Policies and Procedures
Notice of Non-Discrimination and Due Process Procedures
- Policy and Contacts
- Accomodations for Individuals with Disabilites
- Safe and Orderly Schools
- Weapons and Explosives - Automatic One-Year Suspension
- Drugs and Controlled Substances
- Serious Violations
- Disruptions of School Operations
- Due Process
- Authority to Suspend
- Bullying/Cyber-Bullying/Hazing/Retaliation/Abusive Conduct
- Search and Seizure
- Extracurricular Activities
- Compulsory Education Requirement
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
- Addtional FERPA - Studnet Directory Information
- Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment
- Pledge of Alegiance
- Religous Expression in Public School
- Parental Rights in Education
- Meals Charge in Schools
Policy and Contacts
Accomodations for Individuals with Disabilites
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Davis School District and South Davis Junior High will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Students, parents, or employees needing accommodation should contact their school ADA/504 Coordinator, Jessika Christensen (801-402-6400), their principal or supervisor, or you may contact the District ADA Coordinator, Steve Baker (402-5315), for parent or employee accommodations; or Section 504 Coordinator, Midori Clough (402-5180) for student accommodations.
Safe and Orderly Schools
It is the policy of the Davis School District and South Davis Junior High to promote a safe and orderly school environment for all students and employees. Criminal acts or disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated and any individual who engages in such activity will be subject to school disciplinary action as determined by school administrators, District disciplinary action as determined by the District.
Case Management Team, police referral, and/or prosecution. In determining appropriate discipline, school officials will consider the totality of the circumstances, including the severity of the offense, as well as the individual’s age, disability status, intent, academic status, and prior disciplinary records.
Weapons and Explosives - Automatic One-Year Suspension
Any student who in a school building, in a school vehicle, on District property, or in conjunction with any school activity, possesses, controls, sales, arranges for the sale of, uses or threatens use of a real weapon, explosive, noxious or flammable material, or actually uses or threatens to use a look-alike or pretend weapon with the intent to intimidate another person or to disrupt normal school activities, shall be expelled from all District schools, programs, and activities for a period of not less than one calendar year; unless the District Case Management Team determines, on a case-by-case basis, that a lesser penalty would be more appropriate. The terms “weapon,” “explosive,” and “noxious or flammable material” includes but are not limited to: guns, starter pistols, cap guns, knives, martial arts accessories, bombs, bullets and ammunition, fireworks, gasoline or other flammable liquids, matches, and lighters.
Drugs and Controlled Substances
Any student, who possesses, controls, uses, distributes, sells, or arranges the sale of an illegal drug or controlled substance (which includes alcohol, tobacco in any form, and electronic cigarettes), an imitation controlled substance, or drug paraphernalia in a school building, in a school vehicle, on District property, or in conjunction with any school activity, may be suspended, transferred to an alternative placement, tested for drugs, expelled, referred for police investigation, and/or prosecuted.
Serious Violations
Any student may be suspended, transferred to an alternative placement, expelled, referred for police investigation, and/or prosecuted for committing any of the following school-related serious violations: 1) threatening or causing harm to the school, school property, or person associated with the school, or property associated with that person, regardless of where the conduct occurs; 2) committing any criminal act, including but not limited to: assault, hazing, rape, trespass, arson, theft, vandalism, possession or use of pornographic materials on school property; 3) engaging in any gang activity, including but not limited to flashing gang signs, displaying or spraying gang graffiti, wearing or displaying gang related clothing or apparel, or soliciting others for membership in a gang.
Disruptions of School Operations
Any student may be suspended, transferred to an alternative placement, expelled, referred for police investigation, and/or prosecuted for any conduct that creates an unreasonable and substantial disruption or risk of disruption of a class, activity, program, or other function of the school, including but not limited to frequent, flagrant, or willful disobedience; defiance of school authority; criminal activity; fighting; noncompliance with school dress code; possession of contraband (I.e., drug paraphernalia, pornography, mace, pepper spray, laser pen, chains, needles, razor blades, bats and clubs); or the use of foul, profane, vulgar, harassing or abusive language.
Due Process
When a student is suspected of violating South Davis Junior High or District policy the school administrator must meet with and inform him/her of the allegations and provide the student the opportunity to give his/her version of the incident. If the school administrator determines sufficient evidence exists to impose discipline the school administrator shall notify the parent that 1) this student has been suspended; 2) grounds for the suspension; 3) the period of time for which the student is suspended; and 4) the time and place for the parent to meet a designated school official to review the suspension.
