies

 
Interscholastic Eligibility Requirements

Taking medications at school

District harassment policy

Notifications

Asbestos Management Plan
Middleburgh Central School District maintains an Asbestos Management Plan. It is available for review in the Business Office, which is now located at 168 Main St., Middleburgh. Annual notification of the plan is included in the back-to-school district newsletter.

Attendance Policy
An attendance policy for each Middleburgh school can be found in the applicable school’s student handbook. Student handbooks are distributed at the start of each school year.

Code of Conduct
The Middleburgh Code of Conduct applies to all students, school personnel, parents, and visitors when on school
property – including school buses and other school-owned vehicles – or when attending a school-sponsored function. Information on the Code of Conduct is shared with students at the beginning of every school
year. To view the complete Code of Conduct, refer to your child’s student handbook; read or download it here (PDF); or contact your child’s school principal.

FERPA: Access to Student Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students over 18 years of age and parents certain rights with respect to students’ education records. They may arrange an appointment to review official records relating to them, including: progress reports, grades, aptitude and achievement test scores, psychological tests,
and teacher evaluations. Appropriate school personnel must be present at the time of inspection to prevent any misinterpretation of the records. If you would like to review your or your student’s record, please contact the
school at 827-3600 for an appointment.

Homeless Students
Homeless students and unaccompanied youths have the right to: attend the school they previously attended or to attend school in the district of current location; be enrolled even though the admission requirements have not been completed and prior student records are not available; transportation to and from school. For more information, please contact Maura Green, the homeless children and youth liaison, at 827-3681.

Nondiscrimination Policy
It is the policy of MCS not to discriminate on the basis of sex, handicap, race, color, national origin, or age in its educational programs, activities, or employment, in accordance with Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For more information on this policy, contact Title IX Coordinator Amy Lennon at 827-3677.

Pesticide Notification
Under state law, MCS must notify the public that pesticide products may be used in school buildings throughout the year. Parents, guardians, and staff may request a 48-hour-advanced, written notification that includes the date and place where pesticide will be used, the EPA registration number, and who to contact for more information. To make a request, call 827-3620.

PPRA: Student Privacy
The FERPA Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding district surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. Parents may exercise their right to excuse their child from participating in any survey created by a third party (before it is distributed to
students) and questionnaires intended to collect personal information from students for marketing purposes.

Release of Student Directory Information
From time to time, student directory information (e.g., name, grade, photo, awards, activities) depicting activities in MCS is released for use in district publications, on the district Web site, or by the media. Parents who object to the release of their child’s directory information and/or photograph should notify both the superintendent
and their child’s building principal in writing on or before October 15 each school year.

Release of Information to Military Recruiters
Legislation generally requires school districts receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to give military recruiters the same access to secondary school students as they provide to post-secondary institutions or to prospective employers. Schools are also generally required to provide students’ names, addresses, and telephone listings to military recruiters, when requested. If you would prefer that your child’s information not be released, contact the Middleburgh High School Counseling Center. You can download and complete this form (PDF).

Special Education, Maintenance of Records
MCS has an obligation to evaluate, with parental consent, and to offer a free and appropriate public education to those students with disabilities who are residents of the district and who require specialized instruction and/or other special accommodations to access MCS educational services and programs. In compliance with Public Law 94-192, MCS maintains in each of its schools programs for students who have been identified as having a disability.
Contact your child’s school principal to discuss whether a referral to the Committee on Special Education or the 504 team is appropriate. The confidential records of students with disabilities are kept at the district office. CSE designates, in writing, school personnel who have access to these records.
A child’s records are always available for review by the child’s parents/guardian. If you have questions about this, call 827-3681.

Staff Qualifications: Parents’ Right to Know
In accordance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, parents/guardians have the right to request information about the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers. This includes whether the teacher has state certification for the classes being taught; the teacher’s bachelor’s degree major and
any other certifications or degrees by field or discipline; and whether the child is provided services by instructional aides or similar paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications. To obtain this information,
call Greg Beall at 827-3625.

State Survey of Students BMI
New York State requires schools to track each student’s Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight status category as part of school health examinations. Every year, the NYS Department of Health will survey some schools for the number of pupils in each of six possible weight status categories. If MCS is surveyed by the state, the district will
share summary group data only and will not share individual names or information. Parents who wish to exclude their child’s data from such group calculations must contact the child’s school nurse.