Important Notifications
Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law
The Mohonasen School District has practiced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for several years. IPM is the process for managing, preventing and suppressing pests with minimal impact on human health and the environment. Pesticides are only used as a last resort. The District uses certified applicators for pest control, and they are required to follow IPM procedures. IPM is successful when teachers, students, maintenance and the applicators work together. We have been fortunate so far that pesticides have not been needed. However, it is possible that they may be needed in the near future.
The district currently also has periodic treatment of the sports fields for weed and pest control. In this case the district also uses certified applicators.
New York State Education Law Section 409-H and State Education Department Commissioner's Regulation 155.24, effective July 1, 2001, requires all public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools to provide written notification to all persons in parental relation, faculty, and staff regarding the potential use of pesticides periodically throughout the school year. Mohonasen CSD is required to maintain a list of persons in parental relation, faculty, and staff who wish to receive 48-hour prior notification of certain pesticide applications.
If you would like to receive notification, please download the Pesticide Notification Form (PDF document).
For more information of pesticide applications that are scheduled to occur in your school, contact the Facilities & Operations office at 356-8228 or e-mail Joe Mayo, Director of Facilities.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
FERPA provides the following rights to parents of students enrolled in district schools (these rights transfer from the parent to the student once he/she turns 18 or is attending college):
1. You may inspect and review your child’s
education records, by contacting the school principal, who will
arrange for you to inspect them within 45 days. You may obtain a
copy of any record by giving the principal a reqest that
specifically identifies the record you want copied. The copies will
be made within a reasonable time after your request is received; you
may be charged .25 cents per page for the copies.
2. You may seek amendment of your child’s records if you believe
they are inaccurate or in violation of the student’s privacy or
other rights, by contacting the district records access officer. You
should tell the officer what specific portions of your child’s
records you believe are inaccurate, misleading or a violation of
privacy rights, and how you want them amended. If the officer
determines that the record should not be amended, you have the right
to a hearing to review that determination; the process for
requesting a hearing will be explained to you at the time of the
officer’s determination.
3. The district cannot generally disclose personally identifiable
information contained in your child’s records to anyone outside the
district without your consent. The district will disclose your
child’s records to school officials only if they are providing
educational services to your child, or otherwise need access to the
information in those records in order to perform the work of the
district. School officials include: administrators, teachers, and
support staff employed by the district; Board of Education members;
a parent or student serving on a district body such as the Committee
on Special Education or the Student Senate; or any individual or
company such as a law firm, medical consultant or specialist which
contracts to provide services to the district or its students. The
district will forward your child’s records to other educational
agencies or institutions, including other school districts, in which
your child seeks or intends to enroll, or from which your child is
receiving services, upon the request of the agency or institution.
You may request a copy of any record which has been sent to such an
agency or institution, and you may seek amendment of any such record
as described in Section 2 of this Notice.
4. If you believe the school district has not complied fully with
FERPA or its regulations, you may file a complaint with the Family
Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, Washington
D.C., 20202-4605. Procedures for filing this complaint can be
obtained from the Records Access Officer.
5. You have the right to object to release of information concerning
your child to military recruiters or institutions of higher
education. Federal Law requires the district to give the name,
address and telephone number of each high school student to these
organizations on request. If you object to this, you should inform
the High School Counseling & Career Center and request a form to
fill out, on or before September 15 in any school year. The district
releases the names of those who have not opted out in October of
each year.
The district’s Records Access Officer is Tracey Roberts, Mohonasen
Central School District, 2072 Curry Road, Schenectady, NY 12303. Her
phone number is 356-8235.
