Hempfield School District Disclosures

  • Annual Notice to Parents/Guardians

    In compliance with state and federal law, the Hempfield School District will provide to each protected handicapped student, without discrimination or cost to the student or family, those related aids, services, or accommodations, which are needed to provide equal opportunity to participate in, and obtain the benefits of, the school programming to the maximum extent appropriate to the student’s abilities. In order to qualify as a protected handicapped student, the child must be of school age with a physical or mental impairment, which substantially limits or prohibits participation in, or access to, an aspect of the school program.

    These services and protections for “protected handicapped students” are distinct from those applicable to all eligible or exceptional students enrolled (or seeking enrollment) in special education programs.

    For further information on the evaluation procedures and provision of services to protected handicapped students contact the Director of Special Education, 717-898-5563.

    Highly Qualified Teacher Notification

    Currently, school districts are required to notify parents/guardians that they may request the following information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teacher:

    • Whether the teacher has met State qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade level and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
    • Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualifications or licensing criteria have been waived.
    • The baccalaureate degree majors of the teacher and/or other graduate certifications or degrees held by the teacher and the fields of discipline of the certifications or degrees.
    • Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

    If parents/guardians would like to receive any of the information listed above, they need to contact their child’s building principal. Please note that all of our elementary teachers, including Title I teachers, regular classroom teachers, special education teachers, special area teachers, and paraprofessionals are properly certified and meet the requirements of this law.

    Asbestos Management Plan

    In accordance with the EPA’s Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) of 1987 (40 CFR Part 763, Subpart E of the Code of Federal Regulations), school districts are required to give annual notification stating that the Asbestos Management Plan for each building is available for public review.  

    This rule requires local education agencies (LEAs) to identify friable and non-friable asbestos containing material (ACM) in public and private elementary and secondary schools by visually inspecting school buildings for such materials, sampling such materials if they are not assumed to be ACM, and having samples analyzed by appropriate techniques referred to in this rule.  

    In keeping with this legislation, Hempfield School District is being inspected by EPA accredited inspectors and a comprehensive management plan is being updated for handling ACM in a safe and responsible manner. Six-month periodic asbestos surveillances as well as three-year re-inspections will be performed in accordance with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. 

    A copy of the asbestos management plan is currently kept in the Facilities/Operations and Maintenance Department. These records are available for review during normal school business hours.

    Integrated Pest Management Notification

    The Hempfield School District uses an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach for managing insects, rodents and weeds. Our IPM approach focuses on making the school buildings and grounds an unfavorable habitat for these pests by removing food and water sources and eliminating their hiding and breeding places. We accomplish this through routine cleaning and maintenance and monitoring the school building and grounds to detect any pests or weeds that are present. The pest monitoring team consists of our building custodial, office, and teaching staff. Pest sightings are reported to the facilities department, which evaluates the problem and determines the appropriate pest management techniques to address the problem. The techniques can include increased sanitation, modifying storage practices, sealing entry points, physically removing the pest, etc. 

    From time-to-time, it may be necessary to use chemicals to manage a pest problem. Chemicals will only be used when necessary and will not be routinely applied. When chemicals are used, the district will use the least toxic product possible. Applications will be made only when unauthorized persons do not have access to the area(s) being treated. Notices will be posted in these areas 72 hours prior to application and for two days following the application.

    Parents/Guardians of students who have sensitivities to chemicals may request to receive prior notification of specific pesticide applications made at the school. To receive prior notification, you must be placed on the school’s notification registry. If you would like to be placed on this registry, please contact facilities@hempfieldsd.org to receive a “Request for Notification Before Non-Exempt Pesticide Application.” Exemptions to this notification include disinfectants and antimicrobial products; self-containerized baits placed in areas not accessible to students, and gel-type baits placed in cracks, crevices or voids.

    Automated Calling System

    Hempfield School District uses an automated calling system for informing parents/guardians of emergency situations, unexpected early dismissals, student absences, and certain health-related information. This system uses the primary phone number for each student as listed in PowerSchool, followed by each student’s emergency contact numbers. If you do not wish to be notified of emergencies or student absences, please contact the Technology Department at 717-898-5596. If a parent/guardian needs to update their phone number for these communications, please contact the student’s school office.

    Child Find Notice

    In compliance with state and federal laws, notice is given by Hempfield School District that it conducts ongoing identification activities as part of its school program. The purpose of these activities is to identify those students who may be in need of special education and related services. All information gathered about a student is subject to the confidentiality provisions contained in federal and state law. Hempfield School District has policies and procedures that govern the collection, maintenance, destruction, and disclosure to third parties of this information. For more information, please call the Office of Special Education at 717-898-5563.

    Discrimination and Harassment 

    The Hempfield School District, an equal-opportunity employer, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, ancestry, or disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Tab Musser, Title IX Coordinator, Hempfield School District, 200 Church Street, Landisville, PA 17538, tab_musser@hempfieldsd.org. Harassment of students and staff will not be tolerated.

    Gifted Education

    The Hempfield School District provides gifted education services to school-age students identified as gifted who require these services to reach their potential. In compliance with state law (Chapter 16), notice is hereby given by the Hempfield School District that it conducts ongoing identification activities as a part of its school program for the purpose of identifying students who may be in need of gifted education services. If your child is identified by the school district as possibly in need of such services, you will be notified of applicable procedures.

