Mandatory Notifications

NOTICE UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), the Webster Groves School District will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities.

Employment: The Webster Groves School District does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the ADA

Effective Communication: The Webster Groves School District will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in the District’s programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing or vision impairments.

Modifications of Policies and Procedures: The Webster Groves School District will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all its programs, services and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in the District’s offices, even when pets are generally prohibited.

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service or activity of the District, should contact the office of Dr. Tina Clark-Scott at 400 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, MO 63119 (314-961-1233) as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.

The ADA does not require the District to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

Complaints that a program, service or activity of the District is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to Dr. Tina Clark-Scott at 400 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, MO 63119 (314-961-1233).

The District will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.

Click here for our Non-Discrimination Policy

Special Education Services
All students between the ages of three and 21 who reside in St. Louis County are eligible for special education and vocational education services offered through the Special School District. Students with disabilities attending parochial and private schools have the right to appropriate special education and related services.

The Special School District serves county students with disabilities classified as mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed, physically impaired, specific learning disabled, speech/language impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, blind or partially seeing, deaf-blind, multi-handicapped, autism, traumatic brain injury and other health impaired.

The Special School District staff also provides routine and in-depth hearing and speech and language screenings as well as educational diagnostic evaluations for more than 100,000 children each year. Special education classes for three- and four-year-old students with disabilities and home teaching for home- and hospital-bound students also are offered by the Special District.

Additional information regarding special education and the Special District is available by calling Special District at 989-8100.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA)

COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

This guide explains how to file a complaint about any of the programs1 that are administered by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (the Department) under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA)2 .

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Complaint Procedures for ESSA Programs

General Information

1. What is a complaint under ESSA?

2. Who may file a complaint?

3. How can a complaint be filed?

Complaints filed with LEA

4. How will a complaint filed with the LEA be investigated?

5. What happens if a complaint is not resolved at the local level (LEA)?

Complaints filed with the Department

6. How can a complaint be filed with the Department?

7. How will a complaint filed with the Department be investigated?

8. How are complaints related to equitable services to nonpublic school children handled differently?

Appeals

9. How will appeals to the Department be investigated?

10. What happens if the complaint is not resolved at the state level (the Department)?

1. What is a complaint?

For these purposes, a complaint is a written allegation that a local education agency (LEA) or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (the Department) has violated a federal statute or regulation that applies to a program under ESSA.

2. Who may file a complaint?

Any individual or organization may file a complaint.

3. How can a complaint be filed?

Complaints can be filed with the LEA or with the Department.

4. How will a complaint filed with the LEA be investigated?

Complaints filed with the LEA are to be investigated and attempted to be resolved according to the locally developed and adopted procedures.

5. What happens if a complaint is not resolved at the local level (LEA)?

A complaint not resolved at the local level may be appealed to the Department.

Programs include Title I. A, B, C, D, Title II, Title III, Title IV.A, Title V Revised 4/17 2 In compliance with ESSA Title VIII- Part C. Sec. 8304(a)(3)(C)

Local education agencies are required to disseminate, free of charge, this information regarding ESSA complaint procedures to parents of students and appropriate private school officials or representatives.

6. How can a complaint be filed with the Department?

A complaint filed with the Department must be a written, signed statement that includes:

1. A statement that a requirement that applies to an ESSA program has been violated by the LEA or the Department, and

2. The facts on which the statement is based and the specific requirement allegedly violated.

7. How will a complaint filed with the Department be investigated?

The investigation and complaint resolution proceedings will be completed within a time limit of forty-five calendar days. That time limit can be extended by the agreement of all parties.

The following activities will occur in the investigation:

1. Record. A written record of the investigation will be kept.

2. Notification of LEA. The LEA will be notified of the complaint within five days of the complaint being filed.

3. Resolution at LEA. The LEA will then initiate its local complaint procedures in an effort to first resolve the complaint at the local level.

4. Report by LEA. Within thirty-five days of the complaint being filed, the LEA will submit a written summary of the LEA investigation and complaint resolution. This report is considered public record and may be made available to parents, teachers, and other members of the general public.

5. Verification. Within five days of receiving the written summary of a complaint resolution, the Department will verify the resolution of the complaint through an on-site visit, letter, or telephone call(s).

