Required Notices

Requests for information that the district makes available according to the Freedom of Information Law should be made by filling out the FOIL Online Google form. 

New York State Education Law requires each classroom teacher and the school principal to receive an annual professional performance review (APPR) that results in a composite effectiveness score and rating. All parents/guardians have the right to obtain the APPR quality ratings and composite effectiveness scores for their child’s current teacher(s) and principal(s) once they are available.

Access the APPR Request Form.

ASBESTOS HAZARD EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT (AHERA) 2022-23 NOTIFICATION

The Asbestos Hazardous Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires public and private non-profit primary and secondary schools to inspect their buildings for asbestos-containing building materials. This Act went into effect in 1986, and requires schools to:

Perform an original inspection and periodic re-inspections every 3 years for asbestos containing material; the triennial inspection was completed in 2022. Develop, maintain, and update an asbestos management plan and keep a copy at the school; these plans are available for review during the school day.

Provide yearly notification to parent, teacher, and employee organizations regarding the availability of the school's asbestos management plan and any asbestos abatement actions taken or planned in the school; Designate a contact person to ensure the responsibilities of the local education agency are properly implemented; Perform periodic 6 month surveillance of known or suspected asbestos containing building material;

Provide custodial and maintenance staff with yearly asbestos awareness training. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a pro-active, in-place management program whenever Asbestos Containing Building Material is discovered and is not removed.

Asbestos that has been identified will pose little risk if it is well maintained under an operations and maintenance program.

Removal is often not a building owner's best course of action to reduce asbestos exposure. In fact, an improper removal can create a dangerous situation where none previously existed. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only requires asbestos removal to prevent significant public exposure to airborne asbestos fibers during building demolition or renovation activities.

Post Notification: Post Notification: During the 2022-2023 school year, there were no asbestos projects completed. During the 2022-2023 school year there were no instances where Asbestos was an imminent hazard to the health or well-being of our students or employees.

Notice of completion of 2024 Fire Inspection
Notice is hereby given that the annual inspection for 2024 of the Taft, Round Hill and Little Britain Elementary Schools, as well as the Middle, and High school buildings along with all other buildings and storage areas of Washingtonville Central School District for fire hazards which might endanger the lives of students, teachers, employees therein, has been completed and the report thereof is available at the office of Buildings & Grounds at the Central Administration Building, 252 West Main Street, Washingtonville, New York, 10992 for inspection by all interested persons.

The District’s management plans are available for review through the Office of Buildings and Grounds.

For further information, contact Paul Nienstadt who is the Asbestos Designee for the Washingtonville Central School District at 845-497-4000.

The District believes that regular school attendance and student success have a direct correlation. It is the intent of the district to strongly encourage students to be in attendance every day. Therefore, our goal is to have students participate in their education for the mandated 180 days a year. All children of compulsory attendance age (6 through the school year in which a child turns 16) must attend school on a regular basis.

In the case of a student's absence from school, parents are required to call the main attendance office at their school by the start of the school day to inform them of the reason for the student's absence. Otherwise, the school will make a reasonable attempt to contact the parents regarding the student's absence.

Please note that a written excuse must be provided and brought to the attendance office by the student upon his/her return to school. Without a note, the student's absence from school is deemed unexcused.

Comprehensive Student Attendance Policy

The District and Board of Education believe that order and discipline must be a shared responsibility among the school, home, and community. This Code of Conduct was developed in collaboration with students, teachers, administrators, parents, and other school-related personnel. Our primary concern in establishing a Code of Conduct is to enable our young people to become responsible, respectful and caring citizens within the school and community.

Click here to access the school's Code of Conduct here.

What are schools required to do? Public employers, including public school districts, are required to make their continuation of operations plans accessible online. This plan would be put into place in the event that the governor declares a public health emergency involving communicable disease.

Who is the audience? Any interested party should be able to access the plan. Employees should be ensured access to the plan. 

When should the notification be provided? Ongoing.

What delivery method(s) should be used? The plan must be published:

• in a clear and conspicuous location,

• in the employee handbook (if available), and 

• in a location accessible on either the employer’s website or on the internet accessible by employees.

Sample notification: New York state requires school districts to develop a continuity of operations plan and make it available. The Washingtonville Central School District is providing the following plan so stakeholders are aware of the district's plans in the event of an ongoing public health emergency involving communicable disease.

Note: If the continuation of operations plan is posted on a public-facing district website, districts may want to consider posting it in the same area of the website as the District Safety Plan, if it is not incorporated into that document.

