Elementary School Parent Handbook
Important School District 
Policies and Information

• AIDS in the Schools
• Drug and Alcohol Policy
• Policy Against Improper Sexual Treatment
• Student Records
• Student Rights and Responsibilities
• Terroristic Threats/Acts Policy
• Weapons Ban Policy
• Miscellaneous
• Family Education Trips Policy

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GUIDELINES FOR DEALING WITH AIDS IN THE SCHOOLS

On the basis of presently available medical information, the Mifflin County School District will use the following guidelines and definitions. The terms "infected student," "infected school employee," and "infected individual" are used in these guidelines to apply both to persons who have been diagnosed as having AIDS and to persons who are "asymptomatic carriers"; that is, those who have been infected by the AIDS virus and are capable of transmitting it but who have not developed any of the symptoms of AIDS. These individuals may be HIV positive (asymptomatic carriers), or have AIDS.

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DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY

1. OBJECTIVE
   It is the intent of the School District to prevent misuse and abuse of restrictive drug and alcoholic substances, including inhalants of any kind, within the District and to provide positive behavioral alternatives to drug and alcohol-influenced lifestyles. The policy is not restricted to prohibition. A basic tenet, however, is that the sale, use, possession, or transfer of, or being under the influence of, alcohol, narcotics, hallucinogens, inhalants, or restrictive drugs by students on school property or at school-sponsored activities anywhere is a violation of the law Act 211 of 1990 and this policy.
   
2. PROVISIONS
   1. Responsibilities of the Student
      1. The student is expected to be knowledgeable of existing Drug and Alcohol Policy.
      2. The student shall be aware of the availability of counseling and support systems provided for by the District, directly or indirectly, for himself/herself or friends.
      3. The student shall be aware of the right to confidentiality when assistance is sought voluntarily for drug problems and prior to getting into trouble at school. This right includes the withholding of any information about the situation and its treatment from any persons, including parents, unless authorization is granted by the student.
   2. Responsibilities of the School District
      1. Education
         1. The District will educate its students, staff and administration about student's rights to confidential counseling and to the procedures listed below should intervention be required.
         2. The District has developed a curriculum in the areas of health and living that provides students with affirmation of the value of the healthy human relationships and specifically instructing students against the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco in all grades pursuant to Section 1547 of Act 211.
      2. Intervention
         1. An emergency situation related to drug use shall be recognized and treated as a medical emergency. All standard medical emergency procedures shall be followed and parents/guardians will be immediately notified of the emergency.
         2. Any incident of actual or suspected violation of the policy will be reported to the Principal or other person in charge by the person observing such use, possession or a student suspected of being under the apparent influence of drugs or alcohol.
         3. The Principal will immediately report details of the incident to his/her direct supervisor, who in turn, will immediately report the incident to the District Superintendent.
         4. Any student who violates the Mifflin County School District's Drug and Alcohol or Medication Policy automatically waives any right to confidentiality.
         5. If the Principal or other person in charge believes the policy of the School District has been violated, he/she will conduct a preliminary hearing for the student telling the student that this is what you did and you are going to be disciplined thusly. The Principal or other person in charge will allow the student to comment or give his/her side of the story. After the preliminary hearing is held and the Principal or other person in charge believes the policy was violated an out-of-school suspension will be ordered.
         6. If necessary, an informal hearing will be held for the student and the Principal, parents, student and a representative of the Superintendent will be invited to attend.
         7. Pending the outcome of the informal hearing, a formal hearing before a student hearing committee appointed by the Board of School Directors within ten (10) school days will be held.
      3. Rehabilitation and Support
         1. It shall be the responsibility of the District to participate in the ongoing development of programs offering counseling, support and discipline in behalf of the students. Students will be directed by the Board of Directors or administration to undergo evaluation, counseling, rehabilitation or therapy. This process begins by referral of the student to the Student Assistance Team for an evaluation by a drug and alcohol counselor. The student may be directed to receive counseling and rehabilitation outside of the District, and at the expense of the parents, as a condition for readmission to school. Noncompliance with Board directives will result in expulsion from school until conditions are met pursuant to Chapter 12, Student Rights and Responsibilities, and Individuals with Disabilities Act (I.D.E.A.).
         2. One requirement may be a drug test at the expense of the parents before the student is readmitted.
         3. A student voluntarily seeking support is not subject to disciplinary action unless previous charges have been filed.
      4. Fining Policy: Drugs and Alcohol
         This violation is Level 3 misconduct which requires an automatic hearing before the School Board and a referral to the Student Assistance Program for evaluation.
      5. Detection of Controlled Substances
         1. Philosophy
            1. Since the use of controlled substances has been a problem in the School District and is a real and present danger to young people, the Board of School Directors hereby implements the following program to assist school personnel in the detection of controlled substances.
               1. The detection program shall be under the control and supervision of the District Superintendent and his/her designees including the building Principal.
               2.  Detection may result from information received from other students, teachers, other employees and citizens of the community.
               3. Detection may result from a general inspection of school premises by the Superintendent or his/her designees, which may include the utilization of trained dogs.
               4. Guidelines for use of trained dogs are:
                  1. Use of trained dogs will be under the control of the Administration. The dogs and handler will be accompanied by an administrator and one (1) other employee. The dog handler will provide the District with a rider on his/her insurance policy to indemnify the District in the event of any liability arising from the use of trained dogs.
                  2. Trained dogs may be used on all School District property at the discretion of the administration. The administration shall inspect school lockers and parking lots. Individual school desks and other areas may be inspected as well.
                  3. Inspections will be unannounced.

