State and Federal Mandated Annual Notifications to Parents:

1. Annual Report Card on Achievement: School Districts must make the District Report Card (compiled by the state)

available to parents, the media, and other interested parties upon request and disseminated in other ways at the District’s

discretion. The Report Card must be attached to the budget for review at the annual budget meeting. (School

Report Card Pamplet)

2. Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act: Written notice must be annually provided to parents, teachers, and employee

organizations of the availability of asbestos management plans, and any current or planned asbestos inspections,

response actions, and post-response actions. (August Newsletter)

3. Attendance: A plain-language summary of the District’s Attendance Policy must be sent to parents at the beginning

of the school year. (Board Policy JE—Calendar/Handbook)

4. Child Nutrition Program: If a district participates in and receives aid for free- or reduced-price lunch programs,

then they are to distribute information regarding the qualifications and participation in such programs to parents at

the beginning of the year. (Board Policy JL-R — Calendar/Handbook)

5. Code of Conduct: A plain-language summary of the Code of Conduct must be sent to all parents. This summary,

along with a copy of the complete code must be made available later, upon request. (Calendar/Handbook)

6. Disclosure of Military: Districts must notify parents of high school students of their right, and the right of their

child, to request that the District not release the child’s name, address, and telephone number to military recruiters

without prior written consent. (Contact Guidance Office with your request.)

7. Access to Student Records and Information (FERPA): Pursuant to the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy

ACT (FERPA), school districts must provide parents/guardians annual notice of their rights to inspect and review

education records, amend education records, consent to disclose personally identifiable information in education records,

and file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. School districts may disclose directory information

if they have given public notice to parents/guardians of what information has been designated as directory information

and when and how parents/guardians may opt-out of allowing the district to disclose directory data. Finally,

under FERPA school districts must provide notice that they may release the name, address, and phone number of

students to military recruiters unless parents opt out.

8. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA): Under HIPPA some districts may be a “covered

entity.” If a District (or person within that school, i.e., the school nurse) is included in the “covered entity” category,

then the District must provide notice of its privacy practices with regard to protected health information. (Calendar/

Handbook)

9. Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Districts must give parents of students identified as having

disabilities with a copy of procedural safeguards. Under the federal Individuals with disabilities Education Act, the

notice must full explain a number of safeguards as specified in law, be in the native language of the parents, and in

plain language.

10. Limited English-Proficient Students: Within 30 days of the start of the school year, parents must be notified if their

child is participating in, or identified as eligible for, a language instruction program for limited English-proficient

students. Parents must be notified within two weeks after placement if the child is placed in such a program after the

beginning of the school year. Parents must be advised of their rights, including their right to decline having their

child enrolled in the program. (Affected Families Only—Notified by Principal’s Office)

11. McKinney Vento Act—Homeless Students: Parents of homeless students and unaccompanied youths must be informed

of their rights and provided contact information for the local homeless children and youth liaison. Such public

notice must be distributed in places where homeless students receive services. In addition, the parent and child

must be informed of their rights including the right to attend the school they previously attended or to attend school

in the District of current location, the right to be enrolled even through the admission requirements have not been

completed and prior student records are not available, and the right to transportation to and from school. This information

must be provided when a homeless child or unaccompanied youth seeks to enroll in the District and at least

twice annually while the child is enrolled. (Done through school offices.)

12. No Child Left Behind Act: Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, reports based on school performance are to

be made available to parents, but the timing of those releases depends on when the state releases the information to

the District. The District should make the following information available once it has been received from the state:

a. Annual Report Card on Achievement: Districts must make the report card (compiled by the state) available to

parents, the media, and other interested parties upon request and disseminated in other ways at the District’s

discretion. The report card must be attached to the budget for review at the annual budget meeting.

(www.bemusptcsd.org and published annually as School Report Card pamphlet)

b. Progress Report on State Objectives: Districts must provide comparisons that reflect the progress that the District

has made in each of the areas on the Annual Report Card.

c. Schools in Need of Improvement: If the District or school within a district has been identified as a school in need

of “improvement,” in “corrective action,” or undergoing “restructuring,” the District must provide parents of each

student with an explanation of what the identification means, how the affected schools compare to others, reasons

for the identification, and the District’s response.

13. Parental Involvement Policy: Districts must distribute a copy of the District’s Parental Involvement Policy to parents

of children participating in programs assisted with Title I funds. (Affected Families Only—Copy of Policy given

at Parent Conference.)

14. Pesticide Application Notice: Written notice must be provided to all students, parents/guardians, and staff at the beginning

of the year telling them that pesticide applications may take place during the school year and offering them

an opportunity to register at least 48 hours prior to such application. This notice must also give the name of the

school representative to contact for further information. (August Newsletter)

15. Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment: The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) requires school districts

to adopt a number of policies regarding surveys, instructional materials, physical examinations, personal information

used for marketing, etc. Parents must be notified of these policies at least annually at the beginning of the

school year and within a reasonable time period after any substantial change is made to the policies. If Districts plan

to use students’ personal information for selling or marketing purposes; administer any survey about any of the eight

topics listed in the statute (political beliefs, income, sex behavior or attitudes, etc.); or, administer certain nonemergency,

invasive physical examinations, Districts must notify parents at least annually at the beginning of the

school year of the specific or approximate dates when these activities are scheduled or expected to be scheduled.

20 U.S.C. Section 1232(h)(c)(2)(B).

16. Staff Qualifications: Schools receiving Title I funds are required to notify parents of their right to request and receive

information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers and teaching assistants.

They also must notify parents any time their children are assigned to or taught for four or more consecutive weeks by

a teacher who is not “highly qualified.” (Affected Families Only—The “Procedural Safeguards” notice is given to

each parent of a child with a disability when the students is referred to the Committee on Special Education [CSE]

and when that student is due for his/her annual review.)

17. Students With Disabilities: Districts must give parents of students identified as having disabilities with a copy of

procedural safeguards. Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the notice must fully explain a

number of safeguards as specified in law, be in the native language of the parents, and in plain language. (Affected

Families Only)

18. Title I Complaint Procedure: The District must provide the parents of those students participating in Title I programs

adequate information about the State Education Department’s written complaint procedures for resolving issues

involving Title I programs. (Affected Families Only-The “Procedural Safeguards” notice is given to each parent

of a child with a disability when the students is referred to the Committee on Special Education [CSE] and when

that student is due for his/her annual review.)

19. Title IX Nondiscrimination: School districts must distribute to both families of students and employees the name

and contact information of the District’s Title IX coordinator. This should be accompanied by a notice that the district

does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, marital status, sex, age, sexual

orientation, or disability in admissions, participation, or employment. The District should also specify the grievance

procedure to be followed if there has been a violation of Title IX. (Board Policy JB –Calendar/Handbook)