References: Capital Region BOCES School Communications Portfolio, “Advisory: Continuation of operations plans must be posted online

NYSED Dec. 3 Memo  

A10832 Assembly - July 18, 2020

S8617B Senate - June 22, 2020

The goal of the Dignity Act is to create a safe and supportive school climate where students can learn and focus, rather than fear being discriminated against and/or verbally and/or physically harassed. All public elementary and secondary school students have the right to attend school in a safe, welcoming, considerate, and caring environment.

More information can be found on the  WCSD DASA webpage.

Pursuant to federal law, Washingtonville Central School District must disclose to military recruiters, upon request, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of high school students. Parents/guardians or students age 18 or older who do not want this information released to military recruiters should contact the district office at (845)-497-4000.

As required by state education law, the Washingtonville Central School District maintains a District-Wide Safety plan and must post it on its website. This plan is designed to prevent or minimize the effects of violent incidents and emergencies and to facilitate the coordination of schools and school districts with local and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies. 

The district’s safety team is responsible for reviewing and updating the district-wide safety plan prior to the new school year, and making it available for public comment for 30 days following.  

Review the current District-Wide Safety Plan 

Parents have the right to ask for and review records about their child unless the District has been legally notified in writing that their rights as a parent have been terminated or otherwise limited by court order. Upon the parents' request, the district must make a child's records available within a reasonable time; in no case more than 45 calendar days after requested; before any meeting about their child's individualized education program (IEP); and before any due process hearing about their child's special education needs.

The rights of parents concerning educational records transfer to students at age 18. However, the district may disclose educational records to an eligible student’s parents if the student is claimed as a dependent for Federal income tax purposes by either parent, without the student’s consent.

Student records and or student record information may not be released without a parents' consent unless it is given to school officials, including BOCES or private school officials or district consultants and agents (e.g., school physician, school attorney, insurance company, service provider and/or evaluators) with a legitimate educational interest, state/local educational authorities or certain individuals designated under federal law; or otherwise as permitted by law (FERPA).

The District has developed emergency management and safety plans for each of its schools--a plan that is reviewed and revised annually. In the event of an emergency, find information on the school's Emergency Plan for Parents.

The District hereby advises students, parents, employees and the general public that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, national origin, religion, age, economic status, marital status, military status, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics or sexual orientation in its educational programs, activities or employment practices and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

This policy of nondiscrimination includes, but is not limited to: (a) access by students to educational programs, counseling services, course offerings, student athletics, student employment assistance, extracurricular activities and other school resources; and (b) recruitment and appointment of employees, as well as their compensation, benefits, opportunities for advancement and/or terminations.

Furthermore, the District, its officers, employees, and agents shall not discriminate against students on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender (including gender identity and expression).

The following are the District’s Compliance Officers:

Title IX (sexual harassment/gender or sex-based discrimination), Title VII (discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin), and Title VI (discrimination based upon race, color, creed, national origin, ethnic group, religion)

Mrs. Lynn Imperato
Director of Personnel and Staff Development
(845)-497-4000 ext. 27012

Section 504/Title II ADA (disability based discrimination and/or harassment)

Ms. Stephanie Bryan
Director of Pupil Personnel Services
(845)-497-4000 ext. 27211

General Nondiscrimination - Questions about this nondiscrimination policy may be directed to the appropriate Compliance Officer. The appropriate compliance officer has information related to grievance procedures. The Board also prohibits any retaliatory behavior against complainants or any witnesses. Any individual who believes that he/she has been subject to discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sex; sexual orientation, or gender (including gender identity and expression) should report the alleged misconduct immediately, to the appropriate compliance officer, so that corrective action, up to and including discharge of an employee or suspension of a student, may be taken at once. In the event that the Complaint Officer is the offender, the complainant shall report his/her complaint to the next level of supervisory authority. The complainant shall not be discouraged from reporting an incident of alleged discrimination or harassment. In the absence of a victim's complaint, the Board, upon learning of, or having reason to suspect the occurrence of any discrimination or harassment, will ensure that an investigation is promptly commenced by appropriate individuals. Any person who has knowledge of specific acts that he or she reasonably believes constitutes wrongful conduct should disclose the conduct to the appropriate District official. 

