Civil Rights Disclosure

Equal Education & Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of Summit Academy to provide equal educational and employment opportunity for all individuals. Therefore, the LEA prohibits all discrimination on the basis of

race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status. This policy extends to all aspects of the LEA’s educational programs, as well as to the use of all LEA facilities, and participation in all LEA sponsored activities.

Title II, VI, and IX Grievance Policy & Procedures

Summit Academy and Summit Academy High School do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Scott Pettit
Federal Programs (Title I, II, VI, and IX) Coordinator
Summit Academy/Summit Academy High School
1225 East 13200 South Draper, UT 84020
scott.pettit@summitacademyschools.org 
801-572-9007

Or 

Denver Office
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Building
1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 310
Denver, CO 80204-3582
Telephone: 303-844-5695
FAX: 303-844-4303
TDD: 800-877-8339
denver@ed.gov 

If you would like to file a grievance, please contact the SA/SAHS Federal Programs Coordinator above or fill out the following grievance form. Upon receipt of the grievance, the SA/SAHS Federal Programs Coordinator will respond to the grievant and alleged perpetrator within 48 hours to gather appropriate data regarding the nature of the grievance. The SA/SAHS Federal Programs Coordinator will then investigate the grievance and respond to the grievant and alleged perpetrator with findings within 60 days from submission of the grievance. 

All grievances submitted to the SA/SAHS Federal Programs Coordinator will be kept confidential and identifiable information will not be disclosed to school or district administration. The grievant and alleged perpetrator are not required to use “arbitration” or any other method to resolve the grievance. Any grievances brought against Summit Academy or Summit Academy High Schools will follow the same procedures listed in this document.

Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Summit Academy will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Students, parents, or employees needing accommodations should contact their school ADA/504 Coordinator, principal or supervisor. Or you may contact the LEA ADA Coordinator, Kathy Bracken (801-572-9007), for parent or employee accommodations; or 504 Director, Angela Grimmer, (801-495-3272) for student accommodations.

For more detailed information regarding Section 504, please see the Utah State Board of Education’s website on Educational Equity.

Civil Rights & Section 504 Grievance Procedure

Local Procedure

Step 1: A written grievance signed by the complainant shall be submitted to the appropriate Coordinator. The Coordinator shall further investigate the matters of grievance and reply in writing to the complainant within 10 business days.

Step 2: If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision of the Coordinator, she/he may submit a signed statement of appeal to the Director of Summit Academy within 10 business days after receipt of the Coordinator’s response. The Superintendent shall meet with all parties involved, formulate a conclusion, and respond in writing to the complainant within 10 business days.

Step 3: If the complainant is not satisfied, she/he may appeal through a signed statement to the Summit Academy Board of Trustees within 10 business days of her/his receipt of the Director’s response in step 2. In an attempt to resolve the grievance, the Board will meet with the concerned parties and their representative within 40 days of such an appeal. A copy of the Board’s disposition of the appeal shall be sent to each party within 10 business days of this meeting.

State Procedure

The complainant may contact the Educational Equity Coordinator at the Utah State Office of Education. The contact information for the coordinator is as follows:

250 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4220
(801) 538 - 7500

Federal Procedure

The complainant may file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at any time before, during, or after the local grievance procedure. The contact information for the office is as follows:

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights 

400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-1100
(800) 421-3481, TTD (877) 521-2172

Safe & Orderly Schools

It is the policy of Summit Academy to promote a safe and orderly school environment for all students and employees. Criminal acts or disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated and any individual who engages in such activity will be subject to school disciplinary action as determined by school administrators, police referral, and/or prosecution. In determining appropriate discipline, school officials will consider the totality of the circumstances, including the severity of the offense, as well as the individual’s age, disability status, intent, academic status, and prior disciplinary record.

Extracurricular Activities

Participation in interscholastic athletics, cheerleading, arts groups, student government, student clubs, graduation ceremonies, and other extracurricular activities is not a constitutionally protected civil right. Therefore, students who are suspended, transferred to an alternative placement, or expelled, may lose the privilege of participation in all extracurricular activities during the period of discipline and will not be afforded due process procedures to challenge the denial of participation.

