The South Colonie Central School District is required to provide the following notifications to parents on an annual basis. They have been posted online for your convenience.

New York State Education Law requires school districts to post their APPR plans to their district website.

Find the latest APPR Plan here.

New York State Education Law requires each classroom teacher and school principal to receive an annual professional performance review (APPR) that results in a composite effectiveness score and rating. All parents/guardians have the right to obtain the APPR quality ratings and composite effectiveness scores for their child’s current teacher(s) and principal(s) once they are available. 

Parent score request form

Notice is hereby given that the annual inspection for 2023 of the South Colonie Central School District facilities for fire hazards which might endanger the lives of students, teachers, employees therein, has been completed and the report thereof is available at the office of South Colonie Central School District for inspection by all interested persons. 

Each November, South Colonie Schools sends its students home 15 minutes early to test its Emergency Management Plan. The “Go Home Early Drill” is required once a year by the New York State Education Department. The drill date is published each year in the district calendar and on the website calendar. The purpose of the early dismissal drill is to test the effectiveness of the transportation and communications systems in the event of an emergency. Copies of the Emergency Management Plan are located in the Principal’s Office of each school, and at the District Office, 102 Loralee Drive, Albany.

The South Colonie Central School District has been allocated $4,599,382 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and $4,722,195 from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA- ESSER). 

This funding will be used toward sustaining safe operations of our schools while addressing academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of students resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. As required by state education law, the district maintains an ARP ESSER plan and must post this plan on its website. This plan is designed to outline how these funds will be used.

The South Colonie Central School District’s plan is available here

In accordance with the EPA Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1987 (40 CFR Part 763), the South Colonie Central School District put in place a management plan to identify and manage asbestos building materials. Periodic surveillances are done every six months. In addition, abatement projects have been conducted in conjunction with the building construction. Specific notifications are posted in the buildings where projects are done prior to the start of the abatement work. This spring the Triennial Re-inspection will be done, reviewing and updating the management plan for all of the district buildings.

The Asbestos Management Plan for the district is kept on file at the District Office. These records are available for review during regular business hours (8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.) or by making a special appointment. For more information, contact the Office of Buildings and Grounds at (518) 869-3576.

Being present is essential for students to make academic progress. The objective of the district’s comprehensive attendance policy is to promote student attendance and identify the process used to address issues related to unexcused absences, incidents of tardiness and early departures. District Policies & Notifications departures. The district utilizes a variety of strategies to encourage attendance, including sharing information with students and families, celebrating exemplary attendance, family outreach and imposing sanctions when needed. Communication about attendance expectations and addressing attendance issues is an important part of the policy.

A copy of the comprehensive attendance policy is available online here, at your child’s school, or at the District Office

The NYS Education Department’s Education Law §2-d Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security

The South Colonie Central School District is committed to ensuring student privacy in accordance with local, state and federal regulations and district policies.

To this end and pursuant to U.S. Department of Education regulations, the district is providing the following Parent’s Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security.

Parents and eligible students¹ can expect the following:

1. 1. A student’s personally identifiable information (PII)² cannot be sold or released for any commercial purpose.
   2. The right to inspect and review the complete contents of the student’s education record stored or maintained by an educational agency.
   3. State and federal laws,³ such as NYS Education Law §2-d and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, that protect the confidentiality of a student’s PII, and safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices, including but not limited to, encryption, firewalls, and password protection, must be in place when data is stored or transferred.
   4. A complete list of all student data elements collected by NYSED is available for public review at www.nysed.gov/data-privacy-security, and by writing to: Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234.
   5. The right to have complaints about possible breaches and unauthorized disclosures of student data addressed. Complaints may be submitted to James Lovett, Data Privacy Officer (DPO) at 518-869-5325, NYSED online at www.nysed.gov/data-privacy-security, by mail to Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234, by email to privacy@nysed.gov, or by telephone at 518-474-0937.
   6. To be notified in accordance with applicable laws and regulations if a breach or unauthorized release of their student’s PII occurs.
   7. Educational agency workers that handle PII will receive training on applicable state and federal laws, the educational agency’s policies, and safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices that protect PII.
   8. Educational agency contracts with vendors that receive PII will address statutory and regulatory data privacy and security requirements.