Pursuant to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, parents may request information regarding the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers and teaching assistants including:

• Whether state requirements and licensing criteria have been met for the grade level and subject area being taught.
• If the teacher is working under emergency or another provisional status under which state qualification and licensing criteria have been waived.
• The teacher’s college major and subsequent advanced degrees.
• Qualifications of any teaching assistants providing services to your child.
• If an uncertified teacher will be working in a classroom for four or more weeks.
• Requests for the above information may be directed to Mrs. Lynn Imperato at (845)-497-4000 ext. 27012

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 the 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 as outlined below;
• 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: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202.

Free/reduced meal applications are available at any time during the school year. Students who meet the eligibility guidelines are entitled to one complete breakfast and one lunch daily. Applications for free/reduced lunch are completed online or by paper application.

Access the Online Free/Reduced Lunch Application or Paper Free/Reduced Lunch Application.

More information about the District's Free/Reduced Lunch Program can also be found on the Food Services page. 

Decisions about student promotion and placement are at the discretion of their school building principal. These decisions are guided by recommendations of teachers and staff members, past academic performance, and parent/guardian input. Past academic performance refers to a variety of indicators of student achievement and growth. Promotion and placement decisions are not based solely on student performance on New York state assessments in grades 3-8 English language arts or mathematics.

Faucets and drinking fountains at all schools in the State are mandated to be tested for the presence of lead as outlined in a September 6, 2016 law authorized by Governor Andrew Cuomo. New State health regulations mandate that drinking water in schools throughout the State be tested to ensure that lead levels do not exceed the “action level” of 15 parts per billion.

In 2016, the District had lead testing done in all of its schools. The results of the testing can be obtained by visiting our Water Testing page or by contacting Paul Nienstadt at (845)-497-4000 ext. 27111.

Within 30 days of the start of the school year, parents of Limited English-proficient students will be notified if their child is participating in, or identified as eligible for, a program of bilingual education or for English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction. Parents will also be notified within two weeks after placement if their child is placed in such a program or will receive such services after the beginning of the school year. In addition, parents will be advised of their rights, including their right to decline to have their child enrolled in the program. 

All programs and services of the District are available to children in temporary housing and unaccompanied youth. Whenever a child in temporary housing or unaccompanied youth seeks to enroll in the district, and at least twice annually while the child is enrolled, the parent and child will be informed of their rights. Some of these rights include the right to attend the school they previously attended or to attend school in the district of current location, the right to be enrolled even though the admission requirements have not been completed and prior student records are not available, and the right to transportation to and from school.

District McKinney-Vento (Homeless) Liaison:

Mrs. Barbara Quinn
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
(845)-497-4000 ext. 27021.

Visit our Dedicated Page

The Washingtonville Central School District is required by law to maintain a list of faculty, staff, and persons in parental relation who wish to receive written notification at least forty-eight (48) hours prior of pesticide applications at relevant facilities.

The District must also provide additional written notification to all parents and staff three (3) times per year to inform them of any pesticide applications that have occurred: within ten (10) days pf the end of the school year, within two (2) school days of the end of winter recess and within two (2) days of the end of spring recess.

Students’ names, grade levels, and photos may be published on the District website, in school publications or released to the media to recognize student achievement or depict activities of the District. Parents who object to the use of their child’s information or image for publicity purposes should notify both the superintendent of schools and their child’s building principal — in writing.

Please Note: While the District will honor the request of any parent who has submitted written notification opting their child out of publicity efforts, the district is not responsible for media that covers news happenings, sporting events or school events.

For more information please view the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) tab. 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, commonly called “Section 504,” is a federal law that protects students from discrimination based on disability. Section 504 assures that students with disabilities have educational opportunities and benefits equal to those provided to students without disabilities. Students may be eligible for evaluation and reasonable accommodations to enable access to educational facilities, programs and services. To be eligible, a student must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. If you believe that your child may have a disability and be entitled to reasonable accommodations and/or services, please contact Dr. Michael Cogliano at (845)-497-4000 ext. 27201. 

Link to District 504 policy and comprehensive “Notice of Section 504 Rights

Children with special needs may be entitled to additional services from the school district in which they reside. If your child has special needs and is not known to the school administration, please call the District Office. Parents or persons in parental relation of newly enrolled students are hereby notified that they may obtain additional information regarding the referral and evaluations of student suspected of or having disabilities by reviewing the publication “A Parent’s Guide to Special Education in New York State for children ages three through twenty-one” on the New York State Education Department website at www.nysed.gov and/or by review the following Procedural Safeguards Notice at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/modelform-safeguards.pdf or by contacting Mrs. Margo Hadley-Bell at (845)-497-4000 ext. 27211.

