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Legal & Parent Notices

The following is a list and general description of important notices, policies and procedures. It is vital that parents and students are aware of their rights, as well as the rules and procedures that are required of all Pasco County School District students and families. Parents are expected to review these notices annually. A hard copy of all notices and policies are available in English or Spanish by contacting the office at your child’s school.

Each parent/guardian will be asked to acknowledge that notice has been provided related to the legal notices. Failure to acknowledge the notice will not relieve the parent/guardian from the responsibility of obtaining the knowledge of all notices, policies and procedures of the Pasco County School District.

Each student will be asked to acknowledge that notice has been provided related to the Network and Technology Use Agreement and the Student Code of Conduct. Failure to acknowledge the notice will not relieve the student from the responsibility of obtaining the knowledge of the Network and Technology Use Agreement and the Student Code of Conduct.

Notice/Policy	General Description
Attendance Policy	Description of the Florida Statute (F.S. 1003.21) that governs compulsory student attendance and Pasco School Board philosophy and policies regarding student attendance (see Student Code of Conduct page 9)
Bullying/Harassment/Teen Dating Violence Policy and Procedure	Description and policy regarding bullying, harassment and teen dating violence and abuse (see also Student Code of Conduct page 20)
Career Academies	Listing of Career & Technical Education programs available to Pasco students and the location of each program
Check Care Disclosure Divulgación de CheckCare	Disclosure of policy regarding returned checks
Child Labor Laws	Summary of child labor laws of the State of Florida and the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Classroom Transfer Process Proceso para la transferencia de salón de clases	Guidelines regarding parent request that his or her student be transferred to a different classroom teacher
Clinic, Health Issues & Medication Clínica escolar, aspectos de salud y administración de medicamentos	Summary of district policy regarding the distribution and storage of medications at school and policies regarding student illness
Controlled Open Enrollment (School Choice)	Guidelines and procedures regarding school choice including the application process, application windows, a list of schools deemed "frozen" due to student capacity and appeal procedures
COVID-19 (no link)	The novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, is an extremely contagious virus, which can cause serious medical conditions, including death. COVID-19 has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization, and as a result, federal, state, and local governments along with federal and state health agencies recommend social distancing and have, in some circumstances, limited the congregation of people. The District School Board of Pasco County (DSBPC or District) has initiated reasonable, precautionary measures in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, given the extremely contagious nature of COVID-19, the DSBPC cannot guarantee that your child(ren) will not contract the virus while attending or engaging in school-related and/or extracurricular activities. To reduce the risk of exposure, the District has provided parents and guardians with several virtual educational options outside of the traditional brick and mortar classrooms, which include Pasco eSchool and mySchool Online. We look forward to educating your child(ren) and we appreciate your cooperation and efforts as we all work together to keep our students, children, and society healthy.
Diploma Options and Requirements	Standard diploma options and requirements from FLDOE
Dropout Prevention & Graduation Enhancement	Description and location of the various dropout prevention programs that are available and implemented in Pasco County
Educational Advancement and Acceleration	The District offers a variety of accelerated educational and advanced placement options
Educational Options	Pasco County Schools is proud to offer many high-quality educational options at each of our great schools. While most students are assigned to a school based on the location of their residence, our district provides families with a variety of school choice options and programs. We encourage students, parents, and guardians to explore all that we offer and to choose the best option for their student based on his or her unique learning needs and interests.
Family Empowerment Scholarship	The Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) Program was established during the 2019 Legislative Session to enhance Florida's menu of education options. It will provide children whose families have limited financial resources with the opportunity to attend the school that best meets their needs and enables them to reach their academic goals.
Florida Shines Online Career & Academic Planning Florida Shines-Planificación académica y de oficios a través del Internet	Information regarding Florida Shines an online platform available to Florida students to assist with planning and post-secondary life including post-secondary education, financial aid information and career planning
Food & Nutrition Services Servicios de Alimentos y Nutrición	Information about the food and nutrition services provide to Pasco students, meal prices and information regarding the criteria and application process for free/reduced meals
FortifyFL	FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials
Graduation Requirements (Requisitos de graduación para diploma básico de 24-créditos/4-años - inglés y español)	Policy for determination of graduation requirements for a regular 4-year/24-credit diploma (See also student Progression Plan)
HOPE Scholarship	Beginning with the 2018-19 school year, a student enrolled in a Florida public school in kindergarten through grade 12 who has been subjected to an incident of battery; harassment; hazing; bullying; kidnapping; physical attack; robbery; sexual offenses, harassment, assault, or battery; threat or intimidation; or fighting at school the opportunity to transfer to another public school with capacity or enroll in an approved private school under the Hope Scholarship.
McKay Scholarship	The McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program provides scholarships for eligible students with disabilities. If your child meets all Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) McKay eligibility criteria, you may request enrollment in another public school or may seek acceptance to a participating private school. (See link for eligibility requirements and additional information.)
Media Release Non-Consent Form	Summary and policy in accordance with FERPA regarding the disclosure of directory information and media opt-out.
Medicaid Notice Aviso de Medicaid	Parental rights and safeguards regarding the district's use of public benefits and insurance
Mental Health Services & Reporting (no link)	Any student who is determined to have brought a firearm or weapon must also be referred to mental health services identified by the school district. Any student who is determined to have made a threat or false report must be referred to mental health services identified by the school district for evaluation or treatment, when appropriate.