6. Appeal. The complainant or the LEA may appeal the decision of the Department to the U.S. Department of Education.

8. How are complaints related to equitable services to nonpublic school children handled differently?

In addition to the procedures listed in number 7 above, complaints related to equitable services will also be filed with the U.S. Department of Education, and they will receive all information related to the investigation and resolution of the complaint. Also, appeals to the United States Department of Education must be filed no longer than thirty days following the Department’s resolution of the complaint (or its failure to resolve the complaint).

9. How will appeals to the Department be investigated?

The Department will initiate an investigation within ten days, which will be concluded within thirty days from the day of the appeal. This investigation may be continued beyond the thirty day limit at the discretion of the Department. At the conclusion of the investigation, the Department will communicate the decision and reasons for the decision to the complainant and the LEA. Recommendations and details of the decision are to be implemented within fifteen days of the decision being delivered to the LEA.

10. What happens if a complaint is not resolved at the state level (the Department)?

The complainant or the LEA may appeal the decision of the Department to the United States Department of Education.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires notification to parents when any of the following situations exist in a Local Education Agency (LEA) receiving federal funds. Additional information regarding these requirements can be found in this manual.

1. LEAs must annually disseminate DESE’s ESSA Complaint Procedures to parents of students and appropriate nonpublic school officials or representatives.

2. At the beginning of each school year, a participating LEA must notify the parents of each student attending a school that receives Title I.A funds that they may request, and the LEA will provide in a timely manner, information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers and any paraprofessionals providing services to their child.

3. A school that receives Title I.A funds must provide all parents notice their child has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks, by a teacher or a person who is not appropriately certified.

4. Within 30 days after the beginning of the school year, an LEA must inform parents their child has been identified for participation in a language instruction educational program.

5. Parents/guardians of students enrolled in a persistently dangerous school or students who are victims of violent criminal offense while on school property must be notified of their option to transfer their student to a school that is not designated persistently dangerous.

6. Testing Transparency – LEAs must make available to the public for each grade and each assessment required by the state, the following:
a. the subject matter assessed;
b. the purpose for which the assessment is designed and used;
c. the source of the requirement for the assessment (statutory cite); d. the amount of time spent on the assessment;
e. the schedule for administering the assessment; and,
f. the time and format for disseminating results.

• Whether your student’s teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
• Whether your student’s teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived.
• Whether your student’s teacher is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher.
• Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

• Information on the level of achievement and academic growth of your student, if applicable and available, on each of the State academic assessments required under Title I.A.
• Timely notice that your student has been assigned, or has been taught for 4 or more consecutive weeks by, a teacher who has not met applicable State certification or licensure requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned.

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:

The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day the school receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal or appropriate school offi¬cial 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.

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.

The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without con¬sent. Please see the information below of disclosures that can be made without consent.

The district can disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have notified the district in writing not to do so. Directory information includes a student's name; address; date and place of birth; parents'/guardians’ names, home address, telephone number and e-mail addresses; grade level; enrollment status (e.g., full-time or part-time); student identification number (this is not the student’s social security number); participation in district-sponsored or district-recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; dates of attendance; degrees, honors and awards received; artwork or course work displayed by the district; schools or school districts previously attended; and photographs, videotapes, digital images and recorded sound unless such records would be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy.

The district will release this information unless a parent or eligible student (18 years or older) notifies the district in writing not to do so. Such notification should be sent to Tina Clark-Scott, learning support services director, Webster Groves School District, 400 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, Mo. 63119.

Parents have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if they think the district is in violation of FERPA.

Special Education Services

All students between the ages of three and 21 who reside in St. Louis County are eligible for special education and vocational education services offered through the Special School District. Students with disabilities attending parochial and private schools have the right to appropriate special education and related services.

The Special School District serves county students with disabilities classified as cognitively impaired, emotionally disturbed, physically impaired, specific learning disabled, speech/language impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, blind or partially seeing, deaf-blind, multi-handicapped, autism, traumatic brain injury and other health impaired.

The Special School District staff also provides routine and in-depth hearing, and speech and language screenings as well as educational diagnostic evaluations for more than 100,000 children each year. Special education classes for three- and four-year-old students with disabilities and home teaching for home- and hospital-bound students also are offered by the Special District. 

Additional information regarding special education and the Special District is available by calling the Special District at 989-8100.

Census on Disabilities

 To meet requirements of the state Department of Education, the Webster Groves School District takes an annual census of all children with disabilities under the age of 21 who live within the district's borders. Parents and guardians are asked to notify the district by filling out the form below by May 2.

The census covers children and youth with disabilities who are not served by the Special School District of St. Louis County, but receive services either by the Webster Groves School District or other school districts, state agencies, private schools or parochial schools.

