Annual Notifications

translation instructionsBody Camera Notice

This letter is to notify families of a new policy related to our School Resource Deputy (“SRD”) from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department (the “Department”). The SRD on campus will now be outfitted with a body camera in accordance with the Department’s new body camera policy. This notice explains the purpose of the Department’s policy and examples of situations in which the SRD may activate the body camera at school. If you have questions or concerns about the Department’s new body camera policy, please contact Sheriff David Bartlett at david.bartlett@columbiacountysheriff.us.

Body Mass Index Reporting

New York State requires schools to track each student’s Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight status category as part of school health examinations. If HCSD is asked to provide this data to the state, it will be summary data only and children’s names will not be reported. Parents who wish to exclude their child’s data must contact the child’s school nurse.

Code of Conduct

The Hudson City School District Code of Conduct applies to all students, school personnel, parents and visitors when on school property, including school buses and other school-owned vehicles, or when attending a school-sponsored event or function. Information on the Code of Conduct is shared with students at the beginning of every school year.

Dignity for All Students Act

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) was enacted to provide students with a safe, supportive educational environment free from discrimination, harassment and bullying. Questions or concerns about bullying should be directed to your child’s building DASA coordinator.

Parent’s Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security

In accordance with New York State Education Law Section 2-d, the Hudson City School District provides the following Parent’s Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security, which is applicable to all students and their parents and legal guardians.

The privacy and security of personally identifiable student data is of paramount importance. A student’s personally identifiable information cannot be sold or released for any commercial purposes. State and federal laws protect the confidentiality of students’ personally identifiable information and safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices, such as encryption, firewalls, and password protection, must be in place when such data is stored or transferred.

Consistent with the adoption by the New York State Legislature of the Common Core Implementation Reform Act of 2014, all parents have the following rights:

  • To inspect and review the complete contents of their child’s education record, as defined in the District’s Student Records policy;
  • To access a complete list of all student data elements collected by the State, which is available for public review at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/sirs/documentation/NYSEDstudentData.xlsx, or by writing to the Office of Information & Reporting Services, New York State Education Department, Room 863 EBA, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234;
  • To have complaints about possible breaches of student data heard and determined.  Complaints should be directed in writing to the Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12234, or by email to the Chief Privacy Officer at CPO@mail.nysed.gov

*In the event the Commissioner of Education issues an enhanced Bill of Rights and/or promulgates regulations setting forth additional elements to be included in the Parent’s Bill of Rights, the Hudson City School District reserves the right to revise this document accordingly.

Pesticide Notification

Under state law, the Hudson City School District must notify the public when pesticide products may be used in the school buildings or on the school grounds throughout the year. Parents, guardians and staff may request 48-hour prior written notification of certain pesticide applications.

Click here for more information about pesticide use and how to be added to the notification list.

Public Notice of Financial Statements

All reports can be reviewed here.

Public Relations Use of Directory Information

In order to publicize student accomplishments or specific educational programs, school officials may occasionally release directory information for use in school district publications, on district websites/social media pages, or to the media for public relations purposes. Examples include: sharing student names and grade levels to publish honor rolls or other recognition lists; sharing student photographs and courses of study to highlight projects or academic programs. We will never distribute private information such as addresses or phone numbers.

Click here to learn more about this exception to FERPA and the types of directory information we might share to publicize student accomplishments. Parents/guardians who object to the release of their child’s name, grade level, photograph, etc. should notify their child’s building principal in writing on or before October 1 in any school year.

Reporting Child Abuse

If you suspect child abuse or maltreatment, do not wait to report it: Call the New York State Office of Children and Family Services toll free at 1-800-342-3720. If you believe that a child is in immediate danger, please call 911 or the local police department (518-828-3388).

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call TDD/TTY at 1-800-638-5163 or have your Video Relay System provider call 1-800-342-3720

Request for Teacher or Principal Overall Score and Effectiveness Rating

In accordance with Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) regulations, parents and legal guardians of students may request the final quality rating and composite effectiveness score for each of the teachers and/or principal of the school building your child is attending for the current school year.

Get an explanation of your rights as parents/legal guardians and the process by which you may request teacher/principal ratings and scores here.

Safety & Health

The personal safety and health of our students, employees, and the general public is a primary and continuing concern for the Hudson City School District. It is our goal to provide every student and employee with a learning/working environment free from recognized hazards that are a potential cause for serious physical harm or impairment.

Click here for information about Safety & Health programs and documents (e.g., hazard communication, transportation safety, water testing).

Web Publishing Guidelines

It is the goal of the Hudson City School District that the information on our website be accessible to individuals with visual, hearing or cognitive disabilities.

Good faith efforts have been made to ensure that our site complies with New York State standards on website accessibility (New York State OFT Policy, P04-002, Accessibility of State Agency Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications).

The majority of pages in our site can be translated by screen readers. Some documents are in Adobe PDF format, which require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can download it for free from the Adobe website.

If you are unable to access any content on our site, please email the Communications Specialist with detailed information on the location of the page or document you were attempting to access. Be sure to include your name, email address and phone number so that we may contact you to provide the information in another format. Please note that some pages on the Hudson City School District website contain links to third party sites, which are not within our control and may not comply with accessibility standards. The District is not responsible for the content or accessibility of remote sites.