Student Handbook » Student Services Information

Student Services Information

Students utilizing district-provided Internet access must first have the permission of professional school staff. Professional staff will also supervise the use of these services. Students are responsible for good behavior online just as they are in any other school setting. The same general rules for school behavior and communication apply while using online services.
 
It is also important to note that files stored on school computers, electronic messages and the use of online services carry no expectation of privacy. Information in a school computer can best be related to items stored in a school locker. Administrators and professional staff may review files periodically to ensure that users are acting responsibly.
For more information, see Board Policy 7540.
>> See the Attendance section for information
We encourage your student(s) to eat breakfast each day either at school or at home to be better prepared for a day of learning. Studies have proven children who eat breakfast show increased attention span along with many other benefits. Our MCS Food Services Department offers a balanced breakfast to every student daily. Breakfast times are determined by each school. 
 
All students also have a designated lunch period. Times are determined by each individual school. The MCS Food Services Department offers lunch daily at each school building. Students may purchase a lunch at school or bring a nutritious sack lunch from home.  
 
School staff supervises cafeterias during breakfast and lunch periods, and can provide assistance to any students who need it. Note: Pop is not permitted in public school cafeterias.
 
Monthly menus can be found here. All basic school meals are provided free of charge to every MCS student. Additional a la cart items may be purchased at some schools. Staff meal prices are listed here.
>> See the District Information section for this information
In accordance with School Board Policies 5720 and 5722, students have the right, protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, to exercise freedom of speech. Such expression shall not interfere or be disruptive to the educational process. This includes the right to distribute or display, at reasonable times and places, written material, petitions, buttons, badges, or other insignia, except expression which:
  • is obscene to minors;
  • is libelous;
  • is pervasively indecent or vulgar;
  • advertises any product or service not permitted to minors by law;
  • contains insulting or fighting words, the very expression of which injures or harasses other people;
  • presents a clear and present likelihood that, either because of its content or the manner of distribution or display, it will cause a material and substantial disruption of school or school activities, a violation of school regulations, or the commission of an unlawful act.
 
Distribution or display of material in any of the above categories is prohibited on school premises or at any school-related event.
 
Any person or organization wishing to distribute material on school property must first submit a copy of the material for approval by the Superintendent’s office in advance of desired distribution. Permission to distribute or display material does not imply agreement with or endorsement of its contents by the administration, the school, the Superintendent or the Board.
Advertising, selling tickets or merchandise, or soliciting money for any non-school activity is prohibited except with advance written permission of the superintendent's office.
 
Any poster pertaining to a school-sponsored activity must be approved by the principal or their designee before being posted.
 
All posters are to be removed by the person posting them as soon as the date of the advertised event has passed.
>> Click here to view this information
>> Click here to view this information
The school corporation may release certain “directory information,” which means information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. 
 
>> Please click here for more information in Board Policy 8330.01
In accordance with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Section 1111(h)(6) PARENTS’ RIGHT TO KNOW, this is a notification from Marion Community Schools to every parent of a student in a Title I school that you have the right to request and receive information in a timely manner regarding the professional qualifications of your student’s classroom teachers. This information regarding the professional qualifications of your student’s classroom teachers shall include the following:

  • If the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade level and subject areas taught;
  • If the teacher is teaching under emergency or temporary status in which Indiana qualifications and licensing criteria are waived;
  • The teachers baccalaureate degree major, graduate certification, and field of discipline; and
  • Whether the student is provided services by paraprofessionals, and if so, their qualifications.
 
If at any time your student has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher that is not highly qualified, you will be notified by the school of this information.
 
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the school principal. You can also contact us at 765-662-2546, ext. 8011.
 
Sincerely,
Marion Community Schools administration
 
TO: Parents, guardians, and eligible students
FROM: Marion Community Schools Superintendent
 
On January 2, 1975, Public Law 93-568 was signed by the President.  In summary, the law provides that parents have the right to inspect and review the “education records” of their children and to have a hearing to correct inaccurate or misleading information in such records.  Parents have the right, also, to insert into such records a written explanation respecting the content of such records, files, documents, and other materials which contain information directly related to a student that are maintained by the schools.
 
The law forbids access to or release of education records or information contained in education records without written consent of parents, except to school officials who have “legitimate educational interest,” officials of other school systems where a transfer is made, and certain representatives of the state and federal government with various limitations.
 
School systems are required to notify parents and to notify students who are eighteen (18) years of age or are attending an institution of post-secondary education of their rights under the Act.  The rights of parents under this Act extend until the student is eighteen (18) years of age or is enrolled in a post-high school institution; thereafter, only the student may exercise the rights under the Act.  Such students are called “eligible students.”
 
In addition, high school juniors and seniors are considered “eligible students” in matters related to employment and post-high school educational planning and shall be accorded, in these matters only, the same rights as other “eligible students.”  Therefore, juniors and seniors may give written permission for the release of their education records in pursuing education beyond high school or for employment purposes.
 
The Marion Community Schools maintain the following types of student records:  personal data, academic, attendance, health, and psychological data when students have been tested with parental consent.  School principals are the officials responsible for education records of students enrolled in their buildings.  Certified employees of the school corporation are allowed access to education records for purposes related to instruction of student.
 
Procedures under which parents and eligible students may challenge the content of education records have been adopted by the Board, and include the right to inspect records at the school in which a student is enrolled, and an appeal process.
 
Parents and eligible students may obtain copies of education records by paying a fee to cover reproduction costs.
 
