Audits
The Board of Education of the Valley Central School District has established an Audit Committee to provide independent assistance to the Board. Learn more about the Audit Committee and recent audits.
Body Mass Index
New York State requires schools to track each student’s body mass index (BMI) and weight status category as part of school health examinations. Every year, the NYS Dept. of Health surveys some schools for the number of students in each weight status category. If VCSD is surveyed by the state, the district will share summary group data only and will not share summary group calculations. In order to opt out of the sharing of this data, parents must contact the child’s school nurse.
BOE Nondiscrimination Statement
The Board of Education, its officers and employees, will not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of legally protected classes, such as, but not limited to: race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles like braids, locks, and twists), color, national origin, creed, religion (including religious practices), marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), gender identity and expression (i.e., actual or perceived gender-related identity, appearance, behavior, expression, or other gender-related characteristic regardless of the sex assigned to that person at birth, including but not limited to the status of being transgender), age, sexual orientation, disability (physical or mental), predisposing genetic characteristic, military work or status, domestic violence victim status, citizenship/immigration status, or use of a guide dog, hearing dog, or service dog, as applicable.
Child Abuse Hotline
New York State Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-342-3720
If you believe a child is being abused or maltreated, you can help by making a call to the New York State Child Abuse Hotline. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. If you suspect a child is in immediate danger, you should call 911.
Code of Conduct
The Board of Education is committed to providing a safe and orderly school environment where students may receive, and district personnel may deliver, quality educational services without disruption or interference. Responsible behavior by students, parents, district personnel, and visitors as outlined in the Code of Conduct is essential to achieving this goal.
Dignity for all Students (DASA)
The Dignity for All Students Act went into effect July 1, 2012. Its intent is to create more nurturing school environments free of discrimination and harassment of students by students and by school personnel.
District Safety Plan
As required by state education law, the Valley Central School District maintains a District Safety Plan. The plan is designed to prevent or minimize the effects of emergencies and to facilitate the coordination of school with local and county resources.
FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age certain rights with respect to the student’s education records.
Parents, eligible students (students who are at least 18 years), principals, teachers, and other employees of the Valley Central School District may file a complaint about a possible breach or improper disclosure of student data and/or protected teacher, principal data . A data privacy complaint should be sent to the District’s Data Protection Officer Vincent Brancato at vincent.brancato@vcsdny.org.
Internet-Enabled Device Policy Enforcement
New York State Education Law requires school districts, charter schools and BOCES to publish an annual report about enforcement of their internet-enabled device policies. The district’s annual enforcement report includes non-identifying information about disciplinary action related to the policy, a review of whether the policy was enforced differently across student groups and, if needed, a plan to address any significant differences in enforcement.
2025-26 Annual Enforcement Report
Valley Central Internet-Enabled Device Policy
References:
New York State Phone-Free Schools Law (Governor’s Website)
Nondiscrimination Statement
The Valley Central School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, marital status, sex, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, predisposing genetic characteristic, military work or status, domestic violence victim status, citizen/immigration status, use of a service dog or other legally protected status in access to programs and/or employment by the district or any other activities.
Parents’ Bill of Rights
The privacy and security of personally identifiable student data are of paramount importance. Parents (includes legal guardians or persons in parental relationships) and Eligible Students (student 18 years and older) can expect the following:
A student’s personally identifiable information cannot be sold or released for any commercial purposes. PII, as defined by Education Law § 2-d and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), includes direct identifiers such as a student’s name or identification number, parent’s name, or address; and indirect identifiers such as a student’s date of birth, which when linked to or combined with other information can be used to distinguish or trace a
student’s identity. Please see FERPA’s regulations at 34 CFR 99.3 for a more complete definition. State and federal laws (Education Law § 2-d, the Commissioner of Education’s Regulations at 8 NYCRR Part 121, and FERPA), 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.nysed.gov/data-privacy-security/student-data-inventory 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 submitted to NYSED at http://www.nysed.gov/data-privacy-security/report-improper-disclosure or directed in writing to the Chief Privacy Officer, New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234, or by email to the Chief Privacy Officer or by telephone at (518) 474-0937. Complaint’s can also be submitted to the District’s Data Protection Officer at (845) 457-2400, or 944 State Route 17K, Montgomery, NY 12549.
