Sioux City Community Schools -

The Asbestos Management Plan for your school is available for review in the administrative office of each school building or in the safety and abatement specialist’s office for the District. This Management Plan is required under the Federal ASBESTOS HAZARD EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT (AHERA), codified in 40 CFR Part 763.

Planned Asbestos Abatement for the 2023-2024 School Year:

1. Six-month periodic surveillance of all school buildings in December and June.

2. Repair/removal of any thermal pipe wrap or mud joints.

3. Repair/removal of any floor tile.

4. 3-Year AHERA Re-inspections for North High, Clark, Irving Preschool, Fairview, O&M, Sunnyside, and Nodland.

Any Asbestos Abatement or Response Actions involving asbestos that was not planned can be found in the Management Plan for that school. If anyone has any questions please contact operations & maintenance at (712) 279-6651.

Revised May 22, 2023

State law forbids school employees from using corporal punishment against any student. Certain actions by school employees are not considered corporal punishment. Additionally, school employees may use “reasonable and necessary force, not designed or intended to cause pain” to do certain things, such as prevent harm to persons or property.

State law also places limits on school employees’ abilities to restrain or confine and detain any student. The    law limits why, how, where, and for how long a school employee may restrain or confine and detain a child. If a child is restrained or confined and detained, the school must maintain documentation and must provide certain types of notice to the child’s parents. If you have any questions about this state law, please contact your school. The complete text of the law and additional information is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law, requires that the District, with certain exceptions, obtain a parent’s written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from their child’s education record. One such exception allows the District to disclose appropriately designated “Directory Information” without written consent, unless a parent or eligible student has advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District’s Directory Information opt-out procedures. An “eligible student” is a student who has reached the age of 18.

“Directory Information” is information contained in a student’s education record, which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. A primary purpose of Directory Information is for use in District and school publications. However, the District may also disclose “Directory Information” to third parties (including, but not limited to, class ring and yearbook companies, post-secondary institutions and military recruiters) without consent from a parent or eligible student as long as notice has been given of the types of information which the District designates as Directory Information, the parent’s or eligible student’s right to restrict the disclosure of any or all of such information, and the period of time they have to do so. The District provides this notice and opt-out procedure to parents on an annual basis (including parents of students open enrolled into the District and home-schooled students of the  District).

The District designates the following categories of student-specific information as Directory Information: name; address; telephone number; date of birth; school email address; grade level; enrollment status; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; dates of attendance; current attendance center; degrees and awards received; the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student; photographs; videos of the student’s participation in music, speech, athletic or other events; and other similar information.

“Student” is defined as an enrolled individual in grades PK-12 including children in District-sponsored childcare programs.

The District strives to promote the many positives occurring daily in our classrooms. Media coverage of public events in which students of the District are participants is welcomed and encouraged. Pictures and videos may also be captured to use for marketing purposes.

A parent/guardian will be given an opportunity to opt a student out of such exposure by completing the Media Objection Notice form. The form must be completed by September 9, 2022. The District will recognize only those options to “opt-out” that it receives in writing, and makes no representations regarding media access to such students other than that the District will use reasonable measures to ensure that any student who has exercised such an option is not exposed to media coverage.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232h, requires the School District to notify you and obtain consent or allow you to opt your child out of participating in certain school activities including a student survey, analysis, or evaluation concerning one or more of the eight areas (“protected information surveys”) described below. Iowa state law further requires prior written consent of a student’s parent or guardian before requiring a student to take part in any “protected information survey.” The eight areas of protection are:

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.

This requirement also applies to certain physical exams and screenings.  See Board Policies 604.5 Student Surveys, Analyses or Evaluations, 505.18 Student Records, 505.19 Student Directory Information.

State law further requires parental consent for any formal examination or survey of a student that is designed to assess the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health, which is not required by state or federal law.

If a parent or guardian does not provide written consent to a protected information survey or another mental, emotional, or physical health survey, the District will treat their lack of consent as their decision to opt out of the survey/evaluation.

Following is a schedule of survey activities requiring parental notice and consent for the upcoming school year. This list is not exhaustive and, for surveys and activities scheduled after the school year starts, the School District will provide parents with prior notification of the surveys and activities and the opportunity consent as well as an opportunity to review the surveys. (Please note that the rights described in this notice transfer from parents to any student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under Iowa law.)

• Pulse for grades 6-12. 

• SAEBRS/mySAEBRS

• Conditions for Learning

The District is proud of the educational experience we are able to offer our children. This experience is made possible through the skills and dedication of all of our employees – from the teachers, assistants, and principals who help them develop every day to the bus drivers who get many of them to school, food service staff who ensure healthy meals are available, and custodians who make sure the environment is pleasant and conducive to learning. Everyone plays an important role and always with a passion for children. The Sioux City Community School District is proud of the accomplishments of our many employees. Most of our employees are life-long learners themselves and continue to grow through a variety of professional development opportunities.

As a parent of a student in our District, you have the right to know of the professional qualifications of the teachers and assistants who instruct your child, including: whether the teacher is certified in the State of Iowa in the subject or grade level in which he or she teaches; what type of licensure the teacher holds; the college major of the teacher and whether he or she holds any advanced degrees. You may also ask about qualifications of any assistants that provide services to your child. These are all things we look at when recruiting and hiring employees to work with the children that are entrusted to us. Should you like to receive any of this information, please contact the human resources department

Please provide your name, the school your child attends, and the information you are requesting. The District ensures that parents will be notified in writing if their child has been assigned, or has been taught by a teacher for four or more consecutive weeks who is not considered highly qualified.

We are pleased that you elect to entrust your child’s education in our District. We pledge to provide the best possible experience for you and your child. Working together we can develop children that are ready to move into their adult lives and be productive contributing members of our society.