General Information

ABSENCES AND ATTENDANCE

To call in an absence, call your child’s main office number or inform their IEP Case Manager. Please leave the date, student’s name, and reason for the absence. Your child’s transportation company should also be informed of the absence. This is helpful communication for the home district.

Regular attendance is important to school success.

1. Excused Absences

• A valid excuse for an absence may include religious holiday, family emergency, illness, doctor’s visit, mental health/therapy appointment, probation appointment, or court.

• Requests to excuse a student from school for an extended period should be made in advance and in writing. These requests require the approval of the program administrator. The school board permits the school to excuse students for the following reasons:

• Illness;

• Serious illness or death in the family;

• Appointment with a doctor, dentist, or mental health professional when an appointment cannot be made outside the school day;

• Religious observance; or

• Special occasions authorized by the assistant director, director, or school superintendent.

• Before a student leaves the school building, they must report to the office and have a parent/guardian sign the student out.

• After a student has accumulated 10 excused absences a formal letter may be sent to parents or guardians requesting documentation from professionals (doctor, therapist, dentist, etc.) to excuse the absence.

  • If documentation is not provided the student’s absence will be recorded as unexcused. Continued unexcused absences will follow the same reporting guidelines as referenced under educational neglect and truancy.

2. Unexcused Absences

• Invalid excuses for an absence may include staying home to babysit, being tired, cold weather, missed bus, work, school refusal, being needed at home, or oversleeping.

• Travel or vacations are not considered an excused absence. Please check with the program administrator before planning travel or vacations to determine if this would impact your child’s attendance record.

3. Tardies

• Tardies will be collected if a student is 15 minutes late after the expected start time of the program they attend.

• 3 unexcused tardies may equal 1 unexcused full day, dependent on county truancy guidelines.

• If the student will be tardy, please indicate the approximate time they will be arriving.

4. Notification of Absences or Tardies

• Parents and guardians must include the following information when notifying the school regarding a student absence/tardy:

  • Date

  • Student name

  • Homeroom or case manager

  • Reason for the absence.

• Please remember to also notify the transportation company of a student absence.

5. Mandated Reporting for Educational Neglect and Truancy

• If students are not regularly attending school or are not on time the school is mandated to report educational neglect and truancy to residing counties:

1. Educational Neglect

• For students, 11 and younger, reports are made to the county of residence Child Protective Service (CPS) for educational neglect.

• A formal letter will be sent out via mail or email to parents or guardians when a student has accumulated 3 unexcused absences.

• School staff will offer parents the opportunity to participate in a meeting to address attendance concerns.

• If the student accumulates 7 unexcused absences school staff are mandated to report educational neglect to agencies in the county of residence.

• A referral letter will be sent out to parents or guardians via mail or email.

• The county agency will contact parents and collaborate with school staff.

2. Truancy

• A student who is 12 to 17 years old and is absent without an excuse for seven school days, is considered to be habitually truant.

• A formal letter will be sent out via mail or email to parents or guardians when a student has accumulated 3 days of unexcused absences.

• School staff will offer parents the opportunity to participate in a meeting to address attendance concerns.

• If the student accumulates 7 unexcused absences school staff are mandated to report truancy to agencies in the county of residence.

• A referral letter will be sent out to parents or guardians via mail or email.

• The county agency will contact parents and collaborate with school staff.

ALLERGENS AND CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY

Exposure to fragrances and other scents can cause sensitive people to experience upper respiratory irritation, asthma, headaches, and other symptoms. ISD 917 requests that all school spaces remain free of scented products including:

• Personal care products

• Strong smelling cleaning supplies

• Air fresheners, etc.

Latex: Due to student and staff allergies, it is recommended that latex not be brought into classrooms. This includes non-mylar balloons.

Food Allergies: Due to potentially life-threatening allergies, it is highly recommended that peanut or nut-containing products not be brought into common eating areas.

