Reviewed by the Brookesmith ISD Board of Trustees

July 18, 2007

The Handbook is organized in the following sections:

When the Handbook uses "we" or "our," it means the school district and/or school administrators. When the Handbook uses "you" or "your," it means the parent, legal guardian, or person who has accepted responsibility for a student, at least in regard to school matters. From time to time, the Handbook will use more general terms, such as "parents" and "school officials." Regardless of the particular terminology, our intention is to speak directly to you as the adults who are responsible for working with us, the school officials, to make your children’s experience with the Brookesmith public schools a positive educational experience.

The Student Handbook has been developed by school district administrators with assistance of teachers, students, and parents. The content is reviewed by the Board of Trustees and is intended to be consistent with formally adopted school board policies. If there is an apparent contradiction between information in the Handbook and a formally adopted board policy, the school administration will interpret the Handbook in a way that is consistent with policy and may request guidance from the Board of Trustees.

The Student Handbook is not a contract between the school and parents or students. It can be amended at any time at the discretion of the school district. If the district makes changes to the Handbook during a school year, the administration of the district and the campus will communicate those changes in ways that are designed to inform parents and students of the new or revised information.

Dear Student and Parent:

The Brookesmith Independent School District provides this Student Handbook to parents and students to provide you with information about the general rules and guidelines for attending and receiving an education in our schools.

We urge you to read this publication thoroughly and to discuss it among your family. If you have any questions about the information here, we encourage you to ask for an explanation from the student’s teacher, the school counselor, or campus administrator.

Student’s Name: ______________________________________________________

(Please print)

Student’s Signature: ________________________________ Date: ________________

Parent’s Name: ______________________________________________________

(Please print)

Parent’s Signature: ________________________________ Date: ________________

School: _____________________________________ Grade Level: ________________

Students in Brookesmith ISD sometimes are asked to be part of school or District publicