General McLane School District

Statement of Non-discrimination

It is the policy of the General McLane School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, religion, sex, race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, or non-job related disability (including sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), in the admission or access to, or in the provision of services, programs, or employment in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 1604 of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 and 11375, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. For information relevant to this policy, contact Matthew Lane 504 Coordinator; Michael Cannata, ADA Coordinator; or Matthew Lane, Title IX Coordinator, 11771 Edinboro Rd., Edinboro, PA 16412; 814-273-1033. See Policies 103 and 104 for procedures regarding complaints of discrimination.

HIV Infection

The public is hereby notified that the district maintains policy related to HIV infection. To view details of the policy, refer to GMSD Policy 203.1.

Individuals with Disabilities Act

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school districts may provide parents with a the procedural safeguards notice and other notices under the IDEA. A complete listing of documents are provided on our Special Education Page.

Tobacco Use

The Board recognizes that tobacco use during school hours and on school property presents a health and safety hazard that can have serious consequences for the user and the nonuser and the safety of the schools.

The Board prohibits tobacco use by any persons in its school buildings and on any property, buses, vans and vehicles that are owned, leased or controlled by the school district. See Policy 904. A violation of this policy shall be punishable by a civil fine of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00). This policy has been enacted by the Board of the General McLane School District to implement the terms of the 1988 amendments to the Fire and Panic Act, which amendments are set forth in Title 35, Section 1223.5, Section 1235.1, and other related Sections. Enforcement of this policy shall be accomplished through the commencement of summary criminal proceedings before the district justice. See Policy 222 and Policy 323.

Student Recruitment

Postsecondary institutions and military recruiters shall have access to secondary students’ names, addresses and telephone numbers, unless the student or parent/guardian requests that such information not be released without prior written parental consent.

Parents are hereby notified that lists will be provided to military recruiters unless a parent request in writing that their child’s name not be included.

The district shall provide a list of graduating seniors, which shall be available to military recruiters by the first day of the academic year that the senior shall graduate. See Policy 250.

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management Plan is a plan that establishes a sustainable approach to managing pests (includes insects and weeds) by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health and environmental risks and complies with policies and regulations promulgated by the Department of Agriculture.

To be placed on the IPM notification list you must send a request in writing to General McLane School District, Attn: Thomas Skarupski, 11921 Edinboro Rd., Edinboro, PA 16412.

General Exterminating will conduct a pest inspection and possible application in all district kitchen areas on the last Friday of every month starting at 3:30 p.m. unless other notification is made. See Policy 716.

Personnel Files

In accordance with law, the district shall release to parents/guardians, upon request, information regarding the professional qualifications and academic degrees of any teacher providing instruction to their child at a school receiving Title I funds (Edinboro and McKean Elementary). See Policy 324.

Asbestos Management

General McLane School District follows an Asbestos Management plan which was implemented in 1988 using Microbac Laboratories in Erie, PA. Routine re-inspection of managed areas are performed every six months by Microbac. In accordance with AHERA regulations, triennial re-inspections were performed every three years since 1991 and the Asbestos Management Plan was updated accordingly. The district will continue to comply with all Federal and State regulations with respect to asbestos and asbestos management.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Homeless students qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Act. For more information, please see GMSD Policy 251 or the following posters:

Information for Parents
Information for Students

Public Complaints

Complaints regarding the district’s administration of the No Child Left Behind Law or other complaints regarding district operation are handled in accordance with guidelines outlined in Policy 906.

Medications Other Than Asthma Inhaler Medication

The district shall not be responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of student illness. The administration of prescribed medication, with the exception of asthma inhaler medication, in accordance with the direction of a parent/guardian or family physician to a student during school hours will be permitted only when failure to take such medicine would jeopardize the health of the student or the student would not be able to attend school if the medicine were not made available.

Before any medication, with the exception of asthma inhaler medication, may be administered to any student, the administration shall require the written request of the parent/guardian which shall give permission for such administration and shall relieve the district and its employees of liability for administration of medication. See Policy 210.

All district policies may be viewed here.

Narcan

The school nurse shall develop a plan for annually informing all parents/guardians, students and staff about this policy and specifically:

1. Naloxone is available to treat opioid drug overdoses. Naloxone (Narcan) is a medication antidote used to reverse an opioid overdose. Opiods shall mean illegal drugs such as heroin, as well as prescription medications to treat pain such as morphine, codeine, methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, hydromorphone and buprenorphine. Naloxone blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and reverses respiratory depression that usually is the cause of overdose deaths.

2. The symptoms of opioid drug overdoses are manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression. Symptoms include:

Body is very limp
Face is very pale or clammy
Fingernails and lips turn blue or purplish black
Breathing is very slow and shallow, erratic or has stopped
Pulse (heartbeat) is slow, erratic or not there at all
Choking sounds, or a snore-like gurgling noise
Vomiting
Loss of consciousness
Unresponsive to outside stimulus

3. Students and staff should report suspected overdoses immediately to school officials to ensure medical assistance can be immediately provided.

4. There is protection from criminal prosecution, provided by law, for persons who report a suspected overdose using their real name and remain with the overdosing person until emergency medical services (EMS) or law enforcement arrive, as well as for the person whose overdose they report; and[1][2]

5. There is protection from civil liability, provided by law, for persons who report overdoses or administer Naloxone in overdose emergencies.[1][2]

Child Find

ANNUAL PUBLIC NOTICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES & PROGRAMS, SERVICES FOR GIFTED STUDENTS, & SERVICES FOR PROTECTED HANDICAPPED STUDENTS: According to state and federal special education regulations, annual public notice to parents of children who reside within a school district is required regarding child find responsibilities. General McLane School District is required to conduct child find activities for children who may be eligible for services via Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For additional information related to Section 504/Chapter 15 services, the parent may refer to Section 504, Chapter 15, and the Basic Education Circular entitle Implementation of Chapter 15. Also, General McLane is required to conduct child find activities for children who may be eligible for gifted services via 22 PA Code Chapter 16. For additional information regarding gifted services, the parent may refer to 22 PA Code Chapter 16. If a student is both gifted and eligible for Special Education, the procedure in IDEA and Chapter 14 shall take precedence.

