Notices

Maryville City Schools wants everyone who visits our websites to feel welcome and find the experience rewarding.  We recognize the importance of ensuring our websites are accessible to those with disabilities. We are committed to making our information accessible to visitors with disabilities and are actively working to increase the accessibility and usability of our website and in doing so adhere to many of the available standards and guidelines.

This website was built to and we continually endeavor to conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.  These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible and the District is working to educate our school staff to ensure that all website content will be compliant within the guidelines and be accessible to all visitors.  Furthermore, this site has been built using code compliant with W3C standards for HTML and CSS. The site displays correctly in current browsers and using standards compliant HTML/CSS code means any future browsers will also display it correctly.

We are continually seeking solutions that will bring all areas of the site up to the same level of overall web accessibility. In the meantime should you experience any difficulty in accessing the information on our websites, please don’t hesitate to contact us.   (865) 982-7121 or MCS@maryville-schools.org 

Each year the Maryville City School system must tell students, parents, faculty, and staff about its asbestos management plan.  The Asbestos Hazards Emergency Response Act (AHERA) became law on October 22, 1986.  The act required that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issue rules for asbestos management in all schools by October 17, 1987.  The EPA rules required that school systems develop an asbestos management plan and submit it to their state by May 1989.

The Maryville City School system has met all AHERA requirements.  The management plan is available for review at the office of Scott Blevins, 833 Lawrence Ave., Maryville.  It includes information about previous asbestos abatement projects, six months surveillance reports, the location and condition of remaining asbestos-containing materials, and the response action chosen for each.

Address any questions concerning asbestos in the Maryville City Schools to Joe Robinette at (865)982-7121. 

Determination and verification of eligibility for free and reduced-price meals

If school districts participate in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, or the Special Milk Program, they must provide both parents and the public with information about free and reduced-price meals and/or free milk near the beginning of each school year (7 CFR § 245.5), along with an application form for parents. Districts may not disclose children’s free and reduced eligibility status unless the requestor of such information falls into one of the categories specified in the National School Lunch Act (42 USCA § 1758(b)(6)(A)(i)-(v)).

In schools where at least 80% of enrolled students have free or reduced-price meal eligibility, annual notification of program availability and certification only needs to occur once every two consecutive school years.

The USDA’s Eligibility Manual for School Meals contains information on federal requirements regarding the determination and verification of eligibility for free and reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. The manual includes information about what the application for these programs is to contain, including a link to an online application. The manual also includes information describing to whom (pp. 82-83), and under what conditions, information regarding free and reduced eligibility status may be disclosed (pp. 80-89). Three alternative provisions have been incorporated into the standard requirements for annual determinations of eligibility for free and reduced-price school meals. These alternative provisions are available by clicking here.

Accommodating children with disabilities
 

As for accommodating children with disabilities who participate in School Meal Programs, the USDA published a guide that highlights these requirements and is available by clicking here. 
 

With the help of school food service staff, LEAs must implement procedures to enable parents/guardians to request modifications to meal services for their children with disabilities (7 CFR §§ 15b.25, 15b.6(b)). LEAs must notify parents/guardians on the process to request meal modifications that accommodate the child’s needs and for resolving disputes. The hearing process must follow the necessary procedural requirements: notice, right to counsel, opportunity to participate, and examination of the record. Guidance created by the USDA on accommodating disabilities in the School Meal Programs is available by clicking here. 

Local school wellness policy
 
In 2016, an amendment was made to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which requires school districts to inform and update the public, parents, and students about the content and implementation of their local school wellness policy (42 USCA § 1758b(b)(4)). School districts must periodically measure and report on implementation of their local school wellness policy, including: (1) the extent to which schools under the jurisdiction of the local school district are in compliance with its local school wellness policy; (2) the extent to which the local school wellness policy of the local district compares to model local school wellness policies; and (3) the progress made in attaining the goals of the local school wellness policy (42 USCA § 1758b(b)(5)(A)). For more information, see the USDA’s Local School Wellness Policy. 

According to “Local School Wellness Policy: Guidance and Q&As” (2017), the USDA does not require a specific timeline for updates to a local school wellness policy. However, the policy should be updated after conducting a triennial assessment (7 CFR § 210.31(e)(3)). The updates are dependent on the structure of the LEA's policy. Annually, an LEA is required to notify the public about the content of its policy and discuss any updates (7 CFR § 210.31(d)(2)). It also must inform the public about the progress made towards meeting the goals of the local school wellness policy (7 CFR § 210.31(d)(3)).
 