South Colonie’s Data Privacy and Security Policy
Supplemental Information

¹ “Parent” means a parent, legal guardian, or person in parental relation to a student. These rights may not apply to parents of eligible students defined as a student eighteen years or older. “Eligible Student” means a student 18 years
and older.

² “Personally identifiable information,” as applied to student data, means personally identifiable information as defined in section 99.3 of title thirty-four of the code of federal regulations implementing the family educational
rights and privacy act, section twelve hundred thirty-two-g of title twenty of the United States code, and, as applied to teacher or principal data, means “personally identifying information” as such term is used in subdivision ten of
section three thousand twelve-c of this chapter.

³ Information about other state and federal laws that protect student data such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, and NY’s Personal Privacy Protection Law can be found
at http://www.nysed.gov/student-data-privacy/federal-laws-protect-student-data.

More information

Supplemental vendor privacy information is available to parents by request.  If you would like more information, please contact James Lovett, Data Privacy Officer, at 518-869-5325, or email him at lovettj@scolonie.org. 

Because New York State is interested in data about children’s health, schools are required to keep height and weight data and to calculate students’ Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a way to check for underweight or overweight youngsters based Health Services Information on height and weight. Some schools will be surveyed by the New York State Department of Health each year and asked to share the number of pupils they have in each of six possible BMI categories based on students’ age and sex. If our district is surveyed by the state, we will only share group data (for instance, the number of second grade boys whose BMI is below the fifth percentile), not individual data. However, if parents wish their child’s data to be excluded from such group calculations, they may contact their school nurse.

School facilities may be used by district residents if approved by the South Colonie Board of Education. Fees are charged for certain kinds of activities and/or for extra services which the district has to provide. If you wish to use school facilities, contact the principal. Insurance coverage is required.

If you suspect a child is being abused or maltreated (neglected), report it by calling 1-800-342-3720, a toll-free 24-hour hotline operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department. Information about reporting child abuse and maltreatment (neglect) is available online at http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/cps/.

The South Colonie Central School District Code of Conduct applies to all students, school personnel, parents and visitors when on school property, including school buses and other school-owned vehicles or when attending a school-sponsored event or function. Information on the Code of Conduct is shared with students at the beginning of every school year.

For a complete copy, visit the policy section of the district website or contact your child’s school principal.

New York state requires tackle football programs to provide information about concussions and sub-concussive blows, and the injuries that might occur as a result of such blows, to the parents/guardians of all children participating in tackle football programs. The South Colonie Central School District is providing the following materials are located on this page of the South Colonie district website so that you are aware of the risks of concussion and other brain injuries.

New York state requires school districts to develop a continuity of operations plan and make it available. The South Colonie Central School District is providing the following plan so stakeholders are aware of the district’s plans in the event of an ongoing public health emergency involving communicable disease.

A printable copy of the plan can be found here.

The goal of the Dignity for All Students Act is to provide students with a safe, supportive education environment that is free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying. Some of the law requirements include: establishing anti-harassment and discrimination policies, creating school training programs and including a course in civility, citizenship and character education in the curriculum for every grade level.

For a complete copy, visit the policy section of the district website.

DASA Complaint Form

.

The goal of the Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act is to promote safe interscholastic athletics participation and to prevent incidents of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in student athletes. The law requires districts to provide information to parents/guardians of student athletes prior to the student’s participation in any interscholastic athletics. The law also requires teachers who coach extra-class athletic activity and coaches to hold a valid certificate of completion of a first aid knowledge and skills course offered by a nationally recognized organization. 

Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security

The South Colonie Central School District is committed to ensuring student privacy in accordance with local, state and federal regulations and district policies. To this end and pursuant to U.S. Department of Education regulations, the district is providing the following Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security:

• A student’s personally identifiable information cannot be sold or released for any commercial or marketing purposes.
• Parents have the right to inspect and review the complete contents of their child’s education record , including any student data maintained by the South Colonie Central School District.
• This right of inspection of records is consistent with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Under the more recently adopted regulations (Education Law §2-d), the rights of inspection are extended to include data, meaning parents have the right to inspect or receive copies of any data in their child’s educational record. The New York State Education Department (SED) will develop further policies and procedures related to these rights in the future.
• State and federal laws protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information and safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices, including but not limited to, encryption, firewalls and password protection, must be in place when data is stored or transferred.
• A complete list of all student data elements collected by the state is available for public review. Parents may also obtain a copy of this list by writing to the Office of Information & Reporting Services, New York State Education Department, Room 863 EBA, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, N.Y. 12234.
• Parents have the right to have complaints about possible breaches of student data addressed. Complaints should be directed to: Dr. David Perry, South Colonie District Office, (518) 869-3576 and to: Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234; email address is cpo@mail.nysed.gov. 

This bill of rights is subject to change based on regulations of the commissioner of education and the SED chief privacy officer, as well as emerging guidance documents from SED. For example, these changes/additions will include requirements for districts to share information about third-party contractors that have access to student data, including:

• How the student, teacher or principal data will be used;
• How the third-party contractors (and any subcontractors/ others with access to the data) will abide by data protection and security requirements;
• What will happen to data when agreements with third-party contractors expire;
• If and how parents, eligible students, teachers or principals may challenge the accuracy of data that is collected; and
• Where data will be stored to ensure security and the security precautions taken to ensure the data is protected, including whether the data will be encrypted.

If you would like more information, please contact James Lovett at lovettj@scolonie.org 

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides parents/guardians and students who are 18 years of age or older (known as “eligible students“) with certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. Parents/guardians and eligible students have the right to:

• Inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day a request for access is received by the school. At the K-8 level, the request should be submitted to the building principal. At grades 9-12 these requests should be submitted to the high school guidance department.
• Request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent/guardian or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights;
• 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 as outlined below;
• File a complaint with the USDOE concerning alleged failures by the district 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.

View the South Colonie’s required budget documents here.

The 2021-22 enacted state budget includes language stating that, for the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, each school district receiving a foundation aid increase of more than 10% or $10,000,000 a school year must post a plan of how the funds will be used to address student performance and need.

View a copy of the plan here

South Colonie participates in the National School Lunch Program providing nutritious meals for all students. Free and reduced meals are provided daily based on household size and income. Reduced meals are provided to families at no cost. All information is kept strictly confidential. To see whether your family qualifies for this program all you need to do is complete an application available at your child’s school or you may contact the South Colonie Food Service Department at (518) 869-3576. Only one application needs to be submitted per household. You will be notified within in 4-5 business days if you qualify for the program. An application package is also included as an insert in the South Colonie calendar mailed to parents’ homes in August or may be downloaded below. Parents are encouraged to submit the completed application to their child’s school or district office BEFORE the start of school each year.

If you are unable to access any of these forms, please call (518) 869-3576 for assistance

• Paper Food Service Application
• Electronic Food Service Application

For access to South Colonie Central School District’s record under the NYS Freedom of Information Law, please contact the district’s FOIL Officer Christopher Robilotti at robilottic@scolonie.org.

Requests should state that the information is being sought under the Freedom of Information Law and provide a brief description of the public records requested. Please be as specific as possible (i.e. relevant dates, names, descriptions, etc.)

The FOIL officer will acknowledge receipt of any FOIL requests within five business days. The nature of the request will determine how quickly the information can be provided.

• Foil request form
• For more information about the Freedom of Information Law, visit the Committee on Open Government website.

Decisions about student promotion and placement are at the discretion of the building principal These decisions are guided by recommendations of teachers and staff members, past academic performance and parent/guardian input. Past academic performance refers to a variety of indicators of student achievement and growth. The district’s promotion and placement policy was adopted by the board of education following a review by the district administration. 

A copy of the policy can be found in the policy section of the website. 