BACKGROUND CHECKS

School board policy 404 Employment Background Checks outlines the district practices regarding criminal background checks of all employees who receive an offer of employment from the district. Further, the school district reserves all rights to conduct background checks of current employees or applicants.

COMMUNICATION

Instructors will contact parents on a regular basis regarding their child's program. Parents are encouraged to reach out to teachers before or after the school day via phone if possible or using email. Students are generally only allowed to make phone calls in emergency situations. A student must receive permission from the classroom teacher before being permitted to use the phone. If a parent needs to talk with a child during the school day, office staff will assist parents in reaching or delivering a message to the student.

CONFERENCES

Conferences are held each year and parents/guardians are encouraged to attend. The conferences are scheduled to review each student's program and to make plans for future programming.

DIRECTORY INFORMATION

Intermediate School District 917, pursuant to the U.S. General Education Provisions Act and Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, declares the following as "Directory Information" as provided in the Act, and that information relating to students may be made public if the information is in any of the following categories:

• Student's name

• Date of birth

• Major field of study

• Participation in officially recognized activities

• Dates of attendance

• Grade levels completed

• Degrees and awards received

Directory information does not include identifying data which references religion, race, color, social position, nationality, or disability. Any parent of any student or eligible student (18 or older) in the District may notify the District of their desire that some or none of the above information is to be released without their consent by contacting the administrator in the program in which said student attends and by completing a nondisclosure form, which can be obtained from the program administrator.

DRESS CODE

Since we believe that school is the student's place of work and that their dress should be in harmony with a good working situation, school dress policy needs to be followed:

• Clothing should be comfortable and appropriate for the age of the student. Wallet chains and similar accessories are also not acceptable school dress.

• Students should be dressed to be comfortable in warm weather. Revealing clothing, such as tight and/or short shorts, halter and tube tops, and any clothing that reveals a bare midriff are to be reserved for after school wear.

• Written messages or pictures on clothing must be appropriate for school. They cannot display messages of a discriminatory, sexual, or violent nature. Shirts with tobacco, drug, or alcohol messages or logos are not acceptable.

• Appropriateness will be decided by the school administration and other clothing will be available.

• Gang-related clothing and symbols will not be allowed in school.

• Outerwear, such as headgear, windbreakers, jackets, coats, gloves and scarves typically may not be worn indoors during the school day.

EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS/FIRE DRILLS

In accordance with state law and for the safety of all students, a minimum of one tornado, five lockdown and five fire drills will be conducted this school year. During the drills, everyone must follow the directives in a timely and orderly manner. In the event that alternate sheltering is needed, some sites may utilize a religious institution such as a church to meet this need.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION

All students are required to have up-to-date health and emergency information on file at school. This is to include emergency telephone numbers where a parent/guardian can be reached during the school day. In addition, emergency contact information should be provided in case a parent is unavailable. Parents/guardians will also be asked by their transportation office to provide emergency information that will be kept on the school bus.

FIELD TRIPS

During the school year community-based volunteer programming and field trips are planned to different locations in the community to enhance the educational experience. There may be a charge for field trips depending on the activity. Intermediate School District 917 will provide the transportation. Permission is granted through the Online Registration in Infinite Campus. Notification of community-based programming and trips will be provided in advance. Students will not be allowed to participate in community-based programming or field trips unless permission is granted and emergency health forms have been completed and are on file at the school.

GENDER IDENTITY

Students have the right to be identified by their name, pronoun, and asserted gender in learning spaces, facilities, and extracurricular activities. Students and their guardians must communicate and complete proper documentation with the district to change school records to reflect their name, pronoun, and/or gender identity.

HEALTH SCREENINGS

Students will participate in health screenings throughout the year including hearing and vision screening. Students may be screened at the request of a parent or teacher or as part of the 3-year re-evaluation process. Please contact your child’s licensed school nurse with any questions.