Maryville City Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its program or activities. Maryville City Schools offers classes in many career and technical education program areas under its open admissions policy.  Application and admission to any program based on selective criteria is nondiscriminatory.  Lack of English language proficiency will not be a barrier to admission or participation in any program.

The following have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:  

• Title IX Coordinator:  AMY VAGNIER @ (865) 982-7121 
• Section 504 Coordinator:  MELANIE DAVIDSON @ (865) 982-7121
• TN Dept. of Education MOA Coordinator:  MARTY WILLIS @ (615) 532-2805

TRANSLATIONS:

• Spanish 
• Japanese

Private schools in the Maryville City Schools zone may contact Melissa Stowers, CTE Director, at (865) 982-1132 or via email (LINK HERE) for information about our CTE offerings and professional development activities. 

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), reauthorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA), requires state education agencies, school districts, and individual schools to provide numerous notices to parents, the public, and others. Several regulatory actions to implement ESSA have yet to be written or are in the proposed rule process; therefore, documents issued under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) remain in effect as current guidance until the U.S. Department of Education  (Department) issues new agency information. At this time, TSBA will continue to reference the existing documents until new guidance is published.

For more information about implementation of ESSA within a school district, several provisions are summarized in Transitioning to the Every Student Succeeds Act Frequently Asked Questions (January 2017) which contains information about ESSA notice requirements that differ from those under NCLB. 

Notice required by school districts who receive Title I funds

ESSA requires that states and school districts engage families and parents in the work of ensuring positive outcomes for all students. School districts that receive Title I funds must have a written family and parent engagement policy with expectations and objectives for implementing meaningful family and parent involvement strategies. They are required to involve family members and parents in developing district plans and to provide technical assistance to schools on planning and implementing effective family and parent involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance.

Additionally, ESSA requires all school districts that receive Title I funds to implement an effective means of outreach to parents of English learners and hold regular meetings for those parents. For more information, see the Department’s Policy Statement on Family Engagement (May 5, 2016) and the Department’s ESSA Assessments under Title 1, Part A and Title I, Part B: Summary of Final Regulations. The Department also created a chart that compares the drafted guidance with relevant prior guidance on Title I. It is available by clicking here.

Furthermore, the supplement-not-supplant requirement under Title I changed under ESSA, but the Department has not issued draft regulations. Instead, the Department recently provided a non-regulatory informational document, Supplement Not Supplant Under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (June 19, 2019), along with addressed public comments.  

Lastly, LEAs that receive Title I funds must publish state and local report cards on their websites that are concise and in an accessible format.
 

Notice provided to the public that a school has been identified for comprehensive support and improvement or targeted support and improvement 

When the LEA receives notice from the State of Tennessee that it has been identified for comprehensive support and improvement, the LEA must promptly notify the parents of every enrolled student in the school:

1. That the school has been identified as such (34 CFR § 200.21(b));
    
2. The reasons for the identification (34 CFR § 200.21(b)); and
    
3. How parents can become involved in the needs assessment (34 CFR § 200.21(c)) and developing and implementing of a comprehensive support and improvement plan (34 CFR § 200.21(d); 34 CFR § 200.21(b)).

An LEA may provide the option to transfer to another public school, including information about transportation to the new school and information on the academic achievement of the new school (34 CFR § 200.21(h)), to all students enrolled in a school identified for comprehensive support and improvement. For further information on the content of the notice, see Section D in the Department’s Public School Choice Non-Regulatory Guidance (2009). No new guidance regarding this issue has been released since the passage of ESSA. 

Additionally, when an LEA receives notice from the State of Tennessee that it has been identified for targeted support or improvement, it must promptly notify the parents with:

1. The reasons for identification (34 CFR § 200.19(b));
    
2. A list of groups and subgroups that are underperforming (34 CFR § 200.19(b)(1)) and low-performing (34 CFR § 200.19(b)(2); 34 CFR § 200.22(b)(2)(i)); and 
    
3. How the parents can become involved in developing and implementing the targeted support and improvement plan (34 CFR § 200.22(c); 34 CFR § 200.22(b)(2)(ii)).

Lastly, in regard to both classifications, the notice must be given in an understandable and uniform format, and to the extent practicable, written in a language that the parents can understand or be orally translated (34 CFR § 200.21(b)(1)-(3); 34 CFR § 200.22(b)). In general, the notice must be provided in a timely manner to parents directly through regular mail or e-mail or by other direct means of distribution (34 CFR § 200.31(d)(3)(i)). The notice must also be provided in an alternative format accessible to that parent if he/she is an individual with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (34 CFR § 200.21(b)(3)).
 

