The Board supports parents’ efforts to be involved in the District’s education programs. This policy outlines the District’s efforts to educate parents and support parent involvement in response to the Oklahoma Parents’ Bill of Rights.

Parents have the right to be involved in their minor child’s education, including directing that education. Parents are encouraged to exercise their rights in conjunction with District guidance so as not to inadvertently impede their minor child’s compliance with federal and state-mandated requirements – including requirements related to graduation. Parents also have the right to review school records related to their minor child.

Pursuant to the 2023 Oklahoma “Parents’ Bill of Rights” (OAC 210:10-2-3), no District employee and no Independent Contractor shall encourage, coerce, or attempt to encourage or coerce a minor child to withhold information from the child’s parent or guardian. The District requires employees to disclose to parents/guardians any information known to the District or its employees or an independent contractor regarding material changes reasonably expected to be important to the parent/guardian regarding their student’s health, social, or psychological development, including identity information. Disclosure of this information shall occur within 30 days of learning the information and may include referrals for appropriate counseling services that parents may use at their discretion. Any parent or guardian alleging a violation by the District of OAC 210: 10-2-3 shall provide a written complaint to the State Department of Education. Any violation by an Independent Contractor that the district knew or should have known about shall be attributed to the district responsible for the contract.“Identity information” means information including, but not limited to, any names or pronouns used by a student at school and any social transition or other transition to a gender that differs from the student’s sex. “Sex” means the physical condition of being male or female based on genetics and physiology, as identified on the individual’s original birth certificate.

“Independent Contractor” means an individual, organization, or entity that is engaged by and/or contracted by the district to provide services or instruction, whether directly or indirectly, to students or within the district on a temporary contractual basis and is not an employee of the district.

Parents generally have the right to consent prior to an audio or video recording being made of their minor child. This right does not preempt the District’s right to make recordings (without specific parental approval) related to:

• safety, general order, and discipline

• academic or extracurricular activities

• classroom instruction

• security/surveillance of the buildings or grounds

• photo ID cards

Parents have the right to receive prompt notice if their minor child is believed to be the victim of a crime perpetrated by someone other than the parent unless law enforcement or DHS officials have determined that parental notification would impede the related investigation.  These notice provisions do not apply to matters that involve routine misconduct typically addressed through student discipline procedures.  School personnel shall not encourage or coerce or attempt to encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from parents. 

1. The District will promote parent participation at the site level with the goal of improving parent and teacher cooperation in areas such as homework, attendance, and discipline. This will be accomplished through activities such as:

1. Parent-teacher conferences;

2. Back to school/meet the teacher/parent engagement events

3. District’s Learning Management System with class information available to parents

4. School newsletters

5. Access to academic performance data via the online parent portal.

2. The District will inform parents about their children’s course of study by disseminating this information:

   1. During the annual Back-to-School Night presentations.

   2. In secondary course planning guides published on the District’s website

Parents may review learning materials affecting their minor children’s course of study, including supplemental materials, by making a request through the Office of Teaching and Learning.

3. Parents who object to learning material or an activity may withdraw their minor child from the class or program in which the material is used.  In order to withdraw a student, the parent must submit a written request, signed and dated by a parent, to the building principal. Parents who choose to withdraw their minor child from a required class are responsible for making alternate arrangements for the child to earn credit for the class.

4. The District offers a healthy living curriculum that includes sex education in grades seven, eight, nine, and ten. Parents who object to their minor child participating in the District’s sex education program must submit a written notice, signed and dated by a parent, to the principal in order for their child to be excused from participation. Pursuant to the 2023 Oklahoma “Parents’ Bill of Rights” (OAC 210: 10-2-1, et seq.) sex or sexuality education means any class, program, curriculum, instruction, test, survey, questionnaire, course, or other instructional material that relates to sexual behavior, sexual attitudes, or sexuality, including but not limited to gender identity or sexual orientation. A written objection from a parent/guardian may object to sex or sexuality education or any other instruction questioning beliefs or practices in sex, morality, or religion. Students who are not participating in the District’s sex education program will be permitted to study in the school media center or other designated location during sex education instruction. 

5. If a teacher is going to provide instruction or presentations regarding sexuality in a course apart from the healthy living curriculum, the teacher will send written notice to parents at least five (5) days in advance of the presentation. Parents who object to their minor child’s participation in such instruction may send a written request to the building principal to have the student excused from the presentation. Any such student will be permitted to study in the school media center or other designated location during the presentation.

6. Parents may learn about the nature and purpose of clubs and activities that are part of the school curriculum by reviewing student handbooks on the District’s website.  