ILLNESS - HOME

To help reduce the spread of disease throughout the school, we ask families to keep students home from school for the following conditions:

• Fever of 100.0 or greater, remain at home until 24 hours after the fever returns to normal without fever-reducing medication.

• Vomiting and/or diarrhea, remain at home until 24 hours after the last episode.

• Cold symptoms such as a new cough, congestion, nasal drainage, sore throat, decreased appetite, interrupted sleep, and fatigue. We recommend checking with your physician before sending your student back to school.

• Undiagnosed rash until consulting with your physician.

• Red eyes with drainage until consulting with your physician.

In Addition:

• Remain at home for 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotics is started

• Please report any communicable illness such as chickenpox, pink eye, strep throat, Covid-19, influenza, or ringworm to your child’s licensed school nurse.

ILLNESS/INJURY - SCHOOL

If a student becomes ill or is injured at school, the parent will be contacted. If a parent cannot be reached, the emergency contacts will be called. Transportation home and additional medical care are the responsibility of the parent/guardian.

In the event that 911 is called, emergency response personnel will assess the need for further medical treatment and possible transport to a hospital. Parent/Guardian will communicate with emergency response personnel related to the action advised. If transport is needed, a parent or guardian is expected to be onsite at the hospital to provide consent for treatment.

Please note that the nurse will also consider:

• If illness results in a need for care that is greater than the staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children;

• If a child appears to be severely ill;

• If illness poses a risk of spreading of disease to others;

• If any child determined by the local health department is contributing to the transmission of illness during an outbreak.

IMMUNIZATIONS

In order to attend school, students must show that they are in compliance with Minnesota School Immunization Requirements. Intermediate School District 917 follows our member districts’ policies, which include a “No Shots, No School Policy.” This policy states that students who are not up to date on their immunizations will not be allowed to start school until they provide the school with documentation that they have received the required immunizations. See the Minnesota Department of Health website for more information on required immunizations. https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/immunize/basics/readykidswhento.pdf

Students transferring into an Intermediate School District 917 program are allowed a 30-day grace period to meet the immunization requirements.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES

In some programs, parents are expected to provide supplies. If instructional materials are lost or damaged, a charge may be assessed to the student who lost or damaged the item.

INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE

Please refer to ISD 917’s policy for internet acceptable use. Acceptance of this policy is included in Online Registration in Infinite Campus.

LOCKERS AND DESKS

Lockers, desks, and storage areas are the property of Intermediate School District 917. At no time does Intermediate School District 917 relinquish its exclusive control of lockers/storage areas provided for the convenience of students. Inspection of the interior lockers/storage areas may be conducted by school district authorities for any reason at any time, without notice, without student consent, and without a search warrant. The personal possessions of students within a school locker/storage area may be searched only when school authorities have a reasonable suspicion that the search will uncover evidence of a violation of law or school rules. As soon as practical after the search of a student's personal possessions, the school authorities must provide notice of the search to students whose lockers were searched unless disclosure would impede an on-going investigation by police or school officials.

MEDIA

During the school year, Intermediate School District 917 may wish to use a photograph, audio recording, or video recording of your child or work they have created for promotional or educational reasons, including, but not limited to: publications, posters, brochures, newsletters, website, social media, radio, and/or television. Permission for this is granted through Online Registration in Infinite Campus.

MEDICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED HEALTHCARE PROCEDURES

Intermediate School District 917 acknowledges that some students may require medication or specialized procedures during the school day. Medications that can be administered to the student before or after school will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Medications or procedures that are required during school hours will be administered by school nursing staff or a nurse designee who the nurse has trained and delegated the function of medication administration or delivery of specialized health care procedures.

All medications will be kept in the health office or designated area unless there is a written plan/agreement between the school, parent/guardian, physician, and student (when appropriate).

Parents are responsible for obtaining and providing the needed forms, medications, supplies, and equipment prior to their child receiving any medication or specialized health care procedures at school. All forms need to be updated annually and when there is any change in requested medication or procedure (i.e. dose, time, and type).