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)	Information regarding the supports and interventions that are provided at your child's school in order to obtain high achievements for all students. These supports are organized into three tiers, with tiers II & III being more intensive
Network and Technology Use Agreement	Description of reasonable electronic use guidelines for students
Non-Discrimination Policy (no link)	The District School Board of Pasco County does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, or age in its programs, services, and activities or in its hiring and employment practices. You may contact Sandy May, Equity Manager at (813) 794-2322.
Notice of Social Security Number Disclosure (Aviso sobre la divulgación de números del Seguro Social - inglés y español)	Description of the reasons that Pasco County Schools collects Social Security numbers for our students and how that information is protected and used
Online Instruction Broadcast Acknowledgement	In order to harmonize with mitigations procedures established in State and Federal COVID-19 emergency measures, the Pasco County School District is implementing the use of virtual communication and instruction platforms (“VCP,” such as “ZOOM”, “Facetime,” etc.,) to minimize the need for physical meetings, and to supplement instruction when students and/or staff are not able to meet face to face. . VCPs are owned and operated by third parties, and while the staff of The Pasco County School District will abide by all laws, regulations, and policies concerning the privacy of any confidential or protected information contained in any online broadcasts, it cannot make any assertions regarding the VCPs’ compliance with any applicable laws, regulations, or policies.
Parent Right to Request Evaluation Derecho de los padres para solicitar evaluación	FL State Administrative Code that governs parental rights regarding the right to request an educational evaluation For additional information, contact the Office of Student Support Programs and Services
Parental Rights & Safeguards Regarding District Use of Public Benefits & Insurance Derechos de los padres y protecciones sobre el uso de beneficios públicos y seguros por parte del distrito escolar (inglés y español)	District policy regarding the use of Medicaid funds for services provided to students and the requirement for parental consent regarding this use of funds
Physical Education Opt-Out (no link)	Students may opt-out of physical education if they are required to enroll in a remedial course. Parents may also request that their child be exempted from the physical education requirement should they engage in physical activities outside the school day which are equal to or in excess of the mandated requirement or that they wish to enroll their child in an acceptable alternative course offered by the district. Such a request must be made in writing and provided to the school’s administration
Pledge of Allegiance Notice Juramento a la bandera (SPA)	Policy regarding the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance and the process for students to be excused from this activity
Preliminary SAT (PSAT) / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) (no link)	Pasco County Schools will administer the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) to 10th grade students in October 2020 at no cost to students. This test is used as a counseling and diagnostic tool, which can be used to foster student thought about advanced coursework and college/career planning. This is an optional test. If you would prefer that your student not participate in this test, please contact your school’s administration prior to October 2020 for further information.
Privacy Rights Under the Health Information Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) - (Derechos de privacidad bajo el Acta de Responsabilidad sobre la Portabilidad de la Información de Salud - HIPAA - inglés y español)	Information regarding the Health Information Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) and how Pasco County Schools protects this information
Procedural Safeguards for Parents and Students with Disabilities	As a parent, you are entitled to information about your rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These rights, or procedural safeguards, are intended to ensure that you have the opportunity to be a partner in the educational decisions made regarding your child.
Registration Requirements/Residency Verification	Information about verification of current address, including residency affidavit (MIS #141)
Reporting Child Abuse	Signs of abuse and resources for reporting suspected abuse of children
Residency Affidavit	Affidavit to confirm residency for registration purposes.
Respect and Civility Policy Statement - (Declaración sobre las normas de respeto y civismo - inglés y español)	Description of the plicy that promotes mutual respect, civility and orderly conduct among all district employees, students, families and the general public
Responsibility of School District and Parents or Guardians for Students Who Are Transported at Public Expense Responsabilidad del distrito escolar y de los padres o tutores de los estudiantes que son transportados a costo público	Description of the roles & responsibilities of all stakeholders involved in the transportation of students at public expense for public education purposes
Student Code of Conduct	Comprehensive handbook of the complete Student Code of Conduct for all students, the discipline matrix, rights of students and procedures for due process and appeals
Student Progression Plan	Description of the school board approved comprehensive policy for student progression
Student Records Parental and Student Rights under FERPA Expendientes de estudiantes que las Escuelas del Condado de Pasco mantienen - FERPA FERPA Appeal Information FERPA Appeal Request	Information about the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) & how Pasco County Schools uses, stores, protects and shares student records Pasco County Schools defines “directory information” in Policy # 8330 To Opt-Out of “directory information” distribution, make a written request to the Principal of the school your child(ren) attend, including student name, and student ID in the letter
Student Surveys & Privacy (PPRA) Encuestas y privacidad de los estudiantes: Notificación a los padres sobre la enmienda para la protección de los derechos del alumno (PPRA)	Information regarding the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, which governs surveys asking questions of a personal nature
Virtual Education	Pasco eSchool serves students from grades Kindergarten through 12. For students in K-5, Pasco eSchool offers free enrollment in a full-year program featuring the best of tradition and innovation in education. Students and Learning Guides receive instructional support and guidance by highly qualified teachers and apply the latest technology for online learning. For 6th-12th grade students, students may enroll in Pasco eSchool as part-time or full-time participants in this program. Students co-enrolled in public, private, or charter schools, as well as students new to Pasco County, are eligible to apply for enrollment.

