Required Notifications

The Hudson Falls Central School District is required to provide the following notifications to parents on an annual basis. They have been posted for your convenience.

Annual Professional Performance Review

APPR stands for Annual Professional Performance Review, and it is the process by which teachers and principals are evaluated in New York state. The purpose of APPR is to empower educators to improve the quality of instruction in schools and, in turn, to improve students’ performance and readiness for colleges and careers. APPR plans must meet strict state guidelines and are negotiated with local unions. Under state guidelines, APPR takes into account classroom observations, student test scores, and a variety of achievement and assessment measures – many of which are decided at the local level. Teachers and principals across New York ultimately receive a number grade every year, which equates to an effectiveness rating.

Click here to view Hudson Fall’s current APPR plan.

 

ARP-ESSER Fund Reporting

 

Asbestos Management Plan

As required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Hudson Falls Central School District maintains asbestos management plans for district buildings. The plans are on file in each principal’s office and are available for review during normal business hours. As required, periodic surveillances are conducted every six months. *Currently, there are no projects scheduled that will disturb asbestos-containing building material. For more information, contact David McKeighan at 518-681-4571.

Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

The goal of the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) is to provide students with a safe, supportive education environment that is free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying. Some of the law requirements include: establishing anti-harrassment and discrimination policies, creating school training programs, and including a course in civility, citizenship and character education in the curriculum for every grade level. To view the policies and process for reporting harassment, bullying and discrimination, visit the Hudson Falls DASA information page. 

District-wide School Safety Plan

District-wide school safety plans and building-level emergency response plans are designed to prevent or minimize the effects of violent incidents and emergencies and to facilitate the coordination of schools and schools districts with local and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies. Hudson Falls plan has been reviewed and is updated annually or as necessary and can be viewed in its entirety by clicking on the link below.

District Wide Safety Plan 2023-24

Ed Law 2D

New York State Education Law gives you the right to information about how Hudson Falls Central School District is safeguarding student and staff data.

Learn more about the vendors we work with  by reviewing our Data Security and Privacy website

If at any time the district learns that student and/or teacher/principal data has been compromised, parents/guardians will be notified, and the data breach will be reported to the state Education Department. Parents who have concerns or complaints about data privacy or security may file a complaint by contacting Mr. Michael DeCaprio, Assistant Superintendent for Education & Accountability  mdecaprio@hfcsd.org   (518) 681-4115   

Use of Pesticides

New York State Education Law requires schools to provide written notification to all parents/guardians and staff members regarding the potential use of pesticides periodically throughout the school year. The district maintains a list of all individuals who wish to receive 48-hour prior written notification of certain pesticide applications. If you would like to receive 48-hour notifications of pesticide applications that are scheduled to occur, please contact name/contact info. In the event of an emergency application necessary to protect against an imminent threat to human health, a good faith effort will be made to supply written notification to those on the 48-hour prior notification list. Some pesticide applications are not subject to notification requirements, including anti-microbial products, EPA-designated biopesticides, and exempt materials, and when a school remains unoccupied for a continuous 72-hours following an application. For more information on requirements, please contact the school’s pesticide representative, David McKeighan at 518-681-4571.

Integrated Pest Management

New York State Education Law requires schools to provide written notification to all parents/guardians and staff members regarding the potential use of pesticides periodically throughout the school year. The district maintains a list of all individuals who wish to receive 48-hour prior written notification of certain pesticide applications. If you would like to receive 48-hour notifications of pesticide applications that are scheduled to occur, please contact David McKeighan at. 518-681-4571 In the event of an emergency application necessary to protect against an imminent threat to human health, a good faith effort will be made to supply written notification to those on the 48-hour prior notification list. Some pesticide applications are not subject to notification requirements, including anti-microbial products, EPA-designated biopesticides and exempt materials, and when a school remains unoccupied for a continuous 72-hours following an application. For more information on requirements, please contact the school’s pesticide representative, David McKeighan at 518-681-4571.

Child Abuse Hotline

If you suspect a child is being abused or maltreated (neglected), report it by calling 1-800-342-3720, a toll-free 24-hour hotline operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department. Information about reporting child abuse and maltreatment (neglect) is available online at http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/cps/.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides parents/guardians and students who are 18 years of age or older (known as “eligible students“) with certain rights with respect to the student’s education records.

Parents/guardians and eligible students have the right to:

  • Inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day a request for access is received by the school. These requests should be submitted to Name and/or Position (i.e. the school principal];
  • Request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent/guardian or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights;
  • Provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent as outlined below;
  • 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 Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC  20202.

Freedom of Information Law

For access to Hudson Falls Central School District’s records under the NYS Freedom of Information Law, please contact the District Office by mail, email or in person. Reach us by mail at 80 E Labarge St Hudson Falls, NY 12839, questions@hfcsdorg, or in-person by visiting the district office (address above) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Requests should state that information is being sought under the Freedom of Information Law and provide a brief description of the public records requested. Please be as specific as possible (i.e. relevant dates, names, descriptions, etc.).

The district will acknowledge receipt of any FOIL requests within five business days. The nature of the request will determine how quickly the information can be provided.

For more information regarding Hudson Falls Central School District’s records requests, contact questions@hfcsd.org. 

For more information about the Freedom of Information Law, visit the Committee on Open Government website.

Hand sanitizer use

The Hudson Falls Central School District will be making alcohol-based hand sanitizers available in its school buildings. If parents/guardians wish to opt their child out of using it, they should send a written notice to the school. 

Lead testing

In Sept. 2016, a state law went into effect that requires all public school districts to test water for lead. The law requires school districts to sample all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes in buildings that may be occupied by students and to submit those samples to a state-approved lab for analysis. Regulations call for testing to take place again in 2020 (extended to June 30, 2021 due to COVID-19) and every five years thereafter, unless the state Commissioner of Health requires testing sooner.

The state established an action level of 15 micrograms of lead per liter, typically referred to as “parts per billion (ppb).” If a sample from a water outlet exceeds this level, schools must take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level.

School districts are required to report the results of all water testing to the state Department of Health, the state Education Department and the local health department, and to post the results—along with remediation plans, if required—on the official district website. Our most recent results can be found here. 

Nondiscrimination Policy/Equal Opportunity Policy

The Hudson Falls Central School District does 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:

Kevin Polunci, Executive Director of Business and Human Resources
80 E LaBarge Street, Hudson Falls, NY 12839
(518) 747-2121

Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment

PPRA affords parents of elementary and secondary students certain rights regarding the conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams.  To access the full policy, please click here.

Certificates

Opioid Overdose Prevention Program Certificate