Deputy Clerk
Maria Field
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Phone: 607.547.5364

New York State Sex Offender Registry

Otsego County Sex Offender Search

Standard Work Day Notification

Required Health Screenings for Students

According to Federal EPA’s Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), CCS is required to annually notify parents, students and employees of the presence of asbestos in the Jr./Sr. High School and the Elementary school. School personnel trained in asbestos management continue to perform semi-annual surveillance of district buildings as required by Federal Law. A booklet entitled “New York State Elementary & Secondary School Asbestos Guidebook for Schools and the Community” is available for perusal. The results of these re-inspections are on file in the district’s business office. Anyone wishing to view the asbestos records please contact Matthew Murphy, District Asbestos Designee, at 547.2650.

The Cooperstown Central School District shall comply with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Under its provisions, parents/guardians and noncustodial parent(s), whose rights are not limited by court order or formal agreement, of a student under eighteen (18), or a student who is eighteen (18) years of age or older or who is attending an institution of post-secondary education, have a right to inspect and review any and all education records maintained by the School District. For a complete copy of Policy 7240, please contact the Office of the Superintendent at 547.5364.

Directory information is information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. The District shall publish an annual public notice informing parents or eligible students (i.e., a student eighteen (18) years of age or older or who is attending an institution of post-secondary education) of the District’s definition of directory information, the parent/eligible student’s right to refuse the release of student directory information and indication of the time period for their response. Following such public notice and a reasonable response period, the District may release such information to an outside group without individual consent. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) defines student directory information as any of the items as indicated in the following list. The Cooperstown Central School District may release the following defined directory information: name, address, telephone listing, date of birth, grade level, participation in sports and activities, weight and height (for members of athletic teams), dates of attendance, honors, degrees and awards, e-mail address and photograph. Directory information does not include: A student’s social security number; or identification (ID) number, except as provided below. Directory information includes a student ID number, user ID, or other unique personal identifier used by the student for purposes of accessing or communicating in electronic systems, or that is displayed on a student ID card or badge, but only if the identifier cannot be used to gain access to education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the user’s identity, such as a personal identification number (PIN), password, or other factor known or possessed only by the authorized user. Parents and eligible students may not, by opting out of disclosure of directory information, prevent a school from requiring a student to wear or present a student identification card or a badge that displays information that may be directory information. For a complete copy of Policy 7242, please contact the Office of the Superintendent at 547.5364.

Upon request, the District shall release to parents/legal guardians the final quality ratings and composite effectiveness scores for teachers and Principals to which their child is currently assigned. Parents/legal guardians may contact the Director of Comprehensive Student Services, Programs to set up an appointment to receive, in person or by phone, the final quality ratings and composite effectiveness scores for their child’s designated teacher(s) and Principal.

In compliance with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB); and the National Defense Authorization Act, and in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the School District shall comply with a request by a military recruiter for secondary students’ names, addresses, and telephone listings, unless a parent has “opted out” of providing such information. Further, in compliance with the NCLB, the District shall give military recruiters the same access to secondary school students as they provide to post-secondary institutions or to prospective employers. For a complete copy of Policy 7243, please contact the Office of the Superintendent at 547.5364.

Parents, or students who are at least 18 years old, have the right to exercise their option to withhold their consent to the release of information to military recruiters and institutions of higher learning.

The parent/person in parental relation to a homeless child; or the homeless child, together with the homeless liaison designated by the School District in the case of an unaccompanied youth; or the director of a residential program for runaway and homeless youth established pursuant to Article 19-H of the Executive Law, in consultation with the homeless child, where such homeless child is living in such program, may designate either the school district of current location, the school district of origin, or a school district participating in a regional placement plan as the district the homeless child shall attend. Enrollment of homeless children shall not be delayed and their ability to continue or participate in the educational program shall not be restricted. The School District shall provide homeless children and youth with access to all of its programs, activities and services to the same extent that they are provided to resident students. Please contact Amy Malcuria, Liaison for Homeless Children and Youth, at 547.9976.