New York State Education Law also requires that each public school district accounts for the education of all resident minors. Please help the District comply with this requirement. If your child is home-schooled or attends a nonpublic school and has not previously been registered with the Attendance Office, please contact Paul Saladino at (845)-497-4000 ext. 24523.

The district releases certain types of neutral student information also known as “Directory Information. The District has designated the following types of information “directory” in nature (For example: name, address, phone number, etc.). Under FERPA, parents may object in writing to the release of that information.

FERPA Parent Notice

For more information please view the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) tab. 

Because New York State is interested in child health data, schools are required to record students’ height, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI). If our district is surveyed by the state, we will only share group data (for instance, the number of second-grade boys whose BMI is below the fifth percentile), not individual data. However, if parents wish their child’s data to be excluded from such group calculations, they may do so by contacting their school nurse.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) of NCLB affords parents and students over 18 years of age certain rights with regard to student surveys, instructional materials, physical examinations or screenings, and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information. The district will provide you the specific or approximate dates during the school year when any of the following are scheduled or expected to be scheduled:

1. Activities involving the collection, disclosure or use of personal information collected from students for the purpose of marketing or selling that information;
2. The administration of any survey containing one or more of the items in the PPRA.
3. Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening that is required as a condition of attendance, administered by a school and scheduled by the school in advance, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of the student and/or other students.

You will have the opportunity to exclude your child from participating in any of the above activities, by notifying the district in writing. Please call or contact the principal of your child’s school if you have questions about this notice.

Information and forms relating to the enrollment of students in the District can be obtained on the Registration page.

The Washingtonville Central School District provides access for students, staff, and authorized visitors to the District’s Computer System (DCS). The Technology Guidelines provide the framework for appropriate use of the system.

A student’s use of the school’s or district’s computers and educational technology signifies that the student agrees to the general principles, acceptable use terms, prohibited use terms, internet usage terms, and sanctions outlined in the Technology Guidelines, or in the Code of Conduct, or as stated in the Board of Education policies. Violation of the use of technology will result in disciplinary action. 

Student access to the DCS will automatically be provided. If you do not wish to have your child use the computer network system or the district’s computer and educational technology, please write and send a letter to your child’s administrator stating this request. 

Under the federal, Every Student Succeeds Act, school boards receiving federal Title I funds must adopt a written parent and family engagement policy that is developed jointly with, agreed on with, and distributed to, parents of participating children and is incorporated into the District’s Title I plan. For information contact the District Title I Officer, Mrs. Barbara Quinn, at (845)-497-4000 ext. 27021.

The District is committed to developing healthy schools that support student learning and create an environment conducive to the health and well-being of faculty, staff and all students, while also supporting parents in accomplishing this goal. To that end, the Board of Education has adopted a policy that addresses: nutritional standards of foods and beverages sold on school grounds; physical education; extra-curricular activities; recess; emotional wellness; staff wellness; nutrition education and student awareness; community wellness and knowledge; and health education.

You may view/download the 2023 WCSD Wellness Assessment Tool here.

Workplace Violence & Prevention
Preventing Workplace Violence In Public Schools

What is the Law?
To help prevent workplace violence in public schools, on September 6, 2023, the Governor signed legislation (S1746/A1120) amending the Workplace Violence Prevention Law (Section 27-b of Labor Law), extending coverage to elementary and secondary public education that was previously exempted. This was done by removing the exemption from the definition of “employer” in the law. The amendment of 12 NYCRR Part 800.6 has also been immediately authorized by the legislation. 

What is Workplace Violence?

The term “workplace violence” is defined as any physical assault or acts of aggressive behavior occurring where a public employee performs any work-related duty in the course of their employment, including but not limited to:

• An attempt or threat, whether verbal or physical, to inflict physical injury upon the employee;
• Any intentional display of force that would give an employee reason to fear or expect bodily harm;
  Intentional and wrongful physical contact with a person without their consent that entails some injury; 
• Possession of a weapon while on district property or while engaged in district business; and
• Stalking an employee with the intent of causing fear of material harm to the physical safety and health of the employee when such stalking has arisen through and in the course of employment. 

What are Public Employer Requirements?