Certain data, called “directory information,” is released by the school corporation without parental consent.  This information includes name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major fields of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, awards received, honor rolls, and most recent educational agency or institution attended by the student.  Parents may inform the school corporation within a reasonable period of time that any or all of the above information should not be released without prior parental consent of their students.
 
The Board of School Trustees has adopted Policy 8330 to implement the provisions of this Act.  A copy of this policy and the Act are on file and available for inspection in each school building of this Corporation.
Occasionally students attending Marion Community Schools may be photographed and/or quoted for the corporation’s use in newspaper stories, school publications, and/or here on the corporation’s web page.
 
If you DO NOT wish for your child to be photographed and/or quoted please contact your child’s principal.
 
Marion Community Schools is pleased to offer its students access to the Internet. The Internet is an electronic highway connecting hundreds of thousands of computers and millions of individual users all over the world. This computer technology will help propel our schools through the communication age by allowing students and staff to access and use resources from distant computers, communicate and collaborate with other individuals and groups around the world, and significantly expand their available information base. The Internet is a tool for life-long learning.
 
However, families should be aware that some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or potentially offensive to some people. In addition, it is possible to purchase certain goods and services via the Internet which could result in unwanted financial obligations for which a student's parent or guardian would be liable.
 
While the District's intent is to make Internet access available in order to further educational goals and objectives, students may find ways to access other materials as well. Even though the District institutes technical methods or systems to regulate student's Internet access, those methods could not guarantee compliance with the District's acceptable use policy. Ultimately, parents and guardians of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources. Toward that end, Marion Community Schools makes the District's complete Internet policy and procedures available here.
 
Please contact your child’s principal, if you wish for your child NOT to be given access to the Internet.  Alternative activities will be made available to them.

Complaint Procedures

The Board recognizes that situations may arise in the operation of the school corporation which are of concern to parents or the public. The Board believes all concerns should be resolved at the lowest level of decision making by the individuals closest to the concern.
 
 
For other specific types of complaints, see below.
ATTENTION STUDENTS
 
The Marion Community Schools ensures an equal education and non-discriminatory environment regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, creed or ancestry, age, sex, marital status, or disability. 

If you feel that your rights are being violated for any of these reasons, see your building principal immediately.
The person who believes they have a valid basis for grievance shall file the grievance with the appropriate coordinator (names are on file at each school), who shall in turn investigate the complaint and reply with an answer to the complaint. They may initiate formal procedures according to the following steps:

Step 1:  A written statement of the grievance signed by the complainant shall be submitted to the appropriate coordinator. The coordinator shall investigate the matters of the grievance and reply in writing to the complainant.

Step 2:  If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision of the local coordinator, he/she may submit a signed statement of appeal to the Superintendent of Schools. The superintendent shall meet with all parties involved, formulate a conclusion, and respond in writing to the complainant. 

Step 3:  If the complainant remains unsatisfied, he/she may appeal through a signed written statement to the Board of Education within five (5) business days of receipt of the superintendent’s response in step two. In an attempt to resolve the grievance, the Board of Education shall meet with the concerned parties and their representative within forty (40) days of the receipt of such an appeal. A copy of the Board’s disposition of the appeal shall be sent to each concerned party within ten (10) business days of this meeting.

Step 4:  If at this point the grievance has not been satisfactorily settled, further appeal may be made to the agency listed below:

Region V - Chicago (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
230 S. Dearborn St. 37th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604
Voice Phone: 312-730-1560
FAX: 312-730-1576
 
 
Students who have a physical or mental impairment, which substantially limits the opportunity to benefit from an education, are entitled to accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and/or the American Disabilities Act.
 
Compliance Officer: Special Services Director (Phone 765-662-2564 - Ext. 8061)
 

Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin, including limited English proficiency.
 
Compliance Officer: Human Resources Director (Phone, 765-662-2546 - Ext. 8076)
 
Title IX insures an equal education, non-discriminatory school environment, and non-discriminatory practices regardless of sex. This includes freedom from sexual harassment. Please refer to Board Policy 5517.02 for the sexual harassment grievance procedure.
 
>> Click here for more information from the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection, and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. These include the right to:
 
  • Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas (“protected information survey”) if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the U.S. Department of Education (ED):
    1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;
    2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
    3. Sex behavior or attitudes;
    4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
    5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
    6. Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
    7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
    8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

  • Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of:
    1. Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding;
    2. Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under State law; and
    3. Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.

  • Inspect, upon request and before administration or use:
    1. Protected information surveys of students;
    2. Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and
    3. Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

These rights transfer from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State law.
Marion Community Schools will develop and adopt policies, in consultation with parents, regarding these rights, as well as arrangements to protect student privacy in the administration of protected information surveys and the collections, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes. 
 
Marion Community Schools will directly notify parents of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes. Marion Community Schools will also directly notify, such as through U.S. Mail or email, parents of students who are scheduled to participate in the specific activities or surveys noted below and will provide an opportunity for the parent to opt his or her child out of participation of the specific activity or survey. 
 
Marion Community Schools will make this notification to parents at the beginning of the school year if the District has identified the specific or approximate dates of the activities or surveys at that time. For surveys and activities scheduled after the school year starts, parents will be provided reasonable notification of the planned activities and surveys listed below and be provided an opportunity to opt their child out of such activities and surveys. Parents will also be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys. 
 
Following is a list of the specific activities and surveys covered under this requirement:
  • Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution.
  • Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or in part by ED.
  • Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described above.
 
Parents who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5901
 

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