Notices

This district is committed to a positive and productive education and working environment free from discrimination, including sexual harassment. The district prohibits sexual harassment of students, employees and others involved in school district activities.

See district policy 3205

Sexual harassment is unwelcome behavior or communication that is sexual in nature when:
●    A student or employee is led to believe that he or she must submit to unwelcome sexual conduct or communications in order  to gain something in return, such as a grade, a promotion, a place on a sports team, or any educational or employment decision, or
●    The conduct substantially interferes with a student's educational performance, or creates an intimidating or hostile educational or employment environment.

●    Sexual harassment can occur adult to student, student to adult, student-to-student, adult-to-adult, male to female, female to male, male-to-male and female-to-female.

Examples of Sexual Harassment:
●    Pressuring a person for sexual favors
●    Unwelcome touching of a sexual nature
●    Writing graffiti of a sexual nature
●    Distributing sexually explicit texts, e-mails, or pictures
●    Making sexual jokes, rumors, or suggestive remarks
●    Physical violence, including rape and sexual assault

The district will take prompt, equitable and remedial action within its authority on reports, complaints and grievances alleging sexual harassment that come to the attention of the district, either formally or informally. Allegations of criminal misconduct will be reported to law enforcement and suspected child abuse will be reported to law enforcement or Child Protective Services.

Engaging in sexual harassment will result in appropriate discipline or other appropriate sanctions against offending students, staff and contractors. Anyone else who engages in sexual harassment on school property or at school activities will have their access to school property and activities restricted, as appropriate.

Retaliation against any person who makes, or is a witness in, a sexual harassment complaint is prohibited and will result in appropriate discipline. The district will take appropriate actions to protect involved persons from retaliation.
It is a violation of this policy to knowingly report false allegations of sexual harassment. Persons found to knowingly report or corroborate false allegations will be subject to appropriate discipline.

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 students’ education records. These rights are:

a. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the District receives a request for access.
Parents or eligible students who wish to inspect their child’s or their education records should submit to the school principal (or appropriate school office 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.
Such written notice should be addressed to the school principal: Therese Carroll, P.O. Box 20, Joyce, WA 98343.

b. The right to request the amendment of student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.
Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the Crescent School District to amend their child’s or their education record should write the school principal or appropriate school official, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. 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 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.

c. The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information from 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. The criteria for determining who constitutes a school official and what constitutes a legitimate educational interest must be set forth in the district’s annual notification for FERPA rights. A school official typically includes a person employed by the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement personnel); a person serving on the school board. A school official also may  include a volunteer;, contractor or consultant who, while not employed by the school, performs an institutional service or function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of personally identifiable information from education records, 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 a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
Upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to officials of another school or school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer.

d. The right to file a complaint with the U. S. 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: 
 Family Policy Compliance Office
 U. S. Department of Education
 400 Maryland Avenue SW
 Washington, DC 20202-8520.

 

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents of elementary and secondary students certain rights regarding the conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. These include, but are not limited to, 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 –

● Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding;
● 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 or vision screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under state law; and
● Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others. (This does not apply to the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for the exclusive purpose of developing, evaluating, or providing educational products or services for, or to, students or educational institutions.)

Inspect, upon request and before administration or use –

 

● Protected information surveys of students and surveys created by a third party;
● Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and
● Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

 

These rights transfer from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under state law.

The Crescent School District has developed and adopted policies, in consultation with parents, regarding these rights, as well as arrangements to protect student privacy in the administration of protected information surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes. The Crescent School District will directly notify parents of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes. The Crescent School District will also directly notify, such as through U. S. Mail or email, parents of students who are scheduled to participate in the specific activities or surveys noted below and will provide an opportunity for the parent to opt his or her child out of participation of the specific activity or survey. The Crescent School District will make this notification to parents at the beginning of the school year if the district has identified the specific or approximate dates of the activities or surveys at that time. For surveys and activities scheduled after the school year starts, parents will be provided reasonable notification of the planned activities and surveys listed below and be provided an opportunity to opt their child out of such activities and surveys. 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 direct notification requirement.

● Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students 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/eligible students who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:
 Family Policy Compliance Officer
 U. S. Department of Education
 400 Maryland Avenue, SW
 Washington, D.C. 20202-8520