Authority to Suspend
The school administration has the authority to suspend a student for up to ten school days per incident. If the school administrator desires or contemplates suspending for longer than ten school days or expelling a student, the school administrator shall make a referral to the District’s Case Management Team.
Bullying/Cyber-Bullying/Hazing/Retaliation/Abusive Conduct
A student may be suspended, transferred to an alternative placement, expelled, referred for police investigation, and/or prosecuted for engaging in any written, physical, or verbal aggression, intimidation, discrimination, or abusive conduct of any school employee or student at school or a school-related activities regardless of location or circumstance, including but not limited to bullying, cyber-bullying, hazing, or retaliation. District policy may be found at 5S-100 Conduct and Discipline. South Davis Junior High policy may be found at the top of this page or a copy may be obtained in the school office.
Search and Seizure
School officials have the authority to search a student’s person, personal property, or vehicle while located on school property or at a school sponsored activity, when they have reason to believe that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating a particular law or school rule.
Students have no right or expectation of privacy in school lockers, desks, or other storage areas provided for student use. School Lockers, desks or other storage areas are the sole property of the Davis School District and South Davis Junior High. Periodic general inspections of school lockers, including the use of drug detecting canines, may be conducted by school authorities for any reason at any time, without notice, without student consent, and without a search warrant.
Extracurricular Activities
Participation in interscholastic athletics, cheerleading, student government, student clubs, graduation ceremonies, and other extracurricular activities is not a constitutionally protected civil right. Therefore, students who are suspended, transferred to an alternative placement, or expelled, may lose the privilege of participation in all extracurricular activities during the period of discipline and will not be afforded due process procedures to challenge the denial of participation.
Compulsory Education Requirement
A parent having custody over a school-age minor is required under State law to enroll and send a school-age minor to a public or established private school during the school year in the district in which the minor resides. The process of education requires continuity of instruction, class participation and study. Parents are encouraged to work with the school in promoting regular attendance of all students.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Student Education Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student’s education records. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their student’s education records. These rights are:
- Inspect and review all their student’s education records maintained by the school within 45 days of a request for access.
- Request that a school correct education records believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. Parents who wish to ask the school to amend a record should write the principal or appropriate school official, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it should be changes. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent, the school will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.
- Provide consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PPI) from a student’s record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. Such exceptions include, but are not limited to:
[a] school officials with legitimate educational interests;
[b] other schools to which a student is transferring;
[c] individuals who have obtained court orders or subpoenas;
[d] individuals who need to know in cases of health and safety emergencies;
[e] official in the juvenile justice system to improve education outcomes;
[f] a State agency or organization that is legally responsible for the care and protection of the student, including the responsibility to investigate a report of educational neglect;
[g] specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes; or
[h] organizations conducting studies for or on behalf of the District.
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 as a volunteer; a person serving on the District School Board; a person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist), or to whom the District has outsourced institutional services or functions.
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.
Addtional FERPA - Studnet Directory Information
Student Directory Information
Directory Information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, may be released at the discretion of school officials, without consent, for appropriate reasons such as, school publications, newspaper articles, and to outside education related organizations. In addition, two federal laws require secondary schools to provide military recruiters, upon request, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of their students.
The Davis School District has designated the following information as directory information:
1) student’s name, address, and telephone number; 2) student’s date and place of birth; 3) major field of study; 4) student’s District email address; 5) parent email address; 6)participation in officially recognized activities and sports; 7) weight and height of members of athletic teams; 8) degrees, honors, and awards received; 9) photograph; 10) most recent educational institution attended by the student.
If you, as a parent, do not want South Davis Junior High to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the school in writing annually.
Parents who believe their rights have been violated may contact the school’s administration or file a complaint with:
Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920
1-(800) 872-5327
Informal inquires may be sent to FPCO via the following email address: FERPA@ED.Gov
Complaints should be reported as soon as possible, but not later than 180 days from the date you learned of the circumstances of the alleged violation.
Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding the use of surveys or other school activities which may involve the collection or use of protected information.
These include the right to:
Consent before students are required to participate in any survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information, whether personally identifiable or not, concerning the student’s or any family member’s:
[a] political affiliations or beliefs;
[b]mental or psychological problems;
[c]sexual behavior, orientation, or attitudes
[d]illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
[e]critical appraisals of others with whom the student or family have close family relationships;
[f]legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
[g]religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs; or
[h]income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student outof activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students regarding any of the protected information areas.
Inspect, upon request and before administration or use of:
[a]protected information surveys designed to be administered to students; and
[b]instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.
Davis School District has policies in place to protect student privacy as required by both State and Federal law. South Davis Junior High will directly notify you of the specific or approximate dates of activities which involve the collection or use of protected information and provide an opportunity to opt your student out of participating in such activities.
