District Policies

GENERAL SCHOOL POLICIES:         

It is the policy of the Akron-Westfield School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, political party preference, political belief, socioeconomic status, familial status, physical attributes, physical or mental ability or disability in the educational programs, activities, or employment policies as required by Title VI and Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Title IX, of the 1972 Education Amendments, and the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

It is also the policy of this district that the curriculum content and instructional materials utilized reflect the cultural and racial diversity present in the United States and the variety of careers, roles, and life styles open to women as well as men in our society.  One of the objectives of the total curriculum and teaching strategies is to reduce stereotyping and to eliminate bias on the basis of any of the following actual or perceived traits or characteristics, including but not limited to, age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical attributes, physical or mental ability or disability, ancestry, political party preference, political belief, socioeconomic status, or familial status.  The curriculum should foster respect and appreciation for the cultural diversity found in our country and an awareness of the rights, duties, and responsibilities of each individual as a member of a pluralistic society. 

Inquiries regarding compliance with Title IX, Title VI or Section 504 may be directed to the Akron-Westfield High School Principal at Akron, Iowa. Phone (712) 568-2020.

DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT PROCEDURE:

A complaint procedure has been developed to handle these complaints.  Employees, parents or guardians, students and volunteers can file a complaint.  Briefly, the complaint procedure includes four steps:

1. Talk to the principal or an immediate supervisor about the complaint to try to solve the problem.  If the cause of the complaint is based on the conduct of the principal or immediate supervisor, the complainant should contact that person's immediate supervisor.

2. If not satisfied with the result of Step 1, a complaint form must be filed within fifteen (15) working days with the principal or immediate supervisor. A written response must be made within ten (10) working days by the principal or immediate supervisor. Individuals may obtain a complaint form from the educational equity coordinator by calling 568-2020. The educational equity coordinator will be involved with the processing of the complaint.

3. If not satisfied, the complaint can be filed with appropriate director within five (5) working days after receiving the response from the principal or immediate supervisor. The director must respond within ten (10) working days.

4. If not satisfied, the complaint can be filed with the superintendent within five (5) working days after receiving the response from the director. A response must be made by the superintendent within ten (10) working days of receiving complaint.

If still not satisfied, an individual can seek legal advice or file a formal complaint with the Des Moines Human Rights Commission, Iowa City Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or other agencies. Any formal complaint must be filed within 180 days of the incident giving rise to the complaint. If an individual seeks other avenues of redress, the District will not conduct the internal complaint investigation.

A complete copy of the complaint procedures, along with forms to be filed, can be obtained from the school board secretary, any administrator or the Equity Coordinator, Derek Briggs, 7-12 Principal, dbriggs@akron-westfield.com, Akron-Westfield Schools, 850 Kerr Dr., Akron, IA 51001, or by calling (712) 568-2020.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY & AFFIRMATIVE ACTION:

The Akron-Westfield Community School District shall provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment in accordance with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action laws, directives and regulations of federal, state, and local governing bodies and agencies.  This obligation to affirmatively implement equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment includes hiring, placement, upgrading, transfer, demotion, recruitment, advertising or solicitation for employment, treatment during employment, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and layoff or termination. 

Individuals who file an application with the school district will be given consideration for employment if they meet or exceed the qualifications set by the board, administration, and State Department of Education for the class or position for which they apply.  In employing school district personnel, the board shall consider the qualifications, credentials, and records of the applicants without regard any of the following actual or perceived traits or characteristics, including but not limited to, age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical attributes, physical or mental ability or disability, ancestry, political party preference, political belief, socioeconomic status, or familial status.  In keeping with law, the board shall consider the veteran status of applicants. 

This policy shall be reviewed by the administration at least one time per year.  

Employees shall be given notice of this policy annually.