Requirements for Administration of Medications and Specialized Health Care Procedures:

• Signed authorization/directions from parent/guardian. See “Authorization and Request for Administration of Medications” form;

• Signed authorization from a physician is required for all prescription medications. See “Authorization and Request for Administration of Medications” form. Additionally, non-prescription medications may need a physician or licensed provider authorization at the discretion of the Licensed School Nurse.

• A signed authorization by the provider and parent/guardian for self-carry medications such as inhalers and epi-pens.

• All prescribed medications must be provided with an accurately labeled prescription container;

• All non-prescription medications provided by parents/guardians must be in an original container with a label and directions;

• Administration of medication or special procedures by our member district’s health services for 917 students, will be in accordance with the member district’s policies and procedures.

• Supplies and equipment for authorized procedures must be consistent with the directions/written authorizations.

NOTIFICATION OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR BY STUDENTS

According to our district policy, 529 MSBA Staff Notice of Violent Behavior, section IV, parents/guardians must be informed yearly that your child’s history of violent behavior, documented within the past 2 school years, will be shared with your child’s case manager or classroom teacher. It will also be shared with additional staff members who have a legitimate educational interest in your child’s instruction, teaching, student achievement and progress, discipline, health and welfare, and the ability to respond to a request for educational data. As the parent/guardian, you have the right to review your child’s behavioral data, including the data related to violent behavior. Please feel free to contact your student’s case manager or classroom teacher with this request.

Policy 529, section VI reads as:

VI. PARENTAL NOTICE

A. The administration will notify parents annually that the school district gives classroom teachers and other school staff members notice about students’ history of violent behavior.

B. Prior to providing the written notice of a student’s violent behavior to classroom teachers and/or school staff members, the administration will inform the student’s parent or guardian that such notice will be provided.

C. Parents will be given notice that they have the right to review and challenge records or data, including the data documenting the history of violent behavior, in accordance with Policy 515, Protection and Privacy of Pupil Records.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Intermediate School District 917 has waived the requirement to recite the Pledge of Allegiance via Board Policy 531, in accordance with Minn. Stat. § 121A.11, sub. 3. Intermediate School District 917 programs may be located in districts which recite the Pledge of Allegiance, in which case, the program will defer to the local district practice.

POLICIES

Please refer to the district website for applicable policies. They can be found by going to About > School Board > Policies > 500 students.

RESTRICTIVE PROCEDURES PLAN

The district’s Restrictive Procedures Plan can be found here. It is updated annually.

SCHOOL-SPONSORED STUDENT PUBLICATIONS AND/OR STUDENT PROJECTS

Expression in a school publication or in a student project is prohibited when the material:

• Expresses or advocates sexual, racial or religious harassment or violence or prejudice;

• Encourages students to commit illegal acts or violate school regulations or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of school or school activities;

• Advertises or promotes any product or service not permitted for minors by law;

• Is libelous or slanderous; or

• Is obscene to minors.

Students violating these guidelines are subject to disciplinary action.

SEARCHES

The personal possessions of a student and a student’s person may be searched when school officials have a reasonable suspicion that the search will uncover a violation of law and/or school rules. The search will be reasonable in its scope and intrusiveness.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Intermediate School District 917 is active on social media sites (including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube). Permission to post your child's picture on social media sites, should an activity warrant a social media post (ex. School dances, classroom activities, school-wide events, etc.) is granted through Online Registration in Infinite Campus. Please be aware that these sites are viewable to anyone who chooses to follow our social media pages.

Software inventory & student data elements

Intermediate School District 917 uses a variety of digital tools to support student learning. Technology vendors and software are utilized to support work as we help all students develop the skills necessary to succeed in an ever-changing world. We have an inventory of our curriculum, testing, and assessment tools posted and include an outline of the student data elements within each tool. This list is maintained and communicated annually to all families at the start of the school year. Click here to view the Software Inventory!