Parents who believe their rights have been violated may contact the school’s administration or file a complaint with:
Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920
1-(800) 872-5327
Informal inquires may be sent to FPCO via the following email address: FERPA@ED.Gov
Pledge of Alegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag shall be recited by students at the beginning of each school day in each public school classroom in the State, led by a student in the classroom, as assigned by the classroom teacher on a rotating basis. Participation in the Pledge is voluntary and not compulsory.
Religous Expression in Public School
In compliance with existing federal and State law regarding religion and religious expression in public schools, the District or school may neither advance nor inhibit religion. It is the District’s policy to: 1) allow students and employees to engage in expression of personal religious views or beliefs within the parameters of current law; and 2) maintain the schools’ official neutrality regarding sectarian religious issues according to the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.
Parental Rights in Education
The Davis School District and South Davis Junior High shall reasonably accommodate ** a parent’s or guardian’s:
- Written request to retain a student in kindergarten through grade 8 on grade level based on the student’s academic ability or the student’s social, emotional, or physical maturity.
- Written request, prior to scheduled event, to excuse the student from attendance for a family event or a scheduled proactive visit to a health care provider. (Student agrees to make up course work for school days missed for the scheduled absence).
- Written request to place a student in a specialized class, a specialized program, or an advance course. (In determining whether placement is reasonable, the District shall consider multiple academic data points).
- Request to excuse the student from taking an assessment that is federally mandated, is mandated by the state, or requires the use of a state assessment system or software that is provided or paid for by the state.
- Initial selection of a teacher or request for a change of teacher.
- Request to visit and observe any class the student attends.
- Request to meet with a teacher at a mutually agreeable time if unable to attend a regularly scheduled parent teacher conference.
Each accommodation shall be considered on an individual basis and no student shall be considered to a greater or a greater or lesser degree than any other student.
**Reasonably accommodate for purposes of this section means the District or school shall make its best effort to enable a parent to exercise a parental right specified here without substantial impact to staff and resources, including employee working conditions, safety and supervision on school premises and for school activities, and the efficient allocation of expenditures; while balancing: the parental rights of parents; the educational needs of other students; the academic and behaviorally impact to a classroom; a teacher’s workload; and the assurance of the safe and efficient operation of a school.
The parental rights specified here do not include all the rights or accommodations available to parents or guardians from the public education system.
Meals Charge in Schools
The purpose of these procedures is to establish consistent meal charging and collection procedures district wide. The District’s goals are:
- To maintain a positive experience for students during meal service.
- To treat all students with dignity and respect.
- To establish practices which are age appropriate.
- To minimize meal charges and encourage parents to pre-pay for all meals.
- To promote parents’ responsibility for meal payment and self-responsibility of the student.
Meal Accounts: Payment in advance for meals enables the District to achieve these goals. Personal checks and cash deposits are accepted daily at the schools. For convenience, deposits may also be made by credit/debit card through a parent’s myDSD account.
Emergency Meal Service: The Board of Education acknowledges that on occasion, students may forget or lose meal money. In such cases, the student’s statement of need shall be accepted, and a meal will be made available. School lunch employees shall not, withhold a meal, provide an alternate meal, pull a student from the line, ask the student to call his parent or friend, stamp the student’s hand, or otherwise call attention to the student who has forgotten or lost meal money. A school lunch employee may remind a student attending a secondary school that his account is in the negative. The cost of the unpaid meal will be charged to the student’s account.
Evaluate Individual Circumstances: When a student repeatedly comes to school without a meal from home or money to participate in the school meal program, school administrators should consider if circumstances in the home warrant contacting social workers or Child Protective Services. Frequent requests may indicate the family’s need for free- or reduced-price meals. School administrators may work with the family to apply for school meal benefits. All meals eaten before a free- or reduced-price meal application is processed and approved are the responsibility of the parent and must be paid for.
Repayment for Meal Charges and Bad Checks: Federal guidelines prohibit the Food and Nutrition operation from writing off bad debts as a result of charged meals. Every effort will be made to collect for unpaid meals. Unpaid meal charges may result in the following:
- An automated telephone call to the parent.
- An email sent to the parent.
- A verbal reminder to student attending a secondary school.
- School lunch manager contact parents by phone or notes in teacher mailboxes.
- In case of significant delinquent payments, a letter will be sent home from the Food and Nutrition Department.
Parents are responsible to pay all their student’s meal charges. All unpaid charges will be added to the list of any outstanding fees or unpaid fines at the end of the school year. Uncollected meal charges shall be handled the same as other school debt.