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POLICY AGAINST IMPROPER SEXUAL TREATMENT

1. Purposes
   This policy memorandum defines improper sexual treatment, establishes policy to prohibit improper sexual treatment of employees or students, and establishes policy for dealing with it should it occur.
2. Definitions
   1. Sexually related criminal acts -- includes crimes such as rape, sexually related assault and battery, pandering and sodomy. This category is the severest form of improper sexual treatment and will be dealt with swiftly and fairly under the law.
   2. Sexual discrimination -- includes acts of preferential treatment and failure to provide equal opportunity. Examples are giving rewards, grades, punishments, jobs and promotions based on sex or sexual favors rather than on job performance and merit.
   3. Sexual harassment -- includes unwelcome, sexually related, obscene or suggestive language, gestures, coercion, humiliation, embarrassment, and physical contact.
      
      This category is complicated by a wide range of opinion as to what is or is not acceptable. That range may be based on variables such as home environment, ethnic and racial custom, and life experiences. Actions and words acceptable in one environment may be unacceptable in another.
3. Policy to Prohibit
   1. Mifflin County School District policy is to prohibit improper sexual treatment of any employee or student. This policy relates to the school’s equal employment opportunity policy to recruit, employ, retain and promote employees without regard to sex, handicap, age, race, color, religion, national origin, or ethnic background. The school will investigate promptly and confidentially to determine whether allegations are based on fact and will take appropriate disciplinary and/or corrective action based on the investigative findings and existing statute and regulations.
   2. Mifflin County School District affirms its commitment to respect of the individual and to an environment free of sexual misconduct. Such misconduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. Ultimately, it affects the organization’s mission and will not be condoned.
   3. Any member of the school community engaging in improper sexual treatment is violating policy.
   4. Any member of the school community who interferes with or takes action against an individual who reports improper sexual treatment is violating policy.
   5. The burden of substantiating an allegation of sexual mistreatment rests with the charging party.
   6. The school administration will remedy substantiated instances of sexual mistreatment.
4. Types of Harassment
   1. Verbal -- probably the most prevalent form.
      1. Ranges from "Hey, baby" through whistles and catcalls to sexually oriented jokes and stories.
      2. Profanity -- usually degrading terms. Most refer to specific sexual acts or a person's anatomy or gender -- usually female.
      3. Individuals calling other persons "Honey", "Sweetie", or by their first names while referring to others by a title (e.g., Mr., Ms.).
      4. Individuals turning professional business conversations with others into unsolicited personal chats with sexual overtones.
      5. Persons openly soliciting sexual favors.
      6. Persons, especially those in supervisory positions, questioning other persons about their personal lives regarding sex.
      7. Persons wearing T-shirts bearing sexual messages.
      8. Medical facilities which require patients to describe medical problems with earshot of persons of the opposite sex.
   2. Physical
      1. A person putting his arm around another person’s shoulder or waist.
      2. A person kissing or pinching or patting another person.
      3. A person grabbing another by the arm and pulling them into a sitting position on his/her lap.
   3. Indecent actions and gestures
      1. Men lowering trousers to tuck in shirts in the presence of women.
      2. Persons "accidentally" walking into rest rooms of the opposite sex.
   4. Coercion
      1. Coercion is the use of one's official position to coerce sexual favors. Depending on the severity of the abuse, the offense can range from harassment, through discrimination to sexually related criminal acts.
5. Responsibilities -- Employee Complaint
   1. Each person at level of first line supervisor or higher is responsible within his/her area of responsibility for the dissemination of the school's policy on improper sexual treatment and for informing employees of procedures for lodging complaints.
   2. Any employee having a complaint that he/she received improper sexual treatment should immediately notify his/her supervisor and/or the discrimination officer. The complaint must be filed within fifteen (15) working days of the occurrence. It need not be a written complaint.
   3. The discrimination officer will conduct an informal, confidential investigation and attempt to resolve the complaint within twenty (20) days of its being filed.
   4. In the event the informal complaint cannot be resolved at the supervisor level, the director will forward it to the discrimination officer who will review the complaint and conduct an informal confidential investigation, discuss the findings with the supervisor and attempt to resolve the complaint within five (5) working days of his receipt of the complaint or within twenty (20) working days of the original filing of the complaint, whichever date is later.
   5. In the event the informal complaint of sexual harassment cannot be resolved at the level of the discrimination officer, the employee may immediately file a written, signed complaint to the Superintendent requesting that the Superintendent appoint a panel of three (3) disinterested persons to hear the complaint.