The South Colonie Central School District will be making alcohol-based hand sanitizers available in its school buildings during the 2023-24 school year. If parents wish to opt their child out of using it, they should send a written notice to the building principal by September 15, 2023.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and/or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule could apply to records that are maintained on students in districts. FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of students’ “education records” and applies to virtually all public schools and school districts. HIPAA established national standards and requirements for electronic health care transactions and protects the privacy and security of health information. For more on when FERPA and HIPAA do or don’t apply, view updated guidance from April 12, 2023, from the U.S. Department of Education or the “Joint Guidance” link under the references below. 

The New York State Technical and Education Assistance Center for Homeless Students (NYS-TEACHS) provides materials on its website that schools can use to provide information about educational services for homeless students:

• NYS-TEACHS Awareness Materials
• NYS-TEACHS – Determining Eligibility for McKinney-Vento

State law requires school districts to take steps to minimize the idling of the engines of school buses and other school vehicles on school grounds. While students are boarding and departing school buses, the engine should be turned off. Students should be instructed about the importance of getting on and off buses in an orderly and efficient fashion to minimize loading and unloading time. Bus engines should also be off while parked at sporting events and other school activities. Exceptions to this “no idling” policy can be made in cases of emergency, mechanical issues or for necessary heating.

Schools and child-care settings are required to post influenza educational material, in plain view, within their facilities.

The materials must be posted during flu season, or early fall through May. As such, South Colonie posts updated information annually on its website and throughout its school buildings. 

New York State Education Law requires schools to provide written notification to all parents/guardians and staff members regarding the potential use of pesticides periodically throughout the school year. The district maintains a list of all individuals who wish to receive 48-hour prior written notification of certain pesticide applications. If you would like to receive 48-hour notifications of pesticide applications that are scheduled to occur, please contact Gordon Webster at websterg@scolonieschools.org. In the event of an emergency application necessary to protect against an imminent threat to human health, a good faith effort will be made to supply written notification to those on the 48-hour prior notification list. Some pesticide applications are not subject to notification requirements, including anti-microbial products, EPA-designated biopesticides and exempt materials, and when a school remains unoccupied for a continuous 72-hours following an application. For more information on requirements, please contact the buildings and grounds department. 

As required by Commissioner’s Regulation 100.12, the South Colonie Central School District maintains an Instructional Technology Plan to help support achievement and engagement through the seamless integration of technology into teaching and learning, improve learning experiences for students and increase equitable access to technology-rich learning experiences for students and staff. 

South Colonie’s plan is available here.

State law requires school districts to sample all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes in buildings that may be occupied by students and to submit those samples to a state-approved lab for analysis. Testing last took place on 2020-21 and must be completed every three years thereafter, unless the state Commissioner of Health requires testing sooner.

The state established an action level of 0.005 milligrams of lead per liter. If a sample from a water outlet exceeds this level, schools must take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level.

School districts are required to report the results of all water testing to the state Department of Health, the state Education Department and the local health department, and to post the results—along with remediation plans, if required—on the official district website. 

The latest results from South Colonie can be found here.

Pursuant to federal law, South Colonie Central School District must provide to military recruiters and institutions of higher education, upon request, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of high school students. Parents/guardians or students age 18 or older who do not want this information released to military recruiters and/or institutes of higher education should contact the high school principal.

New York State Education Law requires school districts to make report card and accountability report information available on district websites.

View the NYSED page containing district report card..

The South Colonie Central School District does not discriminate on the basis of race (defined as, but not limited to, ancestry, color, ethnic group identification, and ethnic background, as well as traits historically associated with race including hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, national origin, creed, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, military status or any other protected status in its educational programs, employment or any other activities. Further, it is unlawful for an employer to retaliate against any individual because that person filed a complaint, opposed any unlawful practice or testified or assisted in an investigation or proceeding.

Any inquiries and complaints regarding non-discrimination in the district may be referred to Districts Title IX Co-Coordinators:

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Safety
Christopher Robilotti at robilottic@scolonie.org

Assistant Superintendent for Management Services and Strategic Planning
Jacqlene McAllister at mcallisterj@scolonie.org

The South Colonie Board of Education meetings will be held in-person with an option to view the meetings virtually. Public comments are available to those who attend in-person or can be accepted online via the public comment form.

