Equal Opportunity Notification
Northern Lebanon School District is an equal rights and opportunity public education school district and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, religion, marital status, or genetic information in its activities, educational and vocational programs (providing equal access to Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups) or employment practices as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act of 1955 as amended, and the Genetic Information Act of 2008. The District does not discriminate in any manner, including Title IX sexual harassment, in any District education program or activity. The District has established Title IX personnel to promptly respond to concerns and reports of sexual harassment and assault. All investigations into reports of sexual harassment and assault will be impartial, free of bias and conflicts, and will not prejudge the facts for either side. The District strives to maintain an environment where all students, staff, and greater community feel safe. Title IX Coordinator: Bradly Reist, Assistant to the Superintendent, 717-865-2117, ext. 2606; breist@norleb.k12.pa.us. Leadership within the school district attended Title IX training including:
General Title IX Changes
General Flow of a Title IX Complaint
Specific Coordinator Training
Specific Investigator Training
Specific Decision Maker Training
To file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights follow this link https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/howto.html.
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (“AHERA”)
With the recent media attention related to asbestos, the District has received a number of inquiries about asbestos in our schools. The District is committed to protecting the health and well being of students, staff, and the general public. I would like to assure you that the Northern Lebanon School District has had an Asbestos Management Plan in place since October 12, 1988 complying with state and federal requirements.
Asbestos was used extensively in building materials because of its insulating, sound absorbing, and fire retarding capabilities. Virtually all buildings constructed before the late 1970s contained some asbestos material. Intact and undisturbed asbestos materials generally do not pose a health risk. However, asbestos materials can be a concern if they are damaged, deteriorate over time or are otherwise disturbed, as fibers can be released.
In 1986, Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) which requires all schools to inspect their sites for asbestos-containing materials (ACBM), develop a plan to manage the asbestos for each school building, notify parents and staff regarding the management plan availability, provide asbestos awareness training to school staff, and implement timely actions to deal with dangerous asbestos situations.
Since the enactment of AHERA, Northern Lebanon School District has taken aggressive steps toward maintaining a health environment by adopting an AHERA compliance program. The District completed the initial inspections to identify asbestos containing building material (ACBM) at each of our school buildings in 1988 utilizing on EPA certified inspectors. Subsequently, a Plan was developed to manage ACBM, including regular notifications, ongoing inspections and methods to prevent releases. Additionally, Northern Lebanon School District has designated Director of Buildings and Grounds as the District's AHERA "Designated Person" to manage and oversee these requirements.
The Northern Lebanon School District continues to manage asbestos containing materials as per AHERA regulation. A copy of the District's Asbestos Management Plan and the results of the 1988 inspection are available at the District Office. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mr. Mason Brehm, Director of Buildings and Grounds at 717-865-2117 ext 2575.
The Northern Lebanon School District is committed to safeguarding the students, staff and the general public.
Pest Control Notification
Northern Lebanon School District uses an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach for managing insects, rodents and weeds. Our goal is to protect every student from pesticide exposure by using the IPM approach to pest management. Our IPM approach focuses on making school buildings and grounds unfavorable habitats for these pests by removing food and water sources and eliminating their hiding places. This is accomplished through routine inspection by school staff and contract service providers. Pest sightings are reported to our IPM coordinator who evaluates the “pest problem” and determines the appropriate pest management techniques to address the problem. Techniques can include increasing sanitation, modifying storage practices, sealing entry points, physically removing the pest etc. From time to time, it may be necessary to use chemicals to control a pest problem. Chemicals will only be used when necessary, and will not be routinely applied. When chemicals must be used, the school will try to use the least toxic products when possible. Access to treated areas will be secured against unauthorized access for the period specified on the pesticide label. Notices will be posted at application sites and will remain there until the posted safe re-entry time is met. For your information, we have a list of pesticides and safety data sheets (SDS) that may be used in the school this school year. This list may be obtained by contacting the IPM coordinator at the facility office 717-865-2117 ext. 2575. You may request prior notification of specific pesticide applications made at the school. To receive notification, you must be placed on the notification registry. After this date, July 1, 2018, the registrants will be notified at least 72 hours before a pesticide is applied. If a chemical application must be made to control an emergency pest problem, notice will be provided as soon as possible after the application. Exemptions to this notification include cleaners (disinfectants), pesticides formulated as baits or gels and any EPA exempt pesticide. If you have any questions or would like to be placed on this registry, please contact Mr. Mason Brehm, Director of Buildings and Grounds at Northern Lebanon School District, 345 School Drive, Fredericksburg, PA 17026, Phone (717) 865-2117 ext. 2575 for a request form. For further information about school IPM, please visit http://schoolipm.ifas.ufl.edu/.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (“ESEA”)
ESEA, most recently reauthorized under Every Student Succeeds (ESSA), requires school districts to provide several notices to parents, the public, and others. There is a new provision added by ESSA requiring that all school districts receiving Title I funds implement an effective means of outreach to parents of English Learners, including holding regular meetings for those parents.