INDICATIONS OF CRIMINAL ACT: If at any time an investigator perceives that the complaint may indicate a criminal act (e.g., rape, child molesting) he/she must report it immediately to the Superintendent or the Superintendent's representative, who will then notify the appropriate authorities.

Sex Discrimination

The U.S. Congress has outlawed discrimination by sex in all school districts which accept Federal funds. Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 forbids school personnel from treating students of one sex differently than students of the other sex.

Under the law, school personnel are not allowed to:

1. apply different disciplinary rules or enforce them differently on the basis of sex.
2. apply different rules about physical appearance to male and female students.
3. refuse to allow a student to take part in a class or activity because she is pregnant. (The student may volunteer to take a special program of comparable quality to her regular program.)
4. refuse to allow any absence because of pregnancy or refuse to allow a student to return to the same grade level she was in when she left school.
5. provide separate classes or activities, or deny students the right to enroll in a class on account of sex, with these exceptions:
   • - Separate classes for sex education are allowed.
   • - Students may be separated by sex in physical education classes for participation in contact sports (football, basketball, and wrestling).
   • - Students may be separated in physical education classes on the basis of physical ability as long as ability requirements are the same for both sexes.
   • - Schools may have separate male-female teams for contact sports and team sports in which students are selected on the basis of skills. However, members of both sexes must be allowed to try out for a non-contact sport if there is only one team even though members of one sex were limited from participation on it in the past.

Title IX also prohibits sexual harassment of students by school employees, other students, or third parties. Pupils who believe that they have been sexually harassed should report their concerns to a teacher, a guidance counselor, or the school Principal. Parents should contact the school if they believe that their child has been sexually harassed.

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STUDENT RECORDS

The Mifflin County School District maintains a system of student records from kindergarten or entrance grade level through graduation or withdrawal.

Many records are required by state law: others deal with cumulative data that assist the staff in making judgments about student’s performance, ability, aptitude, and progress.

To protect the privacy of the students and their families, the School Board has established a policy and guidelines relating to the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of student records.