Registration Requirements

All students must attend the school in the district where their parents/legal guardians reside unless they have an approved assignment to another school or program (e.g., School Choice). Applications for School Choice may be obtained by visiting the Pasco County Schools Educational Options website. Completed applications must be submitted during specified application periods.

The school district expects residence information submitted regarding students to be truthful and accurate, and district forms pertaining to residence and household membership shall be verified under penalties of perjury.

Section 837.06, Florida Statutes, provides that, “Whoever knowingly makes a false statement in writing with the intent to mislead a public servant in the performance of his or her official duty shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree.” Additionally, a person who knowingly makes a false declaration under penalties of perjury commits a felony of the third degree, pursuant to section 92.525, Florida Statutes. Providing school officials false information regarding your residence when enrolling your child may result in your child being withdrawn and/or reassigned to the appropriate zoned school and referral of the matter to law enforcement for possible criminal prosecution. Additionally, falsification of this information may result in the permanent revocation of your child’s privilege to engage in extracurricular activities, including organized sports.

Parents/legal guardians are responsible for notifying the school principal if there is a change in residence or parental responsibility of the student within five (5) days, even if the parent thinks the student is still in the school’s zone. Failure to give timely notice may result in a reassignment to the student’s zoned school and/or loss of eligibility for athletics and other activities.

Additional information can be found on the registration requirements page.