Official Notices

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age certain rights with respect to their student's education records. They are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records;
2. The right to request the amendment of student's education records that the parent or eligible students believes are inaccurate or misleading;
3. The rights to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent; and

The right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education.

Free and Reduced Lunch Program

Qualifying students are eligible for free or reduced-priced breakfasts and lunches. Free/reduced applications will be sent to all families at the beginning of the school year. Applications can also be obtained at any time during the school year at your child's school office or on the district website at https://sksdfoodandnutrition.com/

Harassment/Intimidation/Bullying Statement

The South Kitsap School District strives to provide students with optimal conditions for learning by maintaining a school environment where everyone is treated with respect and no one is physically or emotionally harmed. In order to ensure respect and prevent harm, it is a violation of district policy for a student to be harassed, intimidated, or bullied by others in the school community, at school sponsored events, or when such actions create a substantial disruption to the educational process. The school community includes all students, school employees, school board members, contractors, unpaid volunteers, families, patrons, and other visitors. Student(s) will not be harassed because of their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity, mental or physical disability, or other distinguishing characteristics. Any school staff who observes, overhears, or otherwise, witnesses harassment, intimidation or bullying or to whom such actions have been reported must take prompt and appropriate action to stop the harassment and to prevent its re-occurrence.

Link for more information on HIB

McKinney Vento (Homeless Resources)

South Kitsap School District's Wellness & Support Department can provide information to assist students who find themselves in temporary or transitional housing during the school year. We work closely with local shelter and housing providers, local community agencies and resources. Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF), Kitsap County and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act was authorized by Congress, December 2001, as part of the Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA) December 2015. The purpose of the Act is to remove barriers to education for homeless/transitional students and provide educational support and stability.

Who is eligible for Homeless (McKinney-Vento) Assistance and Services?
Any child or youth, including migrant and unaccompanied youth, who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence is considered homeless and McKinney-Vento eligible for assistance and services. This includes children and youth who are temporarily sharing housing with others due to loss of housing or economic hardship, those living in hotels, camping grounds, emergency shelters, cars, bus or train stations. We provide assistance with:

• Maintain attendance at the school of origin, or current school for the remainder of the current school year (if this is in the child's best interest and feasible) or enroll in the neighborhood school where currently residing.
• Transportation assistance if needed.
• Free food services.
• Appropriate support programs for which they are eligible such as gifted, children with disabilities, vocational education and preschool.
• Assistance obtaining records and documentation.
• Academic assistance through the district's federally funded Title I program.
• Parent or guardian involvement in school activities.

Homeless Education Liaison
Joanne Warren
360-874-7050
warrenj@skschools.org

Pest Management Pre-Notification

The District, in accordance with state law, provides written annual notification to parents or guardians and employees describing the District's pest control policies and methods. It is the policy of this school district that the health and safety of students and staff shall be of primary concern when pesticides are used to control weeds, molds, moss, fungus, rodents, insects and other unwanted pests.

Report Cards

All students receive a combination of report cards and parent-teacher conferences during the school year to report on their progress. Parents may request status on a student’s grades from a teacher at any time or arrange to visit a classroom by contacting the school.

• Elementary students (grades K-5) are on a trimester schedule and receive a report card at the end of each trimester. Conferences are held twice a year.
• Middle school students (grades 6-8), operate on a semester system. Students receive report cards twice a year and conferences are held twice a year.
• High school students (grades 9-12) operate on a semester system and report cards are issued at the end of each semester. Conferences are held twice a year.

View your child's school Report Card on the OSPI website. Type in your school's zip code to find your school. Paper copies are also available by contacting the South Kitsap School District Teaching and Learning Department at 360-874-7000. Our state also participates in National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) testing in grades 4 and 8 in Math and Reading. There is no district level data reported, only state level data in relation to national achievement levels.

Requests for Information

In 2004, the Washington State Legislature passed a law requiring school districts to annually notify parents of their right to request public information about their school district. If you would like to make a Public Disclosure Request, please call 360-874-7013.