Policy and Procedures for Access for Student Records and Enrollment Information

1. All requests for access to student education records and student enrollment information shall be made in writing to the student’s Principal.
2. No information on student records or student enrollment will be given over the telephone. Requesters of student education records or student enrollment information who have complied with the written request policy are encouraged to come to the student’s school to retrieve information.
3.  Student education records and enrollment information will be provided to both natural parents unless a bona fide court order, decree or other legally binding document is presented within the specified time to the School Principal by the parent seeking to deny access.
4. A nominal fee for photocopying of student education records will be charged by the Mifflin County School District.
5. The Mifflin County School District will comply with the forty-five (45) day and thirty (30) day time-frames for requests for student education records and enrollment information.
6. In cases of domestic violence, the Mifflin County School District will follow the policy and procedures specified for divorced and separated parents contained in this document.
7. In cases in which the child is known to be in the custody of a legal guardian or of an agency of a court, the guardian or agency shall be notified promptly of all requests and given not more than twenty (20) days in which to present an order of court prohibiting such release of information.
8. A list of all persons, other than authorized school officials and the student’s parents, who have requested or obtained access to personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records or special education records will be maintained by the Mifflin County School District. This list will include the name of the requestor, a copy of the written request, address of the requestor and date when access was given. This list will be made available to parents, or where appropriate, legal guardians and/or custodial agencies, upon written request.

Types of Records

Data may be collected for school records according to the three classifications below:

"A" Data
This data is basic and personal data necessary for the operation of the school system. This data, placed in the permanent record includes date of birth, attendance record, achievement testing, academic grades, etc.

"B" Data
This data, usually placed in a cumulative record, is used by the Principal and guidance counselor to evaluate a student's development, and assist the student as much as possible. This type of data consists of aptitude testing, personality testing and assessment, psychological evaluations, health data, family background information, etc.

"C" Data
Category "C" data refers to unverified data with immediate or potential use. This data will not be made a part of the student's permanent or cumulative file. This data will be reviewed annually, and destroyed if it is of no further use.

If any of this classification of data is to be held for more than one year, parents will be told why, and will have the right to challenge the decision to maintain such data.

The Right to Challenge the Contents of Records

Parents who believe the information in the educational records is inaccurate or misleading, or violates the individual or family right to privacy may request that school officials amend the records.

If school officials decide not to amend the records, they will notify the parents and advise them to their right of a hearing.

Such a hearing, conducted under School District procedures, will provide the parents with an opportunity to present information and challenge the content of the records.

If the result of the hearing concludes that the records may be maintained as such, the parents will be given an opportunity to place a statement in the student's file commenting on their rationale for disagreeing with the information in the record.

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STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Mifflin County School District's policy on student rights is essentially the same as the Pennsylvania State Board of Education's regulations governing Student Rights and Responsibilities. For every right, there is a corresponding responsibility. Pupils have an obligation to learn the rights accorded them by statute, regulation, court decisions and policy. Likewise, knowledge of the responsibilities associated with each right is essential.

Highlights of Student Rights and Responsibilities are included in this handbook for parents' information. Although these rights and responsibilities apply to all students who attend the Mifflin County schools, they are not a great issue at the elementary level. Elementary teachers work closely with our younger students in helping them understand, interpret, and develop proper concepts related to these matters.

Religion

Your Right: The school may not interfere with your right to observe any religion, or none at all if you wish, by requiring, establishing or conducting religious exercises for you.

Your Responsibility: You have the responsibility to respect the religious beliefs and observances of others.

Speech and Expression

Your Right: You have the right to express your views; either orally or symbolically (through buttons, armbands, symbols on clothing, political salutes, etc.) however unpopular or critical of school or governmental policy they may be.

Your Responsibility: When expressing yourself, you must do so in a manner that does not "materially or substantially" disrupt the operation of the school. You may not, in expressing yourself, violate another person's rights, encourage unlawful activity, or cause a threat of immediate harm to the welfare of the school or community.

Flag Salute and Pledge of Allegiance

Your Right: You may not be forced to take part in the salute to the Flag or Pledge of Allegiance if doing so violates your beliefs or values.

Your Responsibility: If you refuse to participate in the salute to the Flag or Pledge of Allegiance, you may not disrupt the activity of others who choose to do so.