The Act and the Department of Labor’s regulations require public employers to follow these six steps:

1. Risk Evaluation: All employers are required to perform a risk evaluation of their workplace to determine what factors or situations might place employees at risk from workplace assaults and homicides. The risk evaluation must include: an examination of any records of incidents of workplace violence throughout the previous year; any relevant policies, work practices, and work procedures that may impact the risk of workplace violence; and an evaluation of the physical workplace environment to determine if any risk factors are present.
2. Workplace Violence Policy Statement: Employers with 20 or more full time permanent must develop and implement a written statement describing the goals and objectives of their workplace violence prevention program and how employees should report incidents of workplace violence. The policy statement must be posted where employee notices are regularly posted.
3. Workplace Violence Prevention Program: Employers with 20 or more employees are required to implement and develop a written workplace violence prevention program and make it available during regularly scheduled work hours for employees and authorized employee representatives to review. The workplace violence prevention program must include: the list of workplace violence risk factors identified in the risk Workplace Violence Prevention Act evaluation; the safeguards the employer will use to reduce or eliminate the risk of workplace violence; an outline or lesson plan for employee training on workplace violence; a description of their workplace violence reporting system; and a plan to review workplace violence incidents report annually.
4. Employee Training and Information: All employers must provide employees with training and information on the risk of workplace violence when they are first assigned to a workplace and once a year after that. The training must include the following information: the requirements of New York’s Workplace Violence Prevention Law; the risk factors the employer identified in the risk evaluation; the ways employees can protect themselves, as well as the specific procedures in place to protect employees. In addition, employers with 20 or more full-time permanent employees must inform employees of the location of the written workplace violence prevention program and how to obtain a copy.
5. Workplace Violence Reporting System: All employers must develop and implement a system for employees to report incidents of workplace violence. 
6. Workplace Violence Incidents Report: All employers must maintain a record of workplace violence incidents in a workplace violence incidents report. The employer, with the participation of an authorized employee representative, must review this report at least once a year. The review should be used to identify possible trends in the types of incidents that have occurred and evaluate the effectiveness of employer attempts to prevent or reduce the risk of workplace violence.

Where can the Washingtonville CSD Policy be found? 

Workplace Violence Prevention Policy Statement

Workplace Violence Prevention Program
This regulation includes the specific Risk Evaluation including program controls and methods of to address the risk. 

Reporting an Incident of Workplace Violence

You may use this Workplace Violence Incident Form (PDF version).

District Workplace Coordinator:
Lynn Imperato
WCSD Director of Personnel & Staff Development

How to Report a Violation of the Workplace Violence Prevention Program or Concern of Imminent Danger?

An employee, or the employee’s authorized representative, should inform a supervisor in writing if they believe there is a serious violation of the workplace violence prevention program, or if they believe there is imminent danger of workplace violence. The employee or representative must then allow the employer reasonable opportunity to correct the activity, policy, or workplace practice. If the activity, policy, or practice has not been resolved after a reasonable opportunity and the employee or representative still believes that a serious violation or imminent danger exists, they can file a complaint with the Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) bureau at the Department of Labor’s Division of Safety and Health using the complaint form at: dol.ny.gov/pbsh-complaint or by calling 1-844-SAFE-NYS. Employees can also contact the PESH bureau to ask questions about health and safety standards by calling : 1-844-SAFE-NYS or emailing ask.shnypesh@labor.ny.gov. An employee is NOT required to provide written notice to an employer if the employee believes themselves, another employee or patient is in imminent danger of workplace violence and reasonably believes, in good faith, that reporting to a supervisor would not result in corrective action. In such an instance, an employee can reach out directly to PESH.

Other Helpful Definitions:

Imminent danger refers to workplace conditions or practices which could reasonably be expected to lead to danger of immediate death or serious physical harm. Imminent danger also refers to workplace conditions or practices which could reasonably be expected to lead to the danger of death or serious physical harm that could be eliminated by the enforcement of procedures described in the workplace violence prevention before the danger becomes immediate. 

Serious physical harm refers to physical injury which creates a substantial risk of death or causes death. Serious physical harm also refers to physical injury which causes serious and long-term disfigurement, a long-term health impairment, or a long-term impairment to or loss of function of a bodily organ. Finally, serious physical harm refers to a sexual offense as defined by Article 130 of the Penal Law. 

A serious violation of the workplace violence prevention program is when the employer does not develop and implement the workplace violence prevention program or when the employer does not address situations which could result in serious physical harm. 

An authorized employee representative could be a union representative or an employee authorized by the employees. The residents of the 3 WCSD unions (CSEA, WAA and WTA) are members of the WPV Committee