To view a livestream of the meetings, please visit the district’s YouTube channel. Recordings of the meetings will be archived on the district’s YouTube channel immediately following the meeting. A transcript of each meeting can be made available upon request.

If you have any questions about board of education meetings, please contact the district clerk Amber Lanigan at lanigana@scolonie.org.

New York State Education Law requires the South Colonie Central School District to inform students and parents/guardians of the district’s policy that all eligible students are allowed to participate in a high school graduation ceremony and associated graduation activities with their graduating class (i.e., the 12th-grade class with which such student entered into ninth grade). This includes students who have been awarded a Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential or Career Development and Occupational Studies Commencement Credential.

Consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the district has designated certain categories of personally identifiable student information that it may release without prior written consent. This is known as “directory information.” The purpose of doing this is to enable student activities and accomplishments to be publicized and for the creation of such publications as the annual yearbook, programs for graduations, concerts and other special events, sports activity sheets and honor roll or recognition lists. Achievements are typically published on the school website and through school district social media, press releases to the local media and official district publications. Directory information can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent/guardian’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. 

The district has designated the following types of information as directory information: name, grade, school, photograph, participation in activities or sports, and or honors received.

If you do not want any or all of these types of information released pertaining to your child without your prior written consent, please send this request in writing to your child’s building principal by September 15 of each school year.

While the district will honor the request of any parent/guardian or eligible student who has submitted written notification opting their child out of the release of directory information, the district is not responsible for media that cover news happenings, sporting events or other school events that are open to the public, such as plays and musical performances.

If you suspect a child is being abused or maltreated (neglected), report it by calling 1-800-342-3720, a toll-free 24-hour hotline operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department. Information about reporting child abuse and maltreatment (neglect) is available online at http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/cps/.

New York State Education Law requires the South Colonie Central School District to provide a detailed statement of the amount of money which will be required for the ensuing year for school purposes, specifying the several purposes and the amount for each. View the South Colonie’s required budget documents here. 

Although payment for school meals is typically due at the time of the sale (through a prepaid balance, cash or some other means), the South Colonie Central School District  recognizes that at times, students are unable to make this payment for a variety of reasons. The South Colonie Central School District has established a school meal charge policy to provide clear information about how these situations will be handled, including steps designed to avoid any embarrassment of children. 

The Food Service Meal policy can be found under the policy section of the website. 

While a variety of food choices are made available to all students, parents and guardians may also request meal modifications if the available options do not meet their child’s dietary needs. To request a meal modification, please contact Annette Sukup at sukupa@scolonie.org to make a request. 

As required by state education law, the South Colonie Central School District maintains a district-wide safety plan and must post this plan on its website. This plan is designed to prevent or minimize the effects of violent incidents and emergencies and to facilitate the coordination of schools and school districts with local and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies. South Colonie Central School District’s plan is can be found under the safety section of the website. 

As required by the New York State and Local Retirement System, the South Colonie Central School District is posting the adopted Standard Work Day and Reporting Resolution for Elected and Appointed Officials.

Standard Work Day and Reporting Resolution

In addition to including the employee title and standard work day, the state comptroller’s office requires that the resolution must:

• Identify the first and last name of the official;
• Identify the last four digits of the official’s Social Security number;
• Identify the official’s NYSLRS ID;
• Identify the beginning and end date of each elected and appointed official’s term of office;
• Indicate that each official has submitted a sample three-month Record of Activities (ROA) by specifying each official’s ROA results, or in the event an ROA was not submitted, the resolution must so indicate; and
• Identify the pay frequency of the official;

The South Colonie Central School District has begun the implementation of a Stormwater Management Plan in order to protect New York State’s lakes, rivers, and tributaries from pollutants carried by rain, snowmelt run-off, stormwater run-off.

Stormwater is water from rain or melting snow that doesn’t soak into the ground but runs off into waterways. It flows from rooftops, over paved areas and bare soil, and through sloped lawns while picking up a variety of materials on its way.