    If you believe that your school-age child may be in need of gifted education services, you may request a screening and evaluation at any time, whether or not your child is enrolled in the school district’s public-school program. Requests for evaluation and screening can be made at the individual school or contact the Special Education Office, 717-898-5563.

    McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act

    The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. Students who are homeless have the right to remain in the school they were enrolled in at the time they became homeless; if such a request is made and transportation will be arranged. If you would like more information on how students qualify under this law, and more specifics on the rights of students experiencing homelessness, please contact the Student Services office, 717-459-9009.

    FERPA and Educational Records Notice

    The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents certain rights with respect to the student's education records, Under FERPA, Hempfield School District may release directory information, such as student names, addresses, telephone listings, and photos when requested. Additionally, under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act and the National Defense Authorization Act, the District must release directory information, student names, addresses, and telephone listings to military recruiters for recruiting purposes and college scholarships offered by the military upon request. If parents/guardians do not wish this directory information to be released, they must notify the building principal in writing regarding their wishes.  Your written notice must identify the specific types of directory information that you do not want the district to disclose without consent.

    Directory information is defined by the district as information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Directory information includes, but is not limited to, the student's name; address; telephone listing; electronic mail address; photograph; date and place of birth; major field of study; grade level; enrollment status; dates of attendance; participation in officially recognized school activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; degrees, honors and awards received; and the most recent educational agency or institution attended. Directory information does not include a student's Social Security Number; or student identification (ID) number, except that directory information may include a student ID number, user ID, or other unique personal identifier displayed on a student ID card/badge or used by the student for purposes of accessing or communicating in electronic systems, but only if the identifier cannot be used to gain access to education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the user's identity, such as a personal identification number (PIN), password, or other factor known or possessed only by the authorized user.

    Board Policy 216, Education Records, covers how and what information the District can share.  Section 4 of Board Policy 216 allows the District to disclose personally identifiable information concerning a student to an educational agency or institution at which the student seeks to enroll, intends to enroll, or is enrolled, or from which the student receives services, when that agency or institution requests such records, as long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.  Additionally, this section allows school officials with a legitimate educational interest to have access to personally identifiable information without parent or student consent.  In Section 1 of Board Policy 216, the District designates those persons who have a “legitimate educational interest” that would allow such access to education records.

    Section 3 of Policy 216 describes how a parent or a student who has attained the age of 18 can request that records be amended.  This section also describes in detail the right of the parent or eligible student to request a hearing to challenge a decision by the District not to amend records that the parent or student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student’s right to privacy.

    FERPA also provides parents with the right to request an amendment of the student’s education records that the parent believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

    Parents who wish to ask Hempfield School District to amend their child’s education record should contact Dr. Tab Musser, Hempfield School District, 200 Church Street, Landisville, PA 17538, tab_musser@hempfieldsd.org.If the District decides not to amend the record as requested, the District will notify the parent 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 when notified of the right to a hearing.

    Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)

    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 is 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 student’s parent; 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 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 –

      1. Protected information surveys of students and surveys created by a third party;
      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 from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State law.

    The Hempfield School District has 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.  Hempfield School District will directly notify parents of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes.  Hempfield 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.  Hempfield 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 who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:   

    Student Privacy Policy Office
    U.S. Department of Education
    400 Maryland Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20202

    Hempfield School District has adopted a School Wellness policy in accordance with the law. Please click here to view the policy. 

    Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    Hempfield School District provides the following Annual Notices for parents and guardians of Hempfield School District students, in accordance with the regulations set forth by Elementary and Secondary Education Act:

    Student Policies and Handbooks

    Hempfield School District policies and handbooks can be found on our website using the following quick links. The Responsible Use Policy is found under School Board Policy 815.

    Photography Notice 

    Photographs and videos of students may be used for classroom projects, the district website or social media channels, in our print publications, and for other school-related purposes. If you do not wish your child to be photographed, please submit written notice to your child’s school. Parents/Guardians will be notified in advance of individual student interviews that are coordinated by the district for external media organizations or any other situations where an outside organization may be taking photographs of specific students. Public events such as athletics and concerts are not covered by this policy. Photos posted on our websites and social media accounts will not contain student names, unless such student is being identified as the recipient of an award or honored for an achievement.

    Testing for Lead in Drinking Water

    Under Act 39 of 2018, schools may, but are not required to, test for lead levels annually in the drinking water of any facility where children attend school.

    If a school chooses not to test for lead levels, then the school must discuss lead issues in school facilities at a public meeting once a year. This meeting may be a stand-alone meeting or part of an existing public meeting (such as a school board meeting).

    SCHOOLS WITH ELEVATED LEAD LEVELS
    If a school tests for lead levels in their drinking water and finds lead levels in excess of the EPA’s current action level of 15 ppb, the school must immediately implement a plan to ensure that no child or adult is exposed to lead contaminated drinking water and provide alternate sources of drinking water. Resources on testing for lead and remedies for elevated lead levels are outlined below.

    As required by Act 39 of 2018, beginning in the 2018-19 school year and every year thereafter, elevated lead levels must be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and will be posted on PDE’s website. Questions can be sent to the PDE Office for Safe Schools at RA-EDSAFESCHOOLSREP@pa.gov.

    Children’s Internet Protection Act

    The district maintains an Internet Safety Policy in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act.  The safety policy is incorporated into Board Policy 815, Responsible Use of Electronic Resources.  This policy is periodically reviewed publicly by the Board Policy Committee.