Notice of Rights Under FERPA for Elementary and Secondary Students (Policy 216)
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides for its parents and students who are over 18 years of age ('eligible students') certain rights with respect to the student's education records. They are:
- The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the date the District receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal or other appropriate school official a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible students of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask Northern Lebanon School District to amend a record that they believe is accurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the District decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the District will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding their request for the 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 District 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 which whom the District has contracted to perform a specific 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 task. 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. Upon request, the District discloses educational records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
- The right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Student Privacy Policy Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202.
Student Records
Purpose - The educational interests of the pupil require the collection, retention, and use of information about individual pupils and groups of pupils. The primary purpose of pupil record keeping shall be the educational welfare and advancement of the pupil.
Authority - The Board of School Directors has primary responsibility in this district for the compilation, maintenance, access to, and security of pupil records. Only records mandated by the Commonwealth or federal government, or specifically permitted by this Board may be compiled by the staff.
Classification of Student Records
Directory Information - The term includes a student's name, address, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, date of attendance, awards received, and other similar information.
Supplementary Records - This data shall include verified information of significance to the school and contain standardized intelligence test scores, personality and interest test scores, health data, family background information, teacher or counselor ratings and observations, and verified reports of behavioral patterns of an important level.
Special Education Records - These records include confidential files on specific students who were referred for a multidisciplinary evaluation but were not found eligible or in need of special education as well as those students who received special education at some time during their K-12 years. These files are maintained at the Special Services Office, 345 School Drive, Fredericksburg, PA. Parents of students with Special Education Confidential Files are notified when the student turns 21 that they may receive their child's most recent special education documents as well as all Psychological Reports, all Psychiatric Reports, and all Permission to Evaluate documents.
Teacher Work Records - This shall include useful information that has not been fully verified and has no significance beyond the immediate present. This shall include clinical findings and unevaluated reports of teachers or counselors that may be necessary to assist the pupil. Counselors, social workers, and others may maintain personal and confidential files containing notes, transcripts of interviews, and other memory aids for their own use in counseling pupils.
A cumulative record shall be kept for each pupil enrolled. This record shall be initiated upon entry and shall follow the pupil through the schools of the Northern Lebanon School District.
The sole purpose for the development and maintenance of the cumulative record shall be for the professional staff to provide an optimal educational experience for each pupil.
Maintenance of Records
Directory information shall be considered permanent and retained for 100 years.
Supplementary Records, where not in conflict with existing statutes, shall be eliminated from pupil folders at specified times (elementary to middle, middle to senior high, upon graduation). Exceptions may be made where, under rigorous standards and impartial judgment, good cause for their retention can be shown.
Teachers' Work Records shall be eliminated when the purpose for which they were collected no longer exists. Records of this nature shall not be kept beyond the school year in which collected without the written consent of the parents or pupil after the record in question has been reviewed.
Dissemination
Authorized school personnel may utilize the records for the purpose of aiding the pupil. Records may be examined by other school personnel having a clear educational interest.
Records may be released to the State Secretary of Education or the designee of the Secretary of Education. Records may be released to other school districts with the condition the parents be notified of what is to be sent, given an opportunity to challenge the content, if desired.
Parents and/or students shall have access to all information contained in the pupil's educational records. Access to records by a parent, guardian, or pupil shall be permitted only in the presence of administrative or guidance personnel who shall be responsible for interpretation. Prior written request must be made and proper time allowance given. The school shall comply in no longer than a thirty (30) day period. Copies of the records will be provided to the parent or eligible student upon request of a fee not to exceed duplicating costs.
