District+Notifications

=Notifications=

PUBLIC NOTICE: CONDITIONS FOR DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTORY INFORMATION FOR THE HOPKINTON SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Hopkinton School District designates the following personally identifiable information contained in a student’s education record as “directory information”. The student’s name; The names of the student’s parents; The student’s town of residence; The student’s date of birth; The student’s class designation (e.g., 1st grade, 10th grade) The student’s extracurricular participation; Achievement awards or honors; Weight and height of members of athletic teams; The student’s photograph; The school or school district the student attended before s/he enrolled in the Hopkinton School District.

Directory information is that which can be released without approval. Parents or eligible students must notify school officials in writing if they do not wish any of this information designated as directory information no later than October 1, 2011.

USDA and the National School Lunch Program
The United States Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination in the administration of its programs. To file a complaint, write to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s educational records. These rights are:

The right to inspect and review the student’s educational records within 45 days of the day the school receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal (or appropriate school official) a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

The right to request the amendment of the student’s educational records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the school to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal (or appropriate official), clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the school has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the school to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20202-4605.

Notice to students and school employees concerning asbestos containing materials
The Environmental Protection Agency requires on an annual basis for schools to notify students and staff members whether asbestos containing materials are present in their school facilities. In an effort to ensure that all asbestos materials within our schools are both identified and safe, the district conducts required three-year AHERA asbestos re-inspections, as well as six month interim inspections on an ongoing basis. Two of our schools, the Maple Street School and the Hopkinton High School, do contain safely encapsulated asbestos containing materials. There are no materials containing asbestos at the Harold Martin School. The district has been able to confirm in all cases that existing asbestos containing materials are safely encapsulated. A copy of the Three Year AHERA Re-inspection Report for Maple Street School and Hopkinton High School are available in the MSS and HHS main offices.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION
Applicants for admission and employment, students, parents, employees, sources of referral of applicants for admission and employment, and all unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with the school district are hereby notified that this district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or handicap in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the school district’s compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or Section 504 is directed to contact:

The Director of Student Services Hopkinton School District, SAU 66 204 Maple Street Contoocook, NH 03229

This official of the district has been designated by the school district to coordinate the district’s compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

GLOSSARY TITLE VI: Civil Rights Act of 1964 TITLE IX: Amendment (1972) to Civil Rights Act of 1964 ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act Section 504: Rehabilitation Act of 1973

ABUSE AND NEGLECT
All school personnel have a moral and legal obligation to report any suspicion of child abuse and neglect. Failure to comply with the New Hampshire law can result in legal action against the staff members involved. The Department of Children and Youth Services (DCYS) has trained professionals to investigate the reported suspicion (if warranted). School personnel are not trained to investigate and are not involved in the process. Their duty is to report, not to determine the validity of the suspicion.

The procedure for reporting suspicion of abuse and/or neglect is through the administration. If a staff member has a concern, he/she may discuss it with the school nurse, guidance counselor, and/or directly with the principal. If staff members feel that a suspicion exists, he/she must request that the principal report the suspicion to DCYS. The principal will make every effort to contact the parents to notify them that a report is being made. There will be circumstances when DCYS prefers that families are not informed of the report. One example is when the child’s safety would be gravely compromised. When notified, parents are encouraged to come to school to make the phone call to DCYS with the principal.

The intake worker at DCYS can inform the parents what will happen next and answer any questions or concerns. All reports are addressed individually. Not all reports warrant investigation, but that decision rests with DCYS. Reporting a suspicion of abuse and/or neglect is a painful process for all involved. It is a decision that is taken very seriously. If there are problems and stresses in the family, both the school and DCYS are ready to help the family and provide support services. The top priority is to enable children to remain safely in their homes with their families.