This notice shall inform parents throughout the General McLane School District of the child identification activities and of the procedures followed to ensure confidentiality of information pertaining to students with disabilities or eligible young children. In addition to this public notice, General McLane School District shall publish written information in the handbook and on the website. Children ages 3-21 can be eligible for special education programs and services.

If parents believe that their child may be eligible for special education, the parent should contact General McLane and the Director of Special Education, Mr. Michael Cannata. Children age three through the age of admission to first grade are also eligible if they have developmental delays and, as a result, need special education and related services. Developmental delay is defined as a child who is less than the age of beginners and at least three years of age and is considered to have a developmental delay when one of the following exists: (i) The child’s score, on a developmental assessment device, on an assessment instrument which yields a score in months, indicates that the child is delayed by 25 percent of the child’s chronological age in one or more developmental areas, or (ii) The child is delayed in one or more of the developmental areas, as documented by test performance of 1.5 standard deviations below the mean on standardized tests. Developmental areas include cognitive, communicative, physical, social/emotional and self-help. (See Evaluation Process below for contact info.)

For the complete notification, please see the attached announcement.

Educational Records – Your Rights and Privileges

From time to time you may have questions regarding educational records. The following is a summary of rights and privileges concerning educational records:

  • Right to have access to all educational records
  • Right to challenge the information in the educational records. Procedures may be obtained from the building.
  • Right to a hearing before a hearing examiner if the challenge is not satisfactory.
  • Right to a copy of the records at a nominal fee.
  • Right to be notified of the District policy regarding student records.
  • Right to request amendment or destruction of data.
  • Right to file complaints with the United States Department of Health Education and Welfare.

Certain records are classified as “Directory.” These records include (but are not limited to) the student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic reams, dates of attendance,degrees and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, and other similar information. Normally this information is released to the public in the form of news releases on student activities, honor rolls, athletic programs, clubs and other extracurricular activities. This data may be disclosed without consent; however, parents and eligible students have the right to have the Directory file deleted. The Board of Education has approved a District-wide testing program designed to provide information concerning the proficiency of all children in the district on standardized tests of academic achievement and aptitude. The results of these tests provide a continuing record of each child’s academic progress in comparison with national norms. The following have been approved:

Grade K-2
Diebeis Achievement Screening Assessment
Grade K-4
Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
Grade 1
Primary Test of Congnitive Skills
Grade 2
Terra Bova Achievement Test
Grade 3
PSSA – Math & Reading
Grade 4
PSSA – Math, Reading & Science
Grade 5
PSSA – Math, Reading & Writing
Grade 6
PSSA – Math & Reading
Test of Cognitive Skills
Grade 7
PSSA – Math & Reading
Grade 8
PSSA – Math, Reading, Science & Writing
Grade 11
PSSA – Math, Reading, Science & Writing
PSAT (Optional)
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (Optional)

Food Service Program

The School Lunch Program hopes to attend to all students’ nutritional needs while at school. The district offers attractive, moderately priced, nutritious lunches as well as a la carte items to supplement any lunch. The 2017-18 lunch prices are as follows:

Regular LunchEdinboro & McKean Elementary$3.00
Regular LunchJames W. Parker MS$3.50
Regular LunchGeneral McLane HS $3.60
Adult LunchGeneral McLane HS & James W. Parker MS$4.25
Reduced Price Lunch(eligibility based upon application approval)

The School Breakfast Program will continue in all schools in the District. The Elementary Breakfast will consist of cereal, milk, 100% juice and a pastry. The High School and Middle School Breakfast will have the same selections or a choice of a hot breakfast selection to replace the cereal and pastry.

Regular BreakfastEdinboro & McKean Elementary$2.50
Regular BreakfastGeneral McLane HS & James W. Parker MS$2.50
Premium BreakfastGeneral McLane HS & James W. Parker MS$2.50
Reduced Price Breakfast(eligibility based upon application approval)

The School Lunch Program operates under the guidelines set by the US Department of Agriculture and administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. This program allows families who have difficulty providing a nutritious lunch for their children to apply for free or reduced price meals. The application and eligibility guidelines will be sent to each home. If you wish to apply for the program, complete the application and return it to the school office. You may request this application any time during the school year, and may reapply if your income changes during the year.

The new point of sale system allows parents and guardians to pay for meals in advance at any time. Please mark your student’s name on the check or envelope to ensure proper credit to the account. Charging is reserved for emergencies only and will not be permitted in May or June. Cash is still accepted daily, but parents and guardians are encouraged to pay for weeks or months to avoid the daily handling of money at the lunch line. Notices are sent home when a student’s account is negative $3.00 or more. A student’s account is closed if it reaches negative $10.00. Students are reminded at the lunch line when the account is getting low. Parents and guardians may check the account online or call the Food Service Office at 273-1033 ext. 6900. Please contact the Food Service Office to answer any questions about the School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.

The public may access the schools districts wellness policy, Policy 246, online at any time. Persons with suggestions on how to better implement the policy or how to improve the policy should contact the Food Service office at 273-1033 ext. 6900.