Required Notices
Required Notices
School districts are required to provide all residents with various annual notices and specific policies. These items are updated periodically and listed below.
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in education programs or activities which receive Federal financial assistance. Title IX declares that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance”. Title IX is not a “sports law”; it is an “education law”.
Title IX Coordinator:
Mr. Craig Uram
(724)223-2000 x7111
Child Find - Notice of Services for Protected Handicapped Students
In compliance with state and federal law, the Trinity Area School District will provide to each protected handicapped student without discrimination or cost to the student or family, those related aids, services or accommodations which are needed to provide equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the benefits of the school program and extracurricular activities to the maximum extent appropriate to the student's abilities. Click here to view the entire Child Find Annual Notice. For additional information on the evaluation procedures and provision of services provided to protected handicapped students or eligible students, contact Kenneth Cross, Director of Special Education at 724-223-2000 x6518 or kcross@trinityhillers.net.
Parent's Right to Know
Trinity Area School District receives Federal Title I funds to assist students in meeting state achievement standards. Throughout the school year, we will be providing you with important information about this law and your child’s education. This letter lets you know about your right to request information about the qualifications of the classroom staff working with your child.
We are very proud of our teachers and feel they are prepared to give your child a high-quality education. Our Title I schools must meet federal regulations related to teacher qualifications as defined in ESEA. These regulations allow you to learn more about your child’s teachers’ training and credentials. We are happy to provide this information to you. At any time, you may ask:
- Whether the teacher met state qualifications and certification requirements for the grade level and subject he/she is teaching,
- Whether the teacher received an emergency or conditional certificate through which state qualifications were waived, and
- What undergraduate or graduate degrees the teacher holds, including graduate certificates and additional degrees, and major(s) or area(s) of concentration.
You may also ask whether your child receives help from a paraprofessional. If your child receives this assistance, we can provide you with information about the paraprofessional’s qualifications.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which was signed into law in December 2015 and reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1956 (ESEA) includes additional right to know requests. At any time, parents and family members can request:
- Information on policies regarding student participation in assessments and procedures for opting out, and
- Information on required assessments that include
- subject matter tested,
- purpose of the test,
- source of the requirement (if applicable),
- amount of time it takes students to complete the test, and
- time and format of disseminating results.
Our staff is committed to helping your child develop the academic knowledge and critical thinking he/she needs to succeed in school and beyond. That commitment includes making sure that all of our teachers and paraprofessionals meet applicable Pennsylvania state requirements.
If you have any questions about your child’s assignment to a teacher or paraprofessional, please contact your child’s building principal.
Highly Qualified Teachers
Federal law requires that all public school teachers in core academic subjects be Highly Qualified.
A highly qualified teacher in Pennsylvania is one who:
- holds full certification;
- has at least a bachelor’s degree;
- has completed a content area major;
- has passed a content area test; and
- has completed teacher education course work.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), in addition to Pennsylvania Department of Education regulations and School Board policy, affords parents/guardians and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to students’ education records.
These rights are:
1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 30 days of the date the district receives a request for access. Parents/guardians or eligible students should submit to the principal of the school where the student is enrolled or was previously enrolled a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal or his or her designee will make arrangements for access and notify the parent/guardian 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 a parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate. In order to request such an amendment, the parent or eligible student should make the request in writing to the school principal and clearly identify the record they want changed. The request should also specify the reasons why the record is believed to be inaccurate. If the district decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent/guardian or eligible student, the district will notify the parent/guardian 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/guardian 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 such exception is for a disclosure to school officials who possess a legitimate educational interest in the record. A school official is a person employed by the district 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 school has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent/guardian or student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official 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. The district will also disclose education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, upon request of that school district.
A parent/guardian or eligible student may request that the district disclose educational records to a third party by submitting a written consent form to the district. Consent forms may be obtained from the building principal’s office or the district’s Administrative Office.
Parents/guardian and eligible students also have the right to 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 as follows:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901
Disclosure of Athletic Opportunities
Effective July 1, 2012, PA General Assembly passed Act 82 Article XVI-C, the Disclosure of Interscholastic Athletic Opportunities in secondary schools including grades seven to 12. This will include public schools, joint schools, area vocational-technical schools, charter schools and cyber charter schools.
All non-school (booster clubs, alumni, and other non-school) contributions and purchases are included in the yearly disclosure.
IDEA Procedural Safeguards Notice
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Federal law concerning the education of students with disabilities, requires the Local Education Agency to provide parents of a child with a disability with this notice containing a full explanation of the procedural safeguards available under the IDEA and the US Department of Education regulations.
ARP ESSER Fund
The Pennsylvania Department of Education offered Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds to schools in Pennsylvania during COVID-19.
As part of that effort, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 provided Pennsylvania schools with $5 billion in emergency funding to support the long-term work of education recovery.
Trinity Area ARP ESSER Information