Notice provided to parents/guardians and eligible students to inspect and review education records

Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), school districts must provide parents/guardians and eligible students (students at least 18 years of age) with annual notice of their rights to inspect and review education records, amend education records, consent to disclose personally identifiable information in education records, and file a complaint with the Department (34 CFR § 99.7(a)(2)). The notice must include the procedure to request and review education records as well as a statement that records may be disclosed to school officials without prior written consent. This statement should define a school official and what constitutes a legitimate educational interest when it comes to accessing a student’s educational records (34 CFR § 99.7(a)(3)).

Notice may be provided in any way that is reasonably likely to inform parents of their rights and must effectively notify parents who have a primary or home language other than English and parents/guardians or eligible students who are disabled (34 CFR § 99.7(b)). The annual notification may be published in any of the following ways: a schedule of classes, a student handbook, a calendar of school events, the school's website (this should not be the exclusive means of notification), the student newspaper, and/or posted in a central location at the school or various locations throughout the school. For more information, see the Department’s FERPA Guidance for Eligible Students and the Department’s Model Notification of Rights under FERPA for Elementary and Secondary Schools.
 

Notice provided to parents/guardians and eligible students as to directory information

Under FERPA, school districts may disclose directory information if they have given public notice to parents/guardians and eligible students of what information has been designated as directory information and when and how parents/guardians and eligible students may opt out of allowing the district to disclose their directory information (34 CFR § 99.37(a)). Additionally, under ESSA, school districts must provide notice that they routinely release the names, addresses, and phone numbers of secondary students to military recruiters unless parents opt out in writing (20 USCA § 7908). School districts may provide this military recruiter notice as part of their general FERPA notice. The Department’s FERPA Model Notice for Directory Information is available by clicking here. 
 

FERPA regulations permit LEAs and schools to adopt limited directory information policies that allow the disclosure of directory information to specific parties and/or for specific purposes (34 CFR § 99.37(d)). It is up to individual LEAs and schools to decide whether to adopt a limited directory information policy and how to implement it.

The Department recommends that school districts post all FERPA notices, including the directory information policy, on their websites. For more information, see the Department’s Transparency Best Practices for Schools and Districts, the Department’s School Resource Officers, School Law Enforcement Units and FERPA, and the Department’s FERPA General Guidance for Students.
 

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a school district must give a copy of its procedural safeguards to a parent of a child with a disability once per year and also upon initial referral or parental request for an evaluation, the filing of a first request for a due process hearing, a disciplinary action constituting a change in placement, and at the request of a parent (20 USCA § 1415(d)(1)(a); 34 CFR § 300.504(a)). Parents may choose to receive the procedural safeguards notice by email if the LEA makes this option available (20 USCA § 1415(n); 34 CFR § 300.505). This notice must fully explain the IDEA’s procedural safeguards in an easily understandable manner and in the native language of the parents unless it is clearly not feasible to do so (20 USCA § 1415(d)(2); 34 CFR § 300.504(c), (d)). For more information, the Department’s Model Form: Procedural Safeguards Notice provides guidance on required content under the IDEA.  

Additionally, the procedural safeguards notice requirements in the IDEA also apply to parents of homeless children with disabilities. For more information, see Question B-2 in Questions and Answers on Special Education and Homelessness issued by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
 

Lastly, the Department analyzed when and how parents must be notified before records containing personally identifiable information are destroyed under Part B of IDEA. The question considered was whether, under 34 CFR § 300.624, a school district must specifically notify parents at the time the district intends to destroy a student's records or whether such notice must be provided at the time the records are no longer needed. The Department’s letter responds that, under the IDEA, parents must be informed when the personally identifiable information is no longer needed to provide services. 

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires school districts, through their homeless student liaisons, to provide public notice of the education rights of the homeless students enrolled in their districts (42 USCA § 11432(e)(3)(C)(i)). Such notice is to be disseminated in places where homeless students receive services under this Act, such as schools, family shelters, and soup kitchens (42 USCA § 11432 (g)(6)(A)(vi)). The notice must be in a manner and form that is understandable to homeless students and their parents/guardians, including in their native language if necessary and to the extent feasible (42 USCA § 11432(e)(3)(C)(iii)).

The Department has issued guidelines that address the different ways a state may: (1) assist LEAs to implement McKinney-Vento as amended by ESSA; and (2) review and revise policies and procedures, along with LEAs, that may present barriers to the identification, enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless children and youths in school. These guidelines are available by clicking here.