STATE TESTING

Minnesota students take statewide assessments to provide school districts and the public with a snapshot of student learning across classrooms and the district. Two types of assessments are given in Minnesota:

1. Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) and Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS). These assessments are given in the spring in the areas of reading, math, and science to provide a snapshot of learning academic standards.

2. English Language Proficiency Accountability Assessments. Students who are identified as English learners (ELs) take the ACCESS or Alternate ACCESS assessment to provide a snapshot of English language development.

Family letters and fact sheets about the statewide assessments can be found at: https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/tests/. These documents are also translated into a variety of languages under the Translated Documents section.

Further, Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.31, subdivision 4a, requires the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to publish a form for parents/guardians to complete if they refuse to have their student participate in state-required standardized assessments. It includes some basic information to help parents/guardians make informed decisions that benefit their child, school, and community. The form to meet this legislative requirement is included in the appendices of this handbook or you can access it at https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/tests/ under the Student Participation section. If you choose to complete it, it must be returned to your student's administrator; your student’s administrator may require additional information.

Statewide Assessments: Parent/Guardian Participation Guide and Refusal Information

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

Before attending a student organization activity, the instructor will inform students of the student organization’s code of conduct. Students will be asked to agree to conduct themselves according to the code. Students attending a school-sponsored student activity must also follow the same behavioral guidelines that apply in all Intermediate School District 917 programs. Students are subject to disqualification and dismissal from the activity and to disciplinary action if they do not conform to these standards of conduct. This includes all forms of hazing. Violators will be disciplined based on the conduct violation.

TENNESSEN WARNING

When Intermediate School District 917 requests non-public data concerning you or your family, the purpose of that request will be specifically stated to you. In addition, our overall purpose and intended use of all such data shall be for the smooth and uninterrupted conduct of business to fulfill the educational purpose of Intermediate School District 917. At the time that any non-public data is requested from you regarding your family, you will be informed of the consequences arising from supplying or refusing to supply such information. In addition, you will be informed of the persons or entities authorized by law to receive the information unless the individual requesting the information does so pursuant to a law enforcement investigation, otherwise governed by law. Unless you are specifically notified otherwise, the information gathered by Intermediate School District 917 will be routinely accessed by District personnel, agents, contractors and others authorized by law to the extent necessary.

THIRD PARTY BILLING

Minnesota Statutes, section 125A.21, subdivision 2, requires school districts to seek reimbursement from insurers and other third parties for the cost of services provided by a Local Educational Agency (LEA) whenever these services are covered by the child’s health insurance. This statute is based on federal regulations and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). LEAs can enroll with the Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) as an MHCP Individualized Education Program (IEP) provider. Information about Minnesota Health Care Programs can be found at https://mn.gov/dhs/health-care-coverage/.

TRANSPORTATION

The local school district is responsible for transporting students and inquiries regarding transportation should be made to their office. Students wanting to drive to school need prior approval from the program supervisor.

• The local school district will contact parents regarding the time students will be picked up for school.

• Students will be picked up and delivered to a consistent location (home, neighbor, babysitter, etc.).

• Buses do not leave the school without students unless parents have made special arrangements. Contact the school if you are making other arrangements for transportation home.

• Appropriate behavior is expected in school vehicles. Students who are disruptive can interfere with the driver and cause dangerous situations to occur.

• If a student will not be attending school, the bus driver or transportation office of the local school district should be notified.

• Intermediate School District 917 will assist the local district with disciplinary bus issues when appropriate. Intermediate School District 917 needs a written report of the incident to establish what, if any, disciplinary measures are needed.

VISITORS

All visitors must sign in at the school office before being escorted to their appointments. In many schools visitors will be required to have identification badges. Students are not allowed to bring visitors to school without special permission from the program supervisor. If a parent would like to observe a classroom, an appointment must be made in advance with the program supervisor. Other children, friends, or siblings are not to accompany parents on these visits.