As it flows, stormwater runoff collects and transports soil, animal waste, salt, pesticides, fertilizers, oil and grease, debris, and other potential pollutants. The quality of runoff is affected by a variety of factors and depends on the season, local meteorology, geography, and activities that lie in the path of the flow.

As part of the school’s program, the school will implement construction standards to prevent run-off, engage in public education and outreach, identify and eliminate unnecessary sources of stormwater run-off, and review pollution prevention and good housekeeping practices in the district.

How can you help in 5 easy steps?  You can help too!

By implementing these five simple steps we can all protect the state's waterways*

• Use a pooper scooper! Bacteria, parasite, and viruses from pet waste can easily wash into storm drains and end up in the river without being treated.
• Limit your pesticide use. Pesticides are one of the biggest pollutants of all.
• Limit fertilizer use, and make it a habit to sweep your grass clippings onto the lawn rather than into a catch basin.
• Check your vehicles for fuel and oil leaks. When it rains, grease and oil drippings wash into storm drains and go straight into our rivers and streams.
• Wash your car on the lawn or go to a car wash (where water goes to a wastewater treatment plant). Dirt and oils you wash off can harm fish and animals if it goes straight into the storm drain. Grass filters pollutants – and you’ll water your lawn at the same time.
• Only rain down the drain! In other words, use trash cans. Even if it means a slight inconvenience for you, it’s better off for everyone who shares New York State’s waterways.

*Information is taken from The Storm Water Tip Card Series.

More information can be obtained from the New York State Department of Conservation website on Storm Water. The district’s Storm Water Coordinator is Gordon Webster, Director of Facilities. The Storm Water Coordinator can be contacted at(518) 869-3576, ext. 0446.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment provides parents/guardians with certain rights regarding the conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes and certain physical exams. In particular, if a survey is funded in whole or part by the U.S. Department of Education, parents/guardians have the right to consent before students are required to complete a survey that asks about any of the following protected areas:

• Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parents/guardians;
• Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
• Sexual behavior or attitudes;
• Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating or demeaning behavior;
• Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
• Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors or ministers;
• Religious practices, affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent/guardian; or
• Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility. 

Parents/guardians will also receive a notice and an opportunity to opt students out of the following:

• Any other survey that asks about the above protected areas;
• Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attending school or school functions, with the exception of physical exams or screenings required or permitted by state law (e.g. hearing, vision or scoliosis); 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. 

Parents/guardians have the right to inspect any surveys that ask about the above protected areas, as well as surveys created by third parties that are used to collect personal information from students for marketing purposes and instructional materials used as part of the curriculum.

The school district will directly notify parents/guardians of its student privacy policy at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes. Parents/guardians will also be provided with reasonable notification of specific activities or surveys covered by this policy and the ability to opt their child out of such activities.

These rights transfer from the parents/guardians to their child who is at least 18 years old or an emancipated minor.

Anyone who believes their rights have been violated may file a complaint with: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202.

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), parents/ guardians have the right to know the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers, and the right to know specific information about the required assessments their child will take. Parents/guardians may request this information by contacting the Deputy Superintendent at 518-869-3576.

It is the policy of the South Colonie Central School District to provide a learning and working environment that is safe, welcoming, and free from discrimination on the basis of sex. Title IX requires the school district not to discriminate. View the district’s full harassment and non-discrimination policy on the policy section of the district website.

Reports of sexual harassment can be made at any time, to the Districts Title IX Co-Coordinators:

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Safety
Christopher Robilotti at robilottic@scolonie.org

Assistant Superintendent for Management Services and Strategic Planning
Jacqlene McAllister at mcallisterj@scolonie.org

If your child attends a non-public school within the South Colonie Central School District area, and needs transportation to their school, please contact Transportation Director, Brian Sim at (518)- 869- 8527 to determine if the district can provide transportation. Transportation requests for the upcoming school year should be made by April 1 each year.

The South Colonie Central School District offers vocational education opportunities to students without regard to sex, race, color, national original or handicap. The district’s designated coordinator of Title IX and Section 504 compliance activities is Christopher Robilotti, 102 Loralee Drive, Albany 12205, phone number: (518) 869-3576.