Suspension

Your Right: Before you may be suspended from school or class for ten (10) days or less, the Principal or Assistant Principal must:

1. Tell you orally or in writing what rule you have broken. This phase of the suspension process is called the Preliminary Hearing.
2. Explain to you, if you deny you broke the rule, regulation or policy, why the Principal or Assistant Principal believes you did break the rule, regulation or policy.
3. Give you a chance to tell your version of what happened.
4. Notify you, your parent(s), guardian(s) or person(s) in parental standing and the Superintendent of the District, immediately in writing of the suspension and the reason for it.
5. When ordering a suspension of four (4) to ten (10) days, offer to schedule an Informal Hearing, to be held at the school within the first five days of suspension.
   1. The student, his/her parent, guardian or person in parental standing, and any other person invited by the pupil, will be invited to meet to discuss the incident with school officials. Evidence on behalf of the student may be presented. The student may speak, present witnesses and question witnesses, and may be represented by an attorney.
   2. At the conclusion of the Informal Hearing, the Principal or Assistant Principal will decide what additional discipline, if any, will be applied.
   3. After the Informal Hearing the Principal or Assistant Principal may continue the suspension from school or class for an additional period up to a total of ten (10) days.
   4. The Principal or Assistant Principal may not, except in special cases, suspend a pupil for more than ten (10) consecutive school days.
      
6. In the event that you receive an in-school suspension, the following rules shall apply:
   1. You may not receive an in-school suspension unless you have been informed of the reasons for the suspension and you have been given an opportunity to respond before the suspension becomes effective.
   2. Following the initiation of the suspension action the Principal or Assistant Principal shall communicate that action to the student's parent(s), guardian(s) or person(s) in parental standing.
   3. An in-school suspension may exceed ten (10) consecutive school days. If it does, an Informal Hearing with the Principal will be offered to you and your parent(s), guardian(s) or person(s) in parental standing before the eleventh (11th) day of suspension. The Informal Hearing will be carried out in the same manner as that offered in the event of suspension from school.
   4. Some provision will be made for your education during the period of in-school suspension.
        

7. Suspended pupils have the right to make up school work without penalty, and the responsibility to do so, upon returning to school. Generally, a pupil is given one day for each day of absence to complete back work. It is the responsibility of the pupil to contact teachers to secure back work and to comply with time limits on completion of work.
    

8. When suspended from school, a pupil is prohibited from participating in, being a spectator of, or attending any after school activity on School District property, including scheduled events held at another school. Suspension is in effect 24 hours and the ban on activities is a part of the suspension. Suspension may include a prohibition against attendance at Baccalaureate and/or Commencement.

Your Responsibility: Pupils are responsible for knowing the rules, regulations and policies of the school and School District. Ignorance of school rules, regulations, policies and expectations is not a defense when one of these is violated. Pupils who want clarification of rules, regulations, policies or expectations should direct their inquiries to the teacher, Assistant Principal, or Principal. When a rule, regulation, or policy is broken, pupils have the responsibility of accepting reasonable and fair discipline meted out by school officials.

Expulsion

Expulsion from school is the most severe form of discipline which may be imposed upon a pupil. Patently, expulsion removes the right of a pupil to attend school in the District. Only the Board of School Directors may expel, and only after a Formal Hearing is held before the Board of School Directors, a Board Committee or a Hearing Examiner appointed by the School Board. In instances where a hearing is conducted by a Board Committee or a Hearing Examiner, a majority vote of the entire Board is required to expel.

Your Right: The same procedure is following for expulsion proceedings as for suspension from school. The Principal or Assistant Principal will:

1. tell you orally or in writing what rule, regulation or policy you have broken. This phase of due process is called the Preliminary Hearing.
2. explain to you, if you deny you broke the rule, regulation or policy, why the Principal or Assistant Principal believes you broke the rule, regulation or policy.
3. give you a chance to tell your version of what happened.
4. notify you, your parent(s), guardian(s) or person(s) in parental standing, and the Superintendent of the District, immediately in writing of the expulsion and the reason for it.

If the Principal or Assistant Principal believes the pupil is guilty of the violation, he will order a suspension of up to five (5) days. The pupil, his/her parents, guardian or person in parental standing, will be invited to attend an Informal Hearing at a place and time (within the five (5) days' suspension period) designated by the Principal or Assistant Principal. The Informal Hearing will be conducted in the same manner as for suspensions.

At the conclusion of the Informal Hearing the Principal or Assistant Principal may order a continuation of the suspension, of up to five (5) more days. Except in special cases, ten (10) days is the maximum period a pupil may be suspended from school by a Principal or Assistant Principal.

If after the Informal Hearing the Principal or Assistant Principal believes an expulsion proceeding is in order, he will so inform the Board. The School Board or a representative committee of same will establish the date and time for a Formal Student Hearing. Official written notification will be given to the pupil and to the parent(s), guardian(s) or person(s) in parental standing. The letter of notification outlines the basic procedural and substantive rights of the accused pupil.