All children with disabilities who live in the district are eligible for special education under Missouri law, the federal Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. All census information is confidential.

Children who have already been identified as suspected of disabilities, although the diagnosis is incomplete, are included in the accounting. 

For information on categories of disabilities, please call the Special School District 314-989-8100.

Disability Services

The Webster Groves School District conducts an annual survey of all children with disabilities under the age of 21 who live in the district and not now served by the Special School District of St. Louis County.

The survey complies with Missouri statutes, the federal Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which ensures confidentiality of all information.

Child’s name___________________________________________________________

Sex______________  Age_____________  Date of birth_________________________

Birth certificate number___________________________________________________

Nature of disability_______________________________________________________

School________________________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian________________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________________________

City, state_____________________________________________________________

Phone number (day)___________________________Evening___________________

Return completed form by May 2 to Special Education Survey, Webster Groves School District, 400 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, MO  63119. 

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA, Public Law 99-5190), enacted in October 1986, required the United States Environmental Protection Agency to develop regulations that provide a comprehensive framework for addresssing problems in schools. On Oct. 30, 1987, the EPA published the Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools Rule (40 CFR Part 763 Subpart E). This rule required all public and private schools to inspect for management plans that address asbestos hazards in school buildings and implement response actions in a timely fashion.

The Webster Groves School District recognizes that the presence of asbestos-containing building materials in schools constitutes a potential hazard to human health and the environment. Therefore, the prevention of exposure to asbestos fibers at any level is a matter of concern to the district and the school community, requiring the implementation of a carefully planned and thorough program to safeguard school children and personnel. This includes assessment of the potential hazard; application of recautions designed to prevent exposure to asbestos fibers and systematic abatement of asbestos-containing materials.

A reinspection of all district school buildings is performed periodically to cmply with the rules and regulations of the EPA. A report on the condition of each building and the location of asbestos-containing material is available at each building site.

EARTHQUAKE SAFETY FOR MISSOURI’S SCHOOLS

Find more information: http://sema.dps.mo.gov/earthquake_preparedness/

The New Madrid Seismic Zone Extends 120 Miles Southward from the area of Charleston, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois, through New Madrid and Caruthersville, following Interstate 55 to Blytheville and on down to Marked Tree, Arkansas. The NMSZ consists of a series of large, ancient faults that are buried beneath thick, soft sediments. These faults cross five state lines and cross the Mississippi River in three places and the Ohio River in two places.

The New Madrid Seismic Zone and surrounding region is Active, Averaging More than 200 Measured Events per Year (Magnitude 1.0 or greater), about 20 per month. Tremors large enough to be felt (Magnitude 2.5 – 3.0) are noted every year. The fault releases a shock of 4.0 or more, capable of local minor damage, about every 18 months. Magnitudes of 5.0 or greater occur about once per decade. They can cause significant damage and be felt in several states.

The Highest Earthquake Risk in the United States outside the West Coast is in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Damaging temblors are not as frequent as in California, but when they do occur, the destruction covers over more than 20 times the area due to the nature of geologic materials in the region. The 1968 5.5 magnitude Dale, Illinois earthquake toppled chimneys and caused damage to unreinforced masonry in the St. Louis area, more than 100 miles from the epicenter. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake in April 2008 in southeast Illinois, did not cause damage in Missouri, but was felt across much of the state.

A Damaging Earthquake in this Area, which experts say is about a 6.0 magnitude event, occurs about once every 80 years (the last one in 1895 was centered near Charleston, Missouri). There is estimated to be a 25-40% chance for a magnitude 6.0 – 7.5 or greater earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone in a 50-year period according to the U.S. Geological Survey reports. The results would be serious damage to un-reinforced masonry buildings and other structures from Memphis to St. Louis. We are certainly overdue for this type of earthquake!

A Major Earthquake in this Area - the Great New Madrid Earthquake of 1811-12 was actually a series of over 2000 shocks in five months, with several quakes believed to be a 7.0 Magnitude or higher. Eighteen of these rang church bells on the Eastern seaboard. The very land itself was destroyed in the Missouri Bootheel, making it unfit even for farming for many years. It was the largest release of seismic energy east of the Rocky Mountains in the history of the U.S. and was several times larger than the San Francisco quake of 1906.

