Student Grievance Procedure

The primary purpose of these procedures is to clarify channels of communication available to students when they have grievances about certain actions, policies or procedures in the school. A secondary purpose is to provide ways for students to present suggestions and to become involved in the decision-making process involving school policy or procedure. It shall be the basic intent of the student grievance procedure to encourage students to discuss their grievance(s) informally with the faculty member against whom the grievance is directed, prior to utilizing the more formal grievance procedure outline below. If not, the following procedure shall apply.

Student grievances generally involve one of the following three categories: academic matters; disciplinary action; and student, social, physical, or operational conditions.

A. Academics, Activities, Athletics, Special Services and Guidance

If a student (or a group of students) feels he/she is not being treated fairly with respect to academics, activities, athletics, special services, or guidance services and if he/she cannot resolve the questions himself/herself with the faculty member involved, he/she may ask his/her parents to come to school to attempt to resolve the matter.

1. If a teacher, coach, advisor, Adolescent Study Team member, or counselor is involved, the parent(s) shall arrange a conference with the faculty member through their son/daughter's Guidance Counselor, or the Vice-Principal, or Supervisor of Athletics.
2. If the decision is still unsatisfactory to the parent, the parent together with the student may appeal within five school days to the Superintendent.
3. If the decision of the Supervisor is unsatisfactory to the parent, the parent with the pupil may appeal within five school days in writing to the Principal.
4. If the Principal's decision is unsatisfactory to the parent, the parent, together with the pupil, may appeal step by step:

Level 4a: Attendance, Academic, Social, Guidance - Assistant Superintendent
Activities, Athletics, Discipline, Operations - Assistant Superintendent
Special Education, Physical Facilities, Affirmative Action - Director of Special Services
Vocational and Funded, Basic Skills, Bilingual, ESL - Director of Funded Programs

Level 4b: Board of Education and Superintendent

Level 4c: Commissioner of Education (et al)

5. Whenever an appeal is made at or beyond the Principal's level, it shall be made in writing within 5 school days of notification of a decision unsatisfactory to a parent.
6. An attorney may represent the pupil and his or her parents at any point beyond the Principal, provided prior notification is made to the school authorities.

B. Disciplinary
If a pupil feels that disciplinary action applied to him or her is unfair, he/she cannot resolve the matter with the faculty member or vice-principal involved, the pupil may ask his/her parents to come to school to attempt to resolve the matter.

1. If a teacher is involved, the parent(s) shall arrange a conference with the teacher through the vice-principal. If the vice-principal is involved, the parent(s) shall arrange a conference with the vice-principal by calling him/her.
2. If the decision is unsatisfactory to the pupil, he may ask his parents to come to school to attempt to resolve the matter directly with the Principal.
3. If the Principal's decision is still unsatisfactory to the parent, the parent may follow the steps or appeal designated in A3 through 5 above.
C. Social, Physical, or Operational

If a student (or group of students) feels that a particular social, physical, or operational condition in the school should be modified or provided, he may contact the Student Council in one of the following ways: through his homeroom representative to Student Council or through the vice-principal.

1. His suggestions or complaint shall be in writing. He may request or be requested to attend a Student Council meeting to present the problem in person. Any matter shall be discussed and appropriate action will be taken by Student Council.
2. If the action taken so requires, the Student Council may refer the matter in writing to the principal for his/her consideration and/or decision.
3. If the matter is felt by the Student Council not to have been satisfactorily resolved, the Student Council may refer the item in writing to the Superintendent for his decision or recommendation. At this step, the principal may be asked to present a summary of the question in writing. The Superintendent's reply shall be in writing.
4. If the Student Council is still dissatisfied, a further appeal may be made in writing within five school days to the Board of Education. The Board's decision, which shall be in writing, shall be final except in those matters where State Laws permit appeal to higher authority.
5. At any point in the discussion and/or appeals, either the Student Council or the school authorities may draw on parents or staff members for advice and suggestions for resolution of the problems.
6. If the student or group of students does not feel that the appropriate action has been taken by the Student Council, the student may follow the steps or appeal designated in A3 through 5 above.

D. A time interval shall be applied to each step in this procedure. At the high school level, a time limit of five days will be applied to each step in this procedure. At higher levels, appropriate time intervals shall be applied to each step in this procedure.