The pupil may be represented at the Formal Hearing by legal counsel and may present witnesses and their testimony under oath. The pupil may cross-examine witnesses presented by the School District and has a right to learn, in advance of the hearing, the names of the witnesses and the substance of their testimony. Costs of the pupil's defense are borne by the pupil. A record of the hearing will be made and the pupil may, at his or her expense, obtain a copy of the transcript.

The School Board or its designated committee is judge and jury in the matter. The decision of the Board or committee is relayed to the pupil and his or her parents. If the pupil is expelled by the School Board, he or she may not attend any public school in the Mifflin County School District. Further, the expelled pupil may be barred from School District property. The hearing will be held in private unless the pupil or a parent, guardian or person in parental standing requests a public hearing. The Board will vote at a public meeting.

If the pupil disagrees with the decision of the Board, then he or she must seek relief through an appropriate state or Federal court.

Pupils who are less than seventeen (17) years of age remain subject to the compulsory school attendance law and will be required to undertake some educational program.

Your Responsibility: All pupils are responsible for knowing the rules, regulations, policies and expectations of the school. Pupils are expected to read and understand the information pertaining to their rights and responsibilities as outlined in this Parent Handbook.

Should it be determined by the Principal or Assistant Principal that the misconduct of the pupil is so threatening as to endanger the safety, health and welfare of the staff and pupils of the school, he may dispense with certain elements of procedural due process for expediency and accord them at a later and more convenient time.

Racial Discrimination and Segregated Schools

Your Right: The state, or any other governmental body, may not establish racially segregated schools, thus depriving you of your right to an education, regardless of race.

Your Responsibility: Students have the responsibility of respecting the race of other persons.

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TERRORISTIC THREATS/ACTS POLICY

The Board of School Directors recognizes the danger that terroristic threats and acts by students presents to the safety and welfare of District students, staff and community. The Board acknowledges the need for an immediate and effective response to a situation involving such a threat or act.

Terroristic threat - shall mean a threat to commit violence communicated with the intent to terrorize another, to cause evacuation of a building, or to cause serious public inconvenience, in reckless disregard of the risk of causing such terror or inconvenience.

Terroristic act - shall mean an offense against property or involving danger to another person.

The Board prohibits any District student from communicating terroristic threats or committing terroristic acts directed at any student, employee, Board member, community member or school building.

The Board directs the Superintendent to react promptly and appropriately to information and knowledge concerning a possible or actual terroristic threat or act.

The Superintendent shall be responsible for developing administrative regulations to implement this policy.

Staff members and students shall be responsible for informing the Building Principal regarding any information or knowledge relevant to a possible or actual terroristic threat or act.

The Building Principal shall immediately inform the Superintendent after receiving a report of such a threat or act.

When an administrator has evidence that a student has made a terroristic or committed a terroristic act, the following guidelines shall be applied.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a safe and secure school environment and to comply with provisions of Act 26 of 1995 prohibiting weapons on school property, in school vehicles, in student vehicles, at school-sponsored activities on or off school property, when walking to and from school and at school bus-van stops.

Weapons and replicas of weapons shall include, but are not limited to, firearms, knives, metal knuckles, chains, razors, razor blades, explosives, cutting tools, pistols, shotguns, rifles, nunchaku, and noxious, irritating or poisonous gases or any other tool or instrument capable of inflicting bodily injury as determined by school officials. Weapons as described in this policy are forbidden on school property, in vehicles driven to school by students and parked on or off school property, at school-sponsored activities anywhere, when walking to and from school, at school bus-van stops, and in school busses and vans or other vehicles.

Students who violate this policy will be expelled from school for a minimum of one year from the date the student was found guilty. Disabled students found guilty will be disciplined in accordance with provisions of the Individuals with Disability Act and Basic Education Circular I-95, Pennsylvania Department of Education.

The Superintendent will review each alleged violation of this policy and will exercise discretion for expulsion on a case-by-case basis.

All acts of violence and possession of weapons as defined in this policy shall be reported to parents of the violator, appropriate law enforcement agency and the Office of Safe Schools, Department of Education. Such reporting requirements for individual schools and the District shall be made twice per year as mandated in Section 1303-A of Act 26 of 1995.

