Annual Notifications, Policies and Procedures

Advanced Coursework

While advanced coursework provides an opportunity for your child to gain skills and demonstrate competencies at a higher level, advanced coursework provides other benefits as well. Other benefits of participation in advanced coursework may include:

improving a student’s self-confidence and image of self.
demonstrating a student’s preparedness for college-level coursework.
earning college credit(s) before graduation.
reducing future costs for higher education.
reducing the time the student must spend in secondary and/or post-secondary school.

Click here for the complete advanced coursework notification as well as advanced courses offered in middle school and high school here in North Colonie.

Asbestos Management Plan

In accordance with the requirements of the federal regulation known as AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act), the school district has conducted inspections and developed management plans for each of the district’s schools. These management plans are available for your review during regular business hours at the individual schools. Included in these management plans is information regarding AHERA inspections, operations and maintenance, period surveillance and response action activities. It is the intention of the North Colonie Central School District to comply with all federal and state regulations controlling asbestos and to take the appropriate steps necessary to ensure students and employees have a healthy and safe environment in which to learn and work.

For information more contact the Maintenance Department at (518) 785-5771.

Child Abuse Hotline Notification

If you suspect a child is being abused or maltreated (neglected), report it by calling the toll-free 24-hour hotline operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services at 1(800)-342-3720.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department.

Learn more about reporting child abuse and maltreatment (neglect).
See District Policy # 5460-R, Suspected Child Abuse & Maltreatment.

Code of Conduct

The North Colonie Central School District has a tradition of care and respect for the individual student and holds high expectations for all. Each student is encouraged to grow intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially.

All members of the community are entitled to feel safe and to expect that their person, property and opinions will be respected. Of equal importance is the expectation that everyone shares the responsibility for creating an atmosphere of trust. School must be a setting in which respect for rules and common decency are accepted by all as the necessary structure for learning and community.

Learn more in our Code of Conduct: Student Rights & Responsibilities.

Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) took effect on July 1, 2012. Just as with the district’s Code of Conduct, the new law seeks to provide the state’s public school students and staff with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function. The Dignity Act includes, but is not limited to, acts of discrimination and harassment based on a student’s race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender (defined to include gender identity or expression), or sex.

Visit our DASA page to learn more.

Directory Information – Opt Out(4550-E.2) and Student Records (5500)

From time to time the North Colonie School District publishes information and/or student directory information material in print, non-print or electronic format. Such material could show a picture of your child (children) with the name and school identified.

To learn more, view the District’s full policy on the Release of Student Directory Information: Opt Out (4550-E.2), Student Records (5500)

Districtwide School Safety Plan

Emergencies in schools must be addressed in an expeditious and effective manner. Schools are at risk of acts of violence, natural, and manmade disasters. To address these threats, the State of New York has enacted the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) law. Project SAVE is a comprehensive planning effort that addresses prevention, response, and recovery with respect to a variety of emergencies in schools.

The North Colonie School District supports the SAVE Legislation, and intends to facilitate the planning process. The Superintendent encourages and advocates on-going district-wide cooperation and support of Project SAVE.

View North Colonie’s District-wide School Safety Plan.

ESSA Complaint Procedures

New York State Education Department has created a process for resolving complaints alleging that a local educational agency (LEA), grantee or NYSED has violated a law, rule, or regulation in the administration of any “covered Federal program” under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

These procedures offer parents and other stakeholders a process to file complaints and allow for the timely resolution of such complaints. A complainant may include any of the following: parents, public agencies, and other individuals or organizations.

To learn more about these procedures and how to file a complaint, please visit the NYSED website.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides parents/guardians and students who are 18 years of age or older (known as “eligible students”) with certain rights with respect to the student’s education records.

Parents/guardians and eligible students have the right to:

Inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day a request for access is received by the school. These requests should be submitted to your child’s school principal.
Request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent/guardian or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights;
Provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent;
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 is:

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

Project S.A.V.E.

Project S.A.V.E. is the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act, passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Pataki at the end of the 2000 legislative session. The law seeks to improve school safety and ensure a safe and effective learning environment. To achieve this, the law codifies many existing regulatory requirements that are designed to improve school safety. It also provides tools for educators including mandating the development of school safety plans, organizing school safety teams, implementing character and civility education, refining the discipline code and giving teachers the ability to remove students from classes for behavior that is disruptive to the educational process.

The North Colonie Board of Education has determined that teachers may remove students from classes for either therapeutic or disciplinary reasons. Removal for disciplinary reasons includes students who are substantially disruptive. This includes students who are either violent or non-violent. District Safety Plan 2022-2023

Pursuant to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the school district must disclose to military recruiters and institutions of higher learning, upon request, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of our high school juniors and seniors. However, parents or students may request, in writing, that the district not release such information. Parents, or students who are at least 18 years old, wishing to exercise their option to withhold their consent to the release of this information must contact the guidance office.

Right to Know

Because North Colonie receives Title I federal funding, parents and guardians have the right to request information regarding the professional qualification of their child’s classroom teacher(s).

Learn more in our Academics Section.

Student Data Privacy

The North Colonie Central School District is committed to ensuring student privacy in accordance with local, state and federal regulations and district policies. To this end and pursuant to U.S. Department of Education regulations, the district is providing the following Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security.

Use of Pesticides & Request for Notification

The use of pesticide products may be applied periodically throughout the school year at the North Colonie Central School District. Under the Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law, Section 409-h of the Education Law, the District is required to maintain a list of parents/guardians and school staff, who wish to receive 48 hour advanced written notice of an actual pesticide application in the facilities or on school grounds. To register for the 48 hour notification, please fill out this form before the start of each school year. To obtain additional information on the Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law contact the Director of Custodial Services at (518) 273-4844.

Weather Delays & Closing Procedures

When snow falls, the North Colonie Central School District (NCCSD) wants students, families and staff to know how the district will handle weather-related closures and delays.

Learn more about our Weather Delays & Closing Procedures.

Wellness

The North Colonie Central School District is committed to developing healthy schools that support student learning and create an environment conducive to the health and well-being for faculty, staff and all students, while also supporting parents in accomplishing this goal.

Learn more about our Wellness policy.