It is the policy of this school district to not discriminate on the basis of handicap, sex, national origin, religion, race, sexual orientation or age in its education programs, activities or employment as required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Copies of the full policies (#3420 and #7551) are available in each building office. The Board of Education has a policy prohibiting sexual harassment in our schools. Sexual harassment is generally defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. The CCSD administration, faculty, staff and students are responsible for assuring that the environment for work and study is free from sexual harassment. Sexual harassment violates the dignity of individuals and will not be tolerated. The Board of Education seeks to eliminate sexual harassment through education and by encouraging faculty, staff and students to report concerns or complaints. Prompt corrective measures will be taken to stop sexual harassment if ever it occurs. A copy of the full policy is available in each school office. Any student, employee or school district officer who believes discrimination or sexual harassment has occurred should report the alleged misconduct immediately so that corrective action may be taken. Please contact the building principal; Section 504 & Title IX Compliance Officer Sarah Spross 607.547.5364; the U.S. Department of Education 800.421.3481; or the New York State Office for Civil Rights 646.428.3900.

The Cooperstown Central School District is committed to protecting the privacy and security of student, teacher, and principal data. In accordance with New York Education Law § 2-d, the District wishes to inform the school community of the Parents’ Bill of Rights For Data Privacy And Security:

1. A student’s personally identifiable information cannot be sold or released for any commercial purposes.

2. Parents have the right to inspect and review the complete contents of their child’s education record.

3. 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.

4. A complete list of all student data elements collected by the State is available for public review here or by writing to the Office of Information & Reporting Services, New York State Education Department, Room 863 EBA, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234.

5. Parents have the right to have complaints with the District about possible privacy breaches of student data by third-party contractors or their employees, officers, or assigners, or with NYSED. Complaints regarding student data breaches should be directed to Mrs. Kristin Butler, Director of Curriculum, Development & Assessment, Cooperstown Central School District, 21 Walnut Street, Cooperstown, NY, phone 547.4011, email: kbutler@cooperstowncs.org. Complaints to NYSED should be directed in writing to the Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234. Complaints may also be directed to the Chief Privacy Officer via email at: CPO@mail.nysed.gov.

It is NOT the district’s intent to use pesticide applications on school property. Should the occasion arise when it might be necessary to do so, please be assured that we will be following all of the appropriate notification and application procedures as outlined in Education Law 409-h and Board Policy. Any resident wishing to be notified in writing prior to any such application must register annually with the Superintendent of Schools at 39 Linden Avenue, Cooperstown, NY 13326 or call 547.5364.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) governs the administration to students of a survey, analysis, or evaluation that concerns one or more of the following eight protected areas:

1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parent/guardian;

2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or the student’s family;

3. Sex behavior or attitudes;

4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;

5. Critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships;

6. Legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers;

7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student’s parent/guardian;

8. Income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program).

PPRA also concerns marketing surveys and other areas of student privacy, parental access to information, and the administration of certain physical examinations to minors. For a complete copy of Policy 7250, please contact the Office of the Superintendent at 547.5364.

As a parent of a student in the Cooperstown Central School District, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teacher(s) who instructs your child. Federal law allows you to ask certain information about your child’s classroom teacher(s) and requires us to give you this information in a timely manner if you ask for it. Specifically, you have the right to ask for the following information about each of your child’s classroom teacher(s):

• Whether the NYS Education Department has licensed or qualified the teacher for the grades and subjects he or she teaches.

• Whether the NYS Education Department has decided that the teacher can teach in the classroom without being licensed or qualified under state regulation because of special circumstances.

• The teacher’s college major and whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of the degree.

• Whether any paraprofessionals provide service to your child and, if they do, their qualifications.

If you would like to receive this information, please call the district offices at 547.5364.

Our school district is considered a Drug Free/Tobacco Free School Zone. Anyone arrested and convicted of selling or using illegal drugs within 1,000 feet of school property would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law by the civil authorities. The penalties are harsher than those in the community at large. Signs are posted at the entrances to our campuses and on district buildings as a warning that our district has no tolerance toward illegal drug possession or usage

Dogs will not be allowed on school property at any time unless prior arrangements have been made with a building principal for instructional purposes. We appreciate the community’s understanding and compliance with this policy in order to maintain the health and safety of our students, staff and guests.