Fairfield Local School District

The Fairfield Local School District’s adopted Child Find Policy requires that all children below twenty-two (22) years of age residing within the district, who have a  disability regardless of the severity of the disability, and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located, and evaluated in accordance with all federal regulations and state standards.

For children birth through age two, a disability means that a child has a behavior, cognition, communication, physical development, sensory development and/or social or emotional development deficit.

For children age three through five years of age, a disability means that a child has a documented deficit in one or more of the following areas: communication skills, hearing abilities, motor functioning, social emotional/behavior functioning or vision abilities.

For school-age children, a disability means a person having one or more conditions such as autism, developmental handicap, hearing handicap, multi-handicap, orthopedically and/or other health handicaps, emotional/behavior handicap, specific learning disability, traumatic brain injury or vision handicap.

If you are aware of a child who you think may have a disability, contact the Special Education Director at 937-780-2977.

The Fairfield Local School District will receive federal funding through the following student programs for the 2023-2024 school year:

• Title I - School-Wide Assistance
• Title II-A - Improving Teacher Quality
• Title IV - Student Support and Academic Achievement
• IDEA - Early Childhood Special Education
• IDEA-B - Special Education
• ARP - Homeless Targeted Support Grant
• State Energy Program Ohio K-12 Schools Energy Efficiency Program
• Appalachian Community Grant Program
• NSLP/ SBP - National School Breakfast and Lunch Program / Free/Reduced Meal Program

• Board Policy IGBB

Fairfield Local Schools have adopted Ohio’s mandated Gifted Child Plan, which will standardize identification procedures throughout the state and will identify students with advanced learning needs in the areas of:  Superior Cognitive Ability, Specific Academic Ability, Creative Thinking Ability, Visual or Performing Arts.  If you think your child would qualify for one of these programs, talk to the Director of Curriculum and Gifted Services by calling 937-780-2977. 

The Board reasonably accommodates the sincerely held religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to all examinations or other academic requirements and absences for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief systems in accordance with State law.

Students in grades Preschool through 12 will be excused for up to three religious expression days per school year to take holidays for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief systems, or participate in activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church or other religious or spiritual organization. No academic penalty will be imposed on a student who is absent for such reasons in accordance with this policy and all requirements of State law. The number of hours for which a student is absent on an approved religious expression day is not considered in the calculations for determining absence hours for the purpose of parental notification under Ohio Revised Code 3321.191(C)(1). 

Parent Participation

In accordance with the requirements of the federal law, programs supported by Title 1 funds must be planned and implemented in meaningful consultation with parents of these students being served. 

This includes (but is not limited to):

• Establishment of a written policy of expectations for the involvement of such parents in the education of their children, including annual evaluation of this policy in improving the quality of schools.
• Provide parents of participating students with information, in both written form at meetings that explains curriculum, assessments, and expected proficiency levels. 
• Develop a school-parent compact that outlines how the school staff, the parents and the student will share the responsibility for academic improvement. 
• Address the importance of on-going parent/teacher communication.

Parent's Right to Know

In accordance with the requirement of Federal Law, each school receiving Title 1 funds must notify parents that they may request specific information on the qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers. Parents shall be provided information on the level of achievement of their child/children on the required state academic assessments and timely notice if the student is assigned to a teacher who is not “highly qualified.” A complete copy of the above #2261.02 may be received by contacting the superintendent or building principal.

• Board Policy JO

Notice of Rights

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day the “Fairfield Local Schools” receive a request for access.
   Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the records 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.
    
2. The right to request the amendment of the 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 [School] to amend a 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 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 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.
    
3. The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) 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. 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) or a person serving on the school board. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the school who performs an institutional service of 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 PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve 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 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  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.  
   
   NOTE: FERPA requires a school district to make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent or student of the records request unless it states in its annual notification that it intends to forward records on request.
    
