Phoenixville Area School District

Pennsylvania school districts are required to provide caregivers with certain federal and state notifications. This page serves as a central location for those required notices, as well as additional information the Phoenixville Area School District believes are important for families to access throughout the school year.

Eating Disorders Awareness - Pennsylvania Psychological Association

Student Privacy Protections

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Special Education, 504, and Gifted Record Destruction Notice Letter
The District maintains a variety of documents concerning students who are identified as having or who are thought to have a disability within the meaning of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Section 504, and Gifted Education. To conserve space and avoid unnecessary storage costs, and to protect privacy, these documents are subject to destruction when the District deems them no longer relevant to the education of your child. This correspondence will provide you with information concerning when we consider certain documents to be no longer educationally relevant. Although the District might have documents of the sort described in this letter that pertain to your child, you should not assume that such documents exist or that they are “educational records.”

The point at which a document is no longer educationally relevant will depend on the type of document. The following types of documents will be considered no longer educationally relevant once read by the intended recipient, unless stored in a student file: (a) electronic communications between school staff; and (b) electronic communications sent to school staff by parents, guardians, and other third parties.

The following types of document will be considered no longer educationally relevant at the conclusion of the school year during which such document was created: (a) raw data and test protocols used in evaluations and reevaluations; (b) raw data, test protocols, and work samples used for progress monitoring, when those data and samples are thoroughly presented in progress reports or in IEP present educational levels; and (c) all other raw data, tests and quizzes, and student work. The following types of document will be considered no longer educationally relevant at the expiration of six years from the date on which the child is no longer receiving special education services from the District: (a) permissions to evaluate or reevaluate; (b) evaluation and reevaluation reports; (c) invitations to IEP team meetings; (d) IEPs and IEP revisions; and (e) notices of recommended educational placement or prior written notices.

Other types of documents will be determined no longer educationally relevant on a case by-case basis, and you will receive notice of such determination in writing at your last known address. If you have any questions concerning the foregoing information, please contact Kate Pacitto, Executive Director of Teaching & Learning and Pupil Services at 484-927-5046. The District student records policies, which contain important information about the maintenance, use, disclosure, amendment, and confidentiality of education records, is available on our District Website

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Retention and Destruction of Statewide Testing Materials
Retention and Destruction of Statewide testing materials, including PSSA and Keystone tests In accordance with 34 CFR § 300.624, please be advised of the following retention/destruction schedule for the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA), Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), and Keystone Exam related materials:
• PSSA, Keystone Exam, and PASA test booklets will be destroyed one year after student reports are delivered for the administration associated with the test booklets.
• PSSA and Keystone Exam answer booklets and PASA media recordings will be destroyed three years after completion of the assessment.
This amendment to the Annual Notice will be in effect at the start of the 2018-19 school year

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PSSA/Keystone Testing Opt-out Information
Chapter 4 of Title 22 of the Pa. Code (22 Pa. code 4.4) provides for the right of any parent/guardian to excuse his/her child from the state assessment if, upon inspection of the testing materials, he/she finds the assessment to be in conflict with his/her religious beliefs. This is the only basis for a parent/guardian to excuse his or her child from the statewide assessments.

Procedure for parent/guardian to request that student be excused from the PSSA/Keystone Exam(s):
1. The parent/guardian needs to initiate contact with the school with a request for his/her student to be excused from the assessment(s).
2. Two weeks prior to the assessment(s), the principal will schedule an appointment for the parent/guardian to come in and view the exam(s). The parent/guardian must sign the Parent Confidentiality Agreement provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education prior to viewing the exam. No written notes, video, or pictures can be taken of the material. The objection process is not complete until the parents view the exam(s) in the school. If the parent/guardian wants the student to be excused from several exams (i.e. ELA and Math), then the parent/guardian will need to view all of these exams.
3. The parent/guardian submits a written request to the school principal, with a copy to the Superintendent, stating a request to have his/her child opt out of the assessment due to a religious objection. The letter must list the specific name(s) of each assessment about which there is an objection.
4. A parent/guardian will need to make this request each year he/she wishes the student to be excused and he/she will need to view the exam(s) each year as well.
5. The principal will confirm with the parent/guardian that the child will be excuse

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Limerick Emergency Plan
The Phoenixville Area School District has developed an emergency plan to protect the students in the event of an incident at the Limerick Generating Station. Every effort is made so that school will be closed in the event of an incident; however, plans have been developed to address any situations while school may be in session. To make the plans effective, the Phoenixville Area School District needs your cooperation.

In the Event Sheltering is Directed
1. Students will remain within the school building(s) they attend.
2. Student dismissal will be delayed until the directive is lifted.
3. Dismissal times will be announced by radio.
4. Please DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PICK UP YOUR CHILDREN at the school that they regularly attend because it is important to remain inside IF DIRECTED TO SHELTER.
5. No student will be dismissed into the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) until the emergency is over and/or parents can assume responsibility. 

In the Event that Evacuation is Directed
1. Students will be safely transported to a “HOST” school district.

2. The “HOST” school districts  are Tredyffrin/Eastown and Great Valley a. Phoenixville Area High School and Manavon Elementary School will be bussed to Conestoga High School (Gyms A & B)
b. Schuylkill Elementary School will be bussed to Great Valley High School or General Wayne Elementary School Auditorium
c. Phoenixville Area Middle School will be bussed to Conestoga High School Auditorium
d. Barkley Elementary School will be bused to the Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School Gymnasium
e. Phoenixville Area Early Learning Center will be bussed to the Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School Auditorium
f. Hares Hill Elementary School will be bussed to the Great Valley General Wayne Elementary Auditorium

3. Parents or legal guardians are requested to pick up their children at the “HOST” school

4. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PICK UP YOUR CHILDRENT AT THEIR SCHOOL. It is important that school driveways and access roads remain open for buses. In addition, while preparing to evacuate, it is difficult to release students and keep current and accurate school census. 

5. During the entire process, the students will remain under the supervision of the school’s staff.  Meals will be provided for students. 

6. Students will only be released to parents, legal guardians, or individuals having prior approval (see attached Authorization for Student Pick-Up Form). It is vital that you return the accompanying authorization form for our files. 

7. After 8:00 P.M., if students remain to be picked up, they will be transported to a mass care center operated by the American Red Cross. Students will continue to be supervised until parents arrive at the facility. The designated mass care center for our district is Downingtown High School (West) 445 Manor Avenue, Downingtown. 

DO NOT RUSH, DRIVE SAFELY. The “HOST” and “MASS CARE CENTER” schools are located near designated evacuation routes.

Please Note: In the event that a SITE AREA EMERGENCY is declared at the Limerick Generating Station prior to 6:00 A.M. on a school day, the Phoenixville Area School District will cancel school for the day and monitor the situation to determine when school will reopen. The public will be advised through the notification process.

Notification Procedure
• A message will be sent through Parent Square as an email, phone call, and text. This includes notifications to parents/guardians, secondary level students, and emergency contacts.
• An announcement will appear on all District social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram)
• An alert message will appear on the district and all school websites

Thank you for your cooperation. After you have read and understand the process, please sign the Authorization for Student Pick-Up Form electronically found in the Annual Student Update. 

If you have any questions, please contact the principal at your child’s school. This authorization shall remain in effect until canceled by parents, legal guardian or upon transfer of the student from the Phoenixville Area School District.