- To be notified in accordance with applicable laws and regulations if a breach or unauthorized release of PII occurs.
- Educational agency workers that handle PII will receive training on applicable state and federal laws, policies, and safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices
that protect PII. -
Educational agency contracts with vendors that receive PII will address statutory and regulatory data privacy and security requirements.
*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 Parents’ Bill of Rights, the Valley Central School District reserves the right to revise this document accordingly.
School Report Card
New York State Education Law requires school districts to make report card and accountability reports information available on district websites. Click here to view an archive of VCSD State Report Cards.
SRO Agreement
View the Student Resource Officer Agreement here.
Release of Student Directory Information
Valley Central has designated the student’s name and photograph as personally identifiable information contained as “directory information” and it may disclose that information without prior written consent, at its discretion to publicly recognize an individual student or group accomplishments. Directory information is considered public information and may be distributed without obtaining prior parental consent. Parents or guardians who do not wish to have their child/ren included within the directory information as described above are to annually notify the Office of the Superintendent in writing within 14 days of the publication of the notice in the annual Calendar/VCSD Guide. Photo Permission: If you DO NOT want your child’s photograph to be used on the District’s website, print publications, or social media, please write a letter to that effect to your child’s principal within 14 days of the publication of the notice in the annual VCSD Calendar and Guide. This must be submitted every year.
Release of Student Information to Military Recruiters
Pursuant to federal law, VCSD must provide to military recruiters and institutions of higher education, upon request, access to secondary school students’ names, addresses and telephone numbers, unless parents notify the District, in writing, at the commencement of the school year, that they do not wish such information to be provided to military recruiters without their prior written consent.
Title IX Compliance
The VCSD offers employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or other protected categories under state or federal law, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding this nondiscrimination policy in our education program may be directed to the Title IX Coordinator. Inquiries regarding this nondiscrimination policy in our employment opportunities may be directed to the Title VII coordinator.
Inquirers will be provided information, including complaint procedures to any citizen, student, or employee who feels that his or her rights may have been violated by the district or its officials.
Title IX Coordinator
Brad Conklin
944 Route 17K
Montgomery, NY 12549
(845) 457-2400, ext. 18122
Title VII Coordinator
Jillian Crawford
944 Route 17K
Montgomery, NY 12549
(845) 457-2400, ext. 18885
Trademark Use
The logos and symbols of the Valley Central School District are trademarks or service marks of the Valley Central School District. Faculty, staff, and students of the District may use the above-mentioned logos and symbols for internal documents or materials for internal business or educational purposes only.
Use of the District’s trademarks and/or service marks for any retail or commercial purpose, for endorsements, promotions, and similar endeavors requires the express written permission of the Valley Central School District. You may contact the District Clerk, at Brad Conklin to request the consent form.
Visitors to Schools
All school entrances are locked for the safety of our children. All visitors must enter through the designated single point of entry (except in the case that a handicapped entrance being more suitable for a disabled individual).
Any visitor to a district building must provide government photo identification which can be scanned into the Raptor Visitor Management System. Visitors must wear a visitor’s badge while on premises and will be escorted to and from their destination. Visitors’ ID is returned when they leave to return the badge/lanyard to the greeter and leave the building.
Water Testing
In September 2016, a state law went into effect that requires all public school districts in New York 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 and every five years thereafter, unless the state Commissioner of Health requires testing sooner. Here is a presentation on the 2020 Compliance Requirements.
If you have concerns about your household drinking water, you may find the information on the State Dept. of Health Website regarding Lead in Drinking Water to be helpful.
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.
If you can’t access these results, please email a request for the results to Ryan Schmidt, Director of Facilities.