4. 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 are:

Family Policy Compliance Office /
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

FERPA permits the disclosure of PII from students’ education records, without consent of the parent or eligible student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in §99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to school officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the parent or eligible student, §99.32 of the FERPA regulations requires the school to record the disclosure. Parents and eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures. A school may disclose PII from the education records of a student without obtaining prior written consent of the parents or the eligible student –

• To other school officials, including teachers, within the educational agency or institution whom the school has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the school has outsourced institutional services or functions, provided that the conditions listed in §99.31(a)(1)(i)(B)(1) - (a)(1)(i)(B)(2) are met. (§99.31(a)(1))
• To officials of another school, school system, or institution of postsecondary education where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer, subject to the requirements of §99.34. (§99.31(a)(2))
• To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U. S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such as the State educational agency in the parent or eligible student’s State (SEA). Disclosures under this provision may be made, subject to the requirements of §99.35, in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal- or State-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of PII to outside entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf. (§§99.31(a)(3) and 99.35)
• In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid. (§99.31(a)(4))
• To State and local officials or authorities to whom information is specifically allowed to be reported or disclosed by a State statute that concerns the juvenile justice system and the system’s ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records were released, subject to §99.38. (§99.31(a)(5))
• To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction. (§99.31(a)(6))
• To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions. (§99.31(a)(7))
• To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes. (§99.31(a)(8))
• To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. (§99.31(a)(9))
• To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency, subject to §99.36. (§99.31(a)(10)
• Information the school has designated as “directory information” under §99.37. (§99.31(a)(11))

Notice for Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Fairfield Local School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, Fairfield Local School District may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Fairfield Local School District to include this type of information from your child’s education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

• A playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama production;
• The annual yearbook;
• Honor roll or other recognition lists;
• Graduation programs; and
• Sports activity sheets, such as for basketball, showing weight and height of team members.

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information – names, addresses and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent. ¹

If you do not want Fairfield Local School District to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing by September 1st. Fairfield Local School District has designated the following information as directory information:

• Student’s name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Photograph
• Date and place of birth
• Major field of study
• Dates of attendance
• Grade level
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Degrees, honors and awards received
• The most recent educational agency or institution attended
• Student ID number, user ID or other unique personal identifier used to communicate in electronic systems that cannot be used to access education records with our PIN, password, etc.  

• Board Policy JO

The Board of Education respects the privacy rights of parents and their children.  No student shall be required without prior written consent of his/her parents, to participate in any surveys, analysis, or evaluation associated with a school program or the District’s curriculum in which the primary purpose is to reveal political, religious, sexual, or illegal affiliations or beliefs, legally privileged relationships or income. Parents have the right to inspect, upon request; a survey or evaluation created by a third party before the survey or evaluation is administered or distributed by the school to the student. Parents have the right to inspect upon request any instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum of the student.  This does not include academic tests or assessments. 

Please be aware that Fairfield Local School District, either directly or through a technology provider, is electing to generally monitor all school-issued devices (as that term is defined by R.C. 3319.325). The monitoring will include the following features: safety and compliance, web-browsing activity, and interactions with school-issued devices. The District generally monitors these features for the noncommercial education purpose of instruction, technical support, exam proctoring and federal compliance. Additionally, these features are generally monitored as a necessary precaution for preventing and/or responding to threats to life or safety.  The following programs, or technology providers, will be monitoring student activity:

• Google Compliance/Admin:  Scans student email accounts.  Keeps logs of student accounts.
• Bark: Scans student email, drive and docs accounts.
• Securly:  Filters and records website activity.
• GoGuardian:  Teacher monitoring tool for classroom use.
• Impero Education Pro: Teacher monitoring tool for classroom use. (Windows OS)

In the event you have further questions regarding the monitoring of school-issued devices please contact technology.director@fairfieldlocal.org.

• Board Policy JF

The Board of Education recognizes that students possess not only their right to an education but many of the rights of citizenship as well.  In providing students the opportunity for an education to which they are entitled, the Board shall attempt to offer nurturing, counseling, and custodial care appropriate to their age and maturity.  Attendants to these rights afforded to each student, however, are certain responsibilities, which include respect for the rights of others, obedience to proper constituted school authority, and compliance with the guidelines and rules of the district. 

• Board Policy JFG

Under ORC 3313.20, "all lockers are the property of the Board of Education and lockers and their contents are subject to random search at any time without regard to whether there is reasonable suspicion that any locker or its contents contains evidence of a violation of a criminal statute or a school rule." 

• (Board Policy AC)

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form PDF from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:  U.S. Department of Agriculture
                Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
                 1400 Independence Avenue, SW
                 Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Effective December, 2007, Ohio State law requires that all school districts report incidences of bullying on a semi-annual basis.