Prior to admission to the Mifflin County School District, the parent, guardian or other person having control or charge of a student shall, upon registration, provide a sworn statement or affirmation stating whether the pupil was previously suspended or expelled from any public or private school of this Commonwealth or any other state for an act or offense involving weapons, alcohol or drugs, or the willful infliction of injury to another person or for any act of violence committed on school property. The registration shall be maintained as part of the student’s disciplinary record. Any willful false statement made under this section (1304-A) shall be a misdemeanor of the third degree.

Whenever a pupil transfers to another school entity from the Mifflin County School District, a certified copy of the student’s disciplinary record shall be transmitted upon request to the school entity to which the pupil has transferred. The school entity to which the student has transferred should request the record. The sending school entity shall have ten (10) days from receipt of the request to supply a certified copy of the student’s disciplinary record.

A student’s disciplinary record as well as records maintained under Section 1307-A (Maintenance of Records) shall be available for inspections to the student and his parents or other person having control or charge of the student, to school officials and to State and local law enforcement officials as provided by law. Permission of the parent, guardian or other person have control or charge of the student shall not be required for transfer of the individual student’s record to another school entity within this Commonwealth or in another state in which the student seeks enrollment or is enrolled.

The Mifflin County School District shall maintain updated records of all incidents of violence, incidents involving possession of a weapon, as described in this policy, and convictions or adjudications of delinquency for acts committed on school property by students enrolled therein on both a district-wide and school-by-school basis.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

1. PUPILS UNDER THE AGE OF 17 WHO ARE UNLAWFULLY ABSENT FROM SCHOOL, AND PUPILS, AGE 17 OR OLDER, WHO HAVE UNEXCUSED ABSENCES, WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT OF THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE UP THE TIME MISSED BY SERVING IN AFTER-SCHOOL DETENTION. THE ABSENCE IS OFFICIALLY RECORDED AS UNLAWFUL OR UNEXCUSED.
   

2. UNLAWFUL OR UNEXCUSED ABSENCES, WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT OF PARENTS/GUARDIANS, WILL BE OFFICIALLY RECORDED, BUT PUPILS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE UP THE TIME MISSED.
   

3. IN BOTH CASES, "A" AND "B" ABOVE, PUPILS MAY MAKE UP MISSED SCHOOL WORK.
   

4. UNLAWFUL ABSENCES, WITH OR WITHOUT APPROVAL AND CONSENT OF PARENTS OR GUARDIANS, WILL BE RECORDED AND PROCESSED UNDER PROVISIONS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949, AS AMENDED.

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MINORITY GROUP STUDENTS

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a law that makes many types of discrimination against minority group members illegal. One part of it applies to students attending schools that receive Federal funds. This section is Title VI, which states:

No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

RIGHTS OF HANDICAPPED STUDENTS

Several Federal laws protect the right of students who are handicapped.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 insures that these students shall not be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal funding solely on the basis of their handicap.

The Education of the Handicapped Act (of 1970, 1974 and 1975) established the right of a handicapped student to a free, appropriate public education.

SECTION 504/CHAPTER 15 SERVICES

In Pennsylvania, Chapter 15 of Title 22 of the regulations of the State Board of Education addresses the responsibility of school districts to comply with requirements in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These federal and state regulations are designed to ensure that protected handicapped students have equal opportunity to participate in school programs and extracurricular activities. Section 504 is designed to prevent discrimination based on disabilities. If a child is suspected of being eligible for special education or Chapter 15 services, eligibility for special education services should first be explored. Only if the child is not eligible for special education services should consideration be given to Chapter 15. A team consisting of, but not limited to, parents, physicians, and school staff must determine if the child has any physical or mental impairment as defined in the regulations. If so, the team must consider whether the impairment substantially limits or prohibits participation in, or access to, an aspect of the student’s school program. If found to be handicapped under Section 504, educational needs must be determined and a written service agreement developed. Periodic reevaluations must be conducted.

1. This refers to infected students who suffer from a disorder of the nervous system that is the cause of the indicated symptoms. See Federal Centers for Disease Control recommendations regarding education of children infected with AIDS, printed in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, August 30, 1985, Vol. 34, No. 34.

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