Rights & Responsibilities - A Student, Parent, and School Personnel Handbook

The purpose of the Rights & Responsibilities handbook is to familiarize students and families with their rights and responsibilities in helping maintain a dynamic, responsive, and nurturing learning environment. Please refer to this handbook for policies pertaining but not limited to:

• Student Conduct
• Student Alcohol and Drug Use
• Bus Conduct
• Attendance
• Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying
• Medication at School
• Student Dress
• Electronic Mail and Internet Use

Please review the Rights & Responsibilities document with your student(s) so they understand their personal rights and responsibilities. The first page of the handbook contains the 'Acknowledgement of Receipt' form which parents and students are required to read, sign, and return to their school. This form must be completed and returned to school each year. Due to budget constraints, the district has limited copies of the handbook. If you DO NOT have access to the internet and need a handbook provided to you, please contact your school office or for those with access, you can download the handbook at www.skschools.org

Special Education Services

The District offers special education and related services to students who have a disability that creates an adverse impact on educational performance and requires specially designed instruction.

Special services for students who qualify may include support in the area(s) of learning, social development, daily living, behavior, motor and communication skills. Special education services are designed to allow students to actively participate in general education instruction to the maximum extent appropriate. Federal and state laws require school districts to provide free and appropriate public educational programs in the least restrictive environment to eligible students determined to have a disability.

Special Education Screening is available for all children (birth to 21 years old) suspected of having delays in learning, motor skills, speech or language, or social skills. Monthly screening dates are held by the Office of Special Education. For a screening appointment, parents should call 360-443-3625. Parents of school-age students concerned with their child's educational performance should contact their neighborhood school's principal or school psychologist. Parents are actively involved in the planning of special education services through their participation in an annual meeting to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Parents are encouraged to become involved in their child(ren)'s programs by participating in school and district committees and organizations.

Statement of Nondiscrimination

The South Kitsap School District provides equal educational and employment opportunity without regard to race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation – including gender expression or identity, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Equal access to activities, facilities and program is provided to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. District procedure complies with all applicable state and federal laws.

The Title IX Officer, Section 504 Coordinator, and Gender Inclusivity Officer with the responsibility for monitoring, auditing and ensuring compliance with this policy are:

Compliance/ADA/Title IX Coordinator:
Will Sarett,
Executive Director of Human Resources 
2689 Hoover Avenue SE, Port Orchard, WA 98366
360-874-7071
sarett@skschools.org

Section 504 Coordinator:
Kimberly House,
Director of Special Services
2689 Hoover Avenue SE, Port Orchard, WA 98366
360-443-3648
house@skschools.org

Gender Inclusivity Compliance Officer:
Dr. Tom Edwards,
Assistant Superintendent for Student Achievement
2689 Hoover Ave SE, Port Orchard, WA 98366
360-874-7003
edwards@skschools.org

Title I Parent and Family Engagement

The board recognizes that parent and family engagement helps students participating in Title I programs achieve academic standards. To promote parent and family engagement, the board adopts the following policy, which describes how the district will involve parents and family members of Title I students in developing and implementing the district's Title I programs. To read the entire policy, visit:  www.skschools.org/district/policies and search for Policy 4130.
A hard copy of the policy is available by calling 360-874-7060.

Website Accessibility

South Kitsap School District is committed to making its websites usable by all people, including those with disabilities by meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Levell AA (WCAG 2.0 AA). We strive to make our sites and equal playing field for all users.

We are here to help

We are dedicated to meeting all your accessibility needs. It is important to note that efforts to the website are ongoing. We are working to improve compliance and access over time. Should you have specific questions or concerns about the accessibility of this site or need assistance in using the content provided within the site, we can to help. Please contact the Communication & Community Relations Department at 360-874-7005 or email millera@skschools.org.

Third Party Applications

While visiting our site, you may notice third party applications like Facebook, Peachjar, Twitter,  YouTube and Adobe PDF document attachments to provide district information. Though individuals may have challenges with access to these particular sites, South Kitsap School District does not control or remedy the way content is delivered. Please inform us of any issues you encounter so we can alert our partners.