Harassment & Hazing

Search & Seizure

School officials have the authority to search a student’s person, personal property, or vehicle while located on school property or at a school sponsored activity, when they have reason to believe that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating a particular law or school rule.

Students have no right or expectation of privacy in school lockers. School lockers are the sole property of Summit Academy. Periodic inspections of lockers, including the use of drug detecting canines, may be conducted by school authorities for any reason at any time, without notice, without student consent, and without a search warrant.

Compulsory Education Requirements

Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding the use of surveys or other school activities which may involve the collection or use of protected information. These include the right to:

1. Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas:
   
   [a] Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;
   [b] Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
   [c] Sexual behavior, orientation or attitudes;
   [d] Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
   [e] Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
   [f] Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
   [g] Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
   [h] Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
2. Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students regarding any of the protected information areas.
3. Inspect, upon request and before administration or use of:
   
   [a] Protected information surveys designed to be administered to students; and
   [b] Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

Summit Academy has policies in place to protect student privacy as required by both state and Federal law.

Parents who believe their rights have been violated may contact the school’s administration or file a complaint with:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920
(202) 260-3887

Informal inquires may be sent to FPCO via the following email address: PPRA@ed.gov.

Religious Expression in Public Schools  

In compliance with existing federal and state law regarding religion and religious expression in public schools, the LEA or school may neither advance nor inhibit religion. It is the LEA’s policy to:

1. Allow students and employees to engage in expression of personal religious views or beliefs within the parameters of current law, and
2. Maintain the school’s official neutrality regarding sectarian religious issues according to the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.

Rights Under the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to student’s education records. They are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the LEA receives a request for access.
   
   Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
   
   Parents or eligible students may ask Summit Academy to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
   
   If the LEA decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the LEA will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
   
   One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interest. A school official is a person employed by the LEA as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school officie in performing his or her tasks.
   
   A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the LEA 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
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605

NOTE: Personal information about students, known as “directory information”, can be made public. This information may include a student’s name, address, telephone number, email address, photographs, date and place of birth, grade level, awards, honors and other information typically found in school yearbooks, athletic programs, honor rolls or class/school contests. If parents do not wish this information to be made public, the school must be contacted within 15 days of this notice. Any parents who have concerns regarding photographs or videos of students in activities or events should contact the principal. Additionally, federal law requires that the district/school provide military recruiters with three directory information categories - names, addresses and telephone numbers – unless parents have advised the school that they do not want such information disclosed without their prior written consent.

Homeless Student Eligibility Policy 

The Board recognizes the importance of requiring and maintaining necessary records for all students. However, the Board also recognizes the importance of removing barriers for homeless students to enroll and participate in school. “Homeless students” means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and includes children who are:

1. Living with a friend, relative, or someone else because they lost their home or can’t afford housing;
2. Staying in a motel, hotel, trailer park, or camping ground due to the lack of alternative accommodations;
3. Living in a transitional shelter;
4. Living in a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
5. Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, homeless students are entitled to immediate enrollment and full participation even if they are unable to produce records normally required for enrollment, such as previous academic records, medical records, proof of residency, birth certificate, or other documentation. 42 U.S.C. Section 11432 (g) (3)(C) and (g)(1)(H)(I)

1. Homeless students shall be enrolled immediately.
2. Homeless students will be granted full participation in school activities and programs. They cannot be excluded based on their inability to present the following information:
   
   a. Immunization records
   b. Medical records
   c. Birth certificate
   d. Previous school records or transcripts
   e. Guardianship records
   f. Proof of residency
   g. Other required documentation
3. Homeless students have three options for choice of school to attend:
   
   a. School of origin (the school the child has attended when permanently housed),
   b. School of origin (the school the child last attended)
   c. The school closest to the shelter or other temporary housing.
   
   “School of Origin” means the school the child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled.
4. The school will continue efforts to assist the student in completing necessary and important records especially all immunization information.