When Will Another Great Earthquake the Size of Those in 1811-12 Happen? Several lines of research suggest that the catastrophic upheavals like those in 1811-12 visit the New Madrid region every 500-600 years. Hence, emergency planners, engineers, and seismologists do not expect a repeat of the intensity of the 1811-12 series for at least 100 years or more. However, even though the chance is remote, experts estimate the chances for a repeat earthquake of similar magnitude to the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes over a 50-year period to be a 7 - 10% probability.

What Can We Do to Protect Ourselves? Education, planning, proper building construction, and preparedness are proven means to minimize earthquake losses, deaths, and injuries.

Prepare a Home Earthquake Plan. Choose a safe place in every room--under a sturdy table or desk or against an inside wall where nothing can fall on you. Practice DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON at least twice a year. Drop under a sturdy desk or table, hold onto the desk or table with one hand, and protect the back of the head with the other hand. If there's no table or desk nearby, kneel on the floor against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases, or tall furniture that could fall on you and protect the back of your head with one hand and your face with the other arm. Choose an out-of-town family contact. Take a first aid class from your local Red Cross chapter. Keep your training current. Get training in how to use a fire extinguisher from your local fire department. Inform babysitters and caregivers of your plan.

Eliminate Hazards. Consult a professional to find out additional ways you can protect your home, such as bolting the house to its foundation and other structural mitigation techniques. Bolt bookcases, china cabinets and other tall furniture to wall studs. Install strong latches on cupboards. Strap the water heater to wall studs.

Prepare a Disaster Supplies Kit for Home and Car. First aid kit and essential medications. Canned food and can opener. At least three gallons of water per person. Protective clothing, rainwear, and bedding or sleeping bags. Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries. Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members. Written instructions for how to turn off gas, electricity, and water if authorities advise you to do so. (Remember, you'll need a professional to turn natural gas service back on.) Keeping essentials, such as a flashlight and sturdy shoes, by your bedside.

Know What to Do When the Shaking BEGINS DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON! Move only a few steps to a nearby safe place. Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you're sure it's safe to exit. Stay away from windows. In a high-rise building, expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off during a quake. If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. If you are outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, and power lines. Drop to the ground. If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place (as described above). Stay in the car until the shaking stops.

Know What to Do AFTER the Shaking Stops. Check yourself for injuries. Protect yourself from further danger by putting on long pants, a longsleeved shirt, sturdy shoes, and work gloves. Check others for injuries. Give first aid for serious injuries. Look for and extinguish small fires. Eliminate fire hazards. Turn off the gas if you smell gas or think it's leaking. (Remember, only a professional should turn it back on.) Listen to the radio for instructions Expect aftershocks. Each time you feel one, DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON! Inspect your home for damage. Get everyone out if your home is unsafe. Use the telephone only to report life-threatening emergencies.

This information was extracted from the American Red Cross website http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_241_,00.html, Missouri State Emergency

The federal Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment affords parents certain rights relative to collecting an dusing information for marketing purposes as well as conducting certain surveys and physical exams of students by the school district. Parents must consent prior to the district conducting student surveys regarding certain "protected areas" if any federal funding is used to conduct such survey, andparents must receive notice and na opportunity to opt out of any such survey, regardless of funding source. Parents must also receive notice and an opportunity to opt out of any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening, with limited exceptions, or any activities involving collection, disclosure or use of personal information obtained from student for marketing, selling or otherwise distributing such information to others. For more information on these parental rights, please seel Policy JHDA, which has been adopted by the Board of Education of the Webster Groves School District.

The Webster Groves School District Board of Education recognizes that homelessness alone should not be sufficient reason to separate students from the mainstream school environment. Therefore, the district, in accordance with state and federal law and the Missouri state plan for education of the homeless, will give special attention to ensure that homeless students in the shcool district have access to a free and appropriate public education. Homeless coordinator:

Tina Clark-Scott, Director of Learning Support Services
400 E. Lockwood Ave.,
Webster Groves, MO 63119.

The Webster Groves School District has determined that the Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation (VICC) and its officers, employees and agents are school officials with legitimate educational interests because they act for and on behalf of the district with respect to transfer students and the transfer program, and because they seek to advance the interests of both. A transfer student's attendance records and other educational records relevant to the student's participation in the program or to the program itself may accordingly be disclosed to VICC without obtaining written consent from the parent/guardian or eligible student. 

The district will implement the components of the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) in order to monitor the progress of all students in meeting the Show-Me Standards, as set forth by the Missouri State Board of Education. 

The district may establish a system to encourage the students of this district to give their best efforts on each portion of any statewide assessment.