7. Parents have numerous rights and decision-making responsibilities concerning their minor children. To assist parents in meeting these responsibilities and to fulfill its obligations under the Oklahoma 2014 Parents’ Bill of Rights, the District has compiled the following information for parents:

a. The District provides sex education via the healthy living curriculum to students in grades seven, eight, nine, and ten. Parents may opt their student out of the District’s sponsored sex education program by following the procedures established in item 4 above.

b. Parents who are not residents of the District may enroll their minor children in the District’s schools in accordance with the 3.51 Transfers policy.

c. The District utilizes a number of resources to educate students. Parents who object to an assignment based on sex, morality, or religion may opt their minor child out of the assignment by following the procedures established in item 3 above.

d. Minor students are required to have a current, up-to-date immunization record or a completed and signed state-approved exemption form. Either the up-to-date immunization record or a completed and signed state-approved exemption form must be on file with the district prior to the student’s admission to the District. The exemption form shall specify that the student has received or is in the process of receiving the immunizations currently required by Oklahoma State Department of Health regulations unless the exemption has been granted from the immunizations on medical, religious, or personal grounds or as otherwise required by law. The immunization requirements shall be posted on the district’s website and in any notice or publication provided to parents/guardians regarding immunizations.  The state-approved exemption form is available at the Oklahoma State Department of Health website, https://oklahoma.gov/health.html. 

e. Students are required to meet certain obligations in order to graduate from high school.  Parents can learn about these requirements each year during course enrollment. This information is also available in the course planning guide and on the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s website (www.ok.gov/sde/).

f. The District provides AIDS education for students in grades seven, nine, and ten. Parents may opt their minor student out of this education by submitting a written request, signed and dated by a parent, to the building principal. Students who are not participating in the District’s AIDS education program will be permitted to study in the school media center or other designated location during the scheduled instruction.

g. Parents have the right to review student test results related to their minor student. Parents may review the results of classroom exams by accessing the online parent portal or contacting their child’s teacher. Parents may review the results of state-wide testing by contacting their child’s building principal.

h. Qualifying students have the right to participate in the District’s gifted and talented program in accordance with the District’s policy regarding the program. A copy of the policy is available on the District’s website.

i. Parents have the right to review teachers’ manuals, audiovisual resources, or other supplementary instructional material if the materials are being used in connection with a research or experimentation program or project. In order to review these materials, the parent should contact the Office of Teaching and Learning.

j. Parents have the right to receive a school report card. Information regarding these report cards will be provided through school publications. Copies of individual student report cards can be viewed via the online parent portal or by contacting the school site.

k. Students are required to attend school regularly, and the District is required to notify parents of any student absence unless the parent has already contacted the school to report the absence. The District will send a written notice to parents if their minor student appears to be in danger of exceeding the maximum allowable number of absences and will notify the District attorney and the parent if a child may be considered truant. Parents may contact the child’s principal for additional information regarding student absences.

l. Parents have the right to review the District’s courses of study and textbooks. Arrangements for this review can be made through the Office of Teaching and Learning.

m. Students may be excused from school for religious purposes provided the parent follows the site procedure for reporting an absence.

n. Parents have the right to review all district policies, including parental involvement policies. Copies of these policies are available on the District’s website.

o. Parents have the right to participate in parent-teacher organizations. Information regarding these groups will be made available during activities such as enrollment, schedule pickups, and back-to-school nights. Parents who wish to have additional information regarding these groups can obtain more details through the principal’s office.

p. Parents may opt out of selected District-level data collection related to state longitudinal student data system reporting. Parents may not opt out of necessary and essential record collecting. Parents may file an opt-out request through the superintendent’s office.

q. The District will not procure, solicit to perform, arrange for the performance of, perform surgical procedures, or perform a physical examination upon a minor student, or prescribe any prescription drugs to a minor student without first obtaining written consent for the proposed assessment or treatment.  The written consent will be effective for the school year for which it was granted and must be renewed each subsequent school year.  If the assessment or treatment for which the written consent is provided is performed through telemedicine at a school site, and if the written consent is provided by the Parent and is currently effective, the health professional shall not be required to verify that the parent is at the school site.

r. The District will not procure, solicit to perform, arrange the performance of, or perform an assessment for mental health therapy on a minor student without first obtaining consent of a parent or legal guardian of the minor. The written consent will be effective for the school year for which it was granted and must be renewed each subsequent school year. If the assessment or treatment for which the written consent is provided is performed through telemedicine at a school site, and if the written consent is provided by the Parent and is currently effective, the health professional shall not be required to verify that the parent is at the school site. However, a student shall not be seen without consent.

s. A student shall not be vaccinated at school or on school grounds or receive a vaccine as part of the mobile vaccination effort without prior written authorization, including the signature of the parent or legal guardian of the student for the vaccine or group of vaccines to be administered during a single visit. 

Parents requesting information outlined in this policy should submit written requests for information through the site principal or Office of Teaching and Learning, as noted in the respective section. Appropriate school personnel will either make the information available or provide a written explanation of why the information is being withheld within ten (10) days of the request. Any parent whose request is denied or who does not receive a response within fifteen (15) days may submit a written request for the information to the Board of Education. The Board will include an item on its next public meeting agenda (or the following meeting, if time does not permit the inclusion of the item on the agenda) to allow the Board to formally consider the parent’s request.

Okla. Stat. Tit. 25 § 2001 

Okla. Stat. Tit. 70 § 1-116.2

Okla. Stat. Tit. 25 § 2001

Okla. Stat. Tit. 25 § 2004, et seq.

Okla. Stat. Tit.70 § 1210.191

O.A.C. 310: 535-1-2

O.A.C. 210: 10-2-2

O.A.C. 210: 10-2-3

Approved by the Board of Education June 2015

Revised June 2019

Revised May 2020

Revised June 2022

Revised September 2023

Revised September 2024