Keystone Oaks School District

Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covers uninsured children and teens up to age 19 – and no family earns too much to qualify. With nearly 128,000 uninsured children in Pennsylvania, this is great news for families!

CHIP provides quality, comprehensive health insurance for routine doctor’s visits, prescriptions, dental, eye care, eyeglasses, mental health, and much more. CHIP covers uninsured kids who are not eligible for Medical Assistance. For many families, CHIP is free – for others, it is low cost.

For more information, or to apply or renew your application, please visit CHIP's website or call 800-986-KIDS.

Notice of Rights Regarding Education Records

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), in addition to Pennsylvania Department of Education regulations and School Board policy, affords parents/guardians and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to students’ education records.

These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 30 days of the date the district receives a request for access. Parents/guardians or eligible students should submit to the principal of the school where the student is enrolled or was previously enrolled a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal or his or her designee will make arrangements for access and notify the parent/guardian or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that a parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate. In order to request such an amendment, the parent or eligible student should make the request in writing to the school principal and clearly identify the record they want changed. The request should also specify the reasons why the record is believed to be inaccurate. If the district decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent/guardian or eligible student, the district will notify the parent/guardian or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent/guardian or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

One such exception is for a disclosure to school officials who possess a legitimate educational interest in the record. A school official is a person employed by the district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the school board; a person or company with whom the school has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent/guardian or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. The district will also disclose education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, upon request of that school district.

A parent/guardian or eligible student may request that the district disclose educational records to a third party by submitting a written consent form to the district. Consent forms may be obtained from the building principal’s office or the district’s Administrative Office.

Parents/guardian and eligible students also have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the district to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA are as follows:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901

Special Notice Regarding Directory Information
Aforementioned, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requires that the district, with certain exceptions to obtain the written consent of the parent/guardian or eligible student prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the student’s education records. However, the district may disclose certain "directory information" without such prior written consent unless the parent/guardian or eligible student has notified the district that they do want directory information to be disclosed.

Directory information refers to information which would not be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed, and includes the following: name; address; telephone number; e-mail address; date and place of birth; major field of study; grade level; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; dates of attendance; degrees and awards received; and the most previous educational agency or institution attended. [In addition, photographs and/or video footage of students may be used in articles appearing in media outlets, on the district website and/or in connection with television coverage of school events.]

If you do not want the district to disclose such directory information without your prior written consent, please fill out the Media Opt Out form available in PowerSchool. 

The Board declares it to be the policy of this District to provide an equal opportunity for all students to achieve their maximum potential through the programs and activities offered in the schools without discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religious creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, handicap/disability or any other legally protected category.

The Board also declares it to be the policy of this District to comply with federal law and regulations under Title IX prohibiting sex-based discrimination and harassment. Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX to the District may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education, or both.

The District is committed to the maintenance of a safe, positive learning environment for all students that is free from discrimination by providing all students admission, course offerings, counseling, assistance, services, employment, athletics and extracurricular activities without any form of discrimination, including Title IX sex-based discrimination or harassment.

Discrimination is inconsistent with the rights of students and the educational and programmatic goals of the District and is prohibited at or, in the course of, district-sponsored programs or activities and including transportation to or from a school or school-sponsored activities.

Special Education Procedural Safeguards Notice

The Keystone Oaks School District is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of its students and the school community and providing the resources and support to address identified student needs. Policy 236.1: Threat Assessment addresses student behavior that may indicate a threat to the safety of the student, other students, school employees, school facilities, the community, and others. 

Each school has an established threat assessment team and the district has procedures for assessing and intervening with students whose behavior may indicate a threat to the safety of the student, other students, school employees, school facilities, the community, and others. The threat assessment teams use the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines, an evidence-based model for schools to use in conducting threat assessments in K-12 schools. 

For more information about the threat assessment team at your child’s school, please contact the building principal or Suzanne Hanna, Ed.D., Assistant to the Superintendent for Student Services. 

It is the policy of the Keystone Oaks School District to provide an equal opportunity for all students to achieve their maximum potential through the programs and activities offered in the schools without discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religious creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, handicap/disability, or any other legally protected category. 

It is also the District’s policy to comply with federal law and regulations under Title IX prohibiting sex-based discrimination and harassment. Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX to the District may be referred to the Title IX Coordinators (listed below), to the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education, or both. 

The Keystone Oaks School District is committed to the maintenance of a safe, positive learning environment for all students that is free from discrimination by providing all students admission, course offerings, counseling, assistance, services, employment, athletics and extracurricular activities without any form of discrimination, including Title IX sex-based discrimination or harassment. Discrimination is inconsistent with the rights of students and the educational and programmatic goals of the District and is prohibited at, or in the course of, district-sponsored programs or activities, and including transportation to or from a school or school-sponsored activities. 

More information is available in Policy 103: Discrimination/Harassment Affecting Students. 

Contact Information for Title IX Coordinators
Suzanne Hanna, Ed.D.
Assistant to the Superintendent for Student Achievement
412-571-6013
hanna@kosd.org

Joseph Kubiak
Assistant to the Superintendent for Operations
412-571-6005
kubiak@kosd.org

Title IX Training
Keystone Oaks’ Title IX Officers have completed the necessary training requirements through training provided by the Allegheny County Intermediate Unit. The District’s solicitor also regularly provides training. Key aspects of Title IX training include: 

• The definition of sexual harassment
• Scope of the institution’s or employer’s education program or activity
• Reporting procedures and options
• Grievance procedures and investigations
• Bystander intervention strategies
• Support services available to students and employees

Policy 809: Suicide Awareness

Policy 809 Attachment: Suicide Prevention Resources

Required notices related to Special Education Activities are available on the are available on the Special Education Department section of the district's website. These include the following: 

• Notice of Special Education Services & Programs
• Special Education Services for Preschool Age Students
• Special Education Services for School-Age Students
• Services for Students who are Mentally Gifted
• Services for Students in Nonpublic Schools
• Services for Protected Handicapped Students
• Services for Students with Limited English Proficiency and English Language Learners
• Confidentiality of Student Records