In March 2017, the Department updated the Education for Homeless Children and Youths Program Non-Regulatory Guidance. This document highlights the key changes brought about by ESSA. For notice requirements, see page 33.

For more information as to McKinney-Vento, see Dear Colleague Letter: Educational Rights of Homeless Children and Youths and the Department's Supporting the Success of Homeless Children and Youths Fact Sheet. Free Educational Rights posters created by the National Center for Homeless Education can be downloaded or ordered by clicking here. 

It is the policy of Maryville City Schools not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information in its educational programs, activities, or employment policies. Inquiries regarding compliance with applicable federal laws or to file a discrimination charge can be made to Brittany Trentham at brittany.trentham@maryville-schools.org. 

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
   (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
   program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

05/05/2022

Tenn. Code Ann. 49-6-1019, prohibits certain concepts from being included or promoted as part of a course of instruction or in a curriculum or instructional program or included in supplemental instructional materials used by public schools in Tennessee. The department promulgated emergency rule 0520-12-04, that became effective on November 8, 2021, providing how the department will implement the law. The emergency rule includes requirements for each local education agency (LEA) and public charter school and the process for filing a complaint alleging an LEA or public charter school has violated Tenn. Code Ann 49-6-1019.

Use the link below to access a form and return it to the Maryville City Schools District Office at 833 Lawrence Avenue, Maryville, TN 37803. It should be addressed to the Assistant Director of Schools.

Prohibited Concepts in Instruction Complaint Form

This rule may also be accessed on the Tennessee State Board of Education's (TNDOE) website. The Complaint Form may also be accessed on the TNDOE's website.

General complaints about the subject matter or age appropriateness of textbooks and instructional materials that do not allege that concepts are being or have been included or promoted in a course of instruction, curriculum, instructional program, or in supplemental instructional materials of an LEA or public charter school, in violation of Tenn. Code Ann. 49-6-1019, must follow the locally adopted policy for addressing such complaints.

Last Modified on July 13, 2022

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) requires school districts to adopt several policies regarding surveys of students, instructional materials, physical examinations, and personal information used for marketing. At least annually, parents must be notified of these policies at the beginning of the school year and within a reasonable time period after any substantial change is made to the policies (20 USCA § 1232h(c)(2)(A)). For more information, see the Department’s Model Notification of Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. 
 

If districts plan to: (1) use students’ personal information for selling or marketing purposes; (2) administer any survey about any of the eight topics listed in the statute (political beliefs, income, sex behavior or attitudes, etc.); or (3) administer certain non-emergency, invasive physical examinations, districts must directly notify parents at least annually and at the beginning of the school year of the specific or approximate dates of when these activities are scheduled or expected to be scheduled (20 USCA § 1232h(c)(2)(B), (c)(2)(C)). For more information, the Department maintains several resources on its website such as the Department’s PPRA Model General Notice of Rights and the Department’s PPRA Model Notice and Consent/Opt-Out for Specific Activities. The Department recommends that districts post all PPRA notices on their websites. 
 

Several federal statutes protect the rights of participants in programs or activities receiving federal and/or state financial assistance. Specifically, the following statutes prohibit discrimination: Title VI (34 CFR § 100.6(d)) (race, color, ethnicity, and national origin); Title IX (34 CFR § 106.9) (sex and pregnancy); Section 504 (34 CFR § 104.8) and Title II (28 CFR § 35.106) of the Americans with Disabilities Act (disability); the Age Discrimination Act (34 CFR § 110.25) (age); and the Boy Scouts of American Equal Access Act (34 CFR § 108.9) (requires public schools to provide equal access to the use of school property to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups). The statutes require school districts to notify students, parents, and others that they do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, disability, or age and that they provide equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. 

Additionally, the Department’s Notice of Non-Discrimination describes the required content of notices under these statutes, including the methods of notification required by Title IX and Section 504. It also contains a sample notice of non-discrimination that school districts may use to meet the requirements of all of the above statutes. The notice used by the school district must include the identity and contact information of the coordinators designated to handle complaints under Title IX (34 CFR § 106.8), Section 504 (34 CFR § 104.8), the Americans with Disabilities Act (28 CFR § 35.107), and the Age Discrimination Act (34 CFR § 110.25).

In compliance with TN Public Chapter 644, this link will direct you to all the rights of students and their parents or legal guardians complied by the TN Department of Education. 
Contact Elizabeth Fiveash at the state department for questions or concerns. (615) 253-3781

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/legal/legal_state_statuatory_rights_of_parents_and_students.pdf