Other persons or agencies may not have access to a pupil's records without the written consent of the parent or guardian, or the pupil (if 18 years old or attending a post secondary educational facility). A copy of the records to be released shall be provided to the student's parents and/or student if so desired by the parent and/or student.
Records may be released in compliance with judicial order or pursuant to any lawfully issued subpoena if parents are notified in advance of compliance.
Custody and Security of Student Records
The principal of each school shall be responsible for the records of the pupils within the school. Specific functions in the records collection, maintenance, and dissemination process may be delegated by the principal to other professional personnel.
The superintendent, or the designee of the superintendent, shall be responsible for pupils who have left school, the implementation and monitoring of the policy, security of records, assignment of specific tasks relative to the record-keeping policy function, and for informing and in-servicing of staff. This shall include developing specific procedures that describe where each type of record is kept in each building, how it shall be kept, and who is responsible for the security of records.
Parental Challenge
Students and/or their parents have a right to challenge records and may do so by a written notification to the superintendent which details the specific information in the records to which the student/parent objects. The superintendent shall confer with the necessary persons, including the district solicitor, and reply in writing to the challenge within ten (10) school days.
Change of Residence
All changes of residence must be reported to the school district. This needs to be done whether a family is relocating within the district or moving out of the district. Please be advised that two proofs of residency will be needed at the time in which change in residence is reported to the school that the student attends.
Professional Qualifications of Classroom Teachers-Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
As a parent of a student at the District, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teacher who instruct your child. Federal law allows you to ask for certain information about your child's classroom teachers and requires us to give you this information in a timely manner if you ask for it. If you would like further information about this topic, please contact the Superintendent's Office at 717-865-2117, ext. 2501.
Notification of Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. These include the right to:
Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas ("protected information survey") if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the U.S. Department of Education (ED)
1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student's parent;
2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student's family;
3. Sex behavior or attitudes;
4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
6. Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of
1. Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding;
2. Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under State law; and
3. Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.
Inspect, upon request and before administration or use
1. Protected information surveys of students;
2. Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and
3. Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.
These rights transfer to from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State law.
The Northern Lebanon School District addresses these requirements in policy 235.1. Parents will also be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys. Following is a list of the specific activities and surveys covered under this requirement:
- Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales or other distribution.
- Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or in part by ED.
- Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described above.
Parents who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-5901
Education Rights of Homeless Children and Youth
McKinny-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
The Northern Lebanon School District encourages children and youth who are homeless to enroll in school. The district will make reasonable efforts to identify homeless children within the district, encourage their enrollment, and eliminate existing barriers to their attendance and education, in compliance with federal and state law and regulation.
If you are homeless or know of a child or youth that is homeless and not attending school, please contact the district director of pupil services, at 717-865-2117 ext. 2613.
Who is Considered Homeless?
Any child or youth not attending school who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence is considered homeless and includes those who are sharing housing with others due to loss of housing or economic hardship. Also included in the definition are children and youth who are living in hotels, camping grounds, emergency shelters, cars, bus or train stations, abandoned in hospitals, awaiting foster care placement, living as migratory children in conditions described in previous examples, living as run-away children, abandoned or forced out of homes by parents or caretakers, or similar settings.
What are the Education Rights of Homeless Children?
Our schools provide equal and comparable access to all students regardless of their home living situation. Homeless children and youth have specific rights that include:
• Immediate enrollment in school and, when desired or feasible, at the school of origin, and
• Prompt provision of necessary services such as transportation.
• Appropriate support services and programs for which they are eligible such as programs for gifted, children with disabilities, vocational education, preschool, meal programs and the federally funded Title I program.
Web Site Disclaimer
The Northern Lebanon School District web site is maintained by district employees. In order to maximize the completeness and timeliness of the information presented here, many people are permitted to write or alter various portions of the information. Thus, we make no guarantees as to the accuracy or quality of the information contained on this Web site. If incorrect, misleading or otherwise inappropriate information is brought to our attention, a reasonable effort will be made to fix or remove it. Such concerns should be addressed to webmaster@norleb.k12.pa.us.
Information provided by school home pages, user home pages or by links to external web sites does not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Northern Lebanon School District School Board or its administration.
Services for Eligible Students
https://www.norleb.org/administration/special-services
Child Nutrition Programs
https://www.norleb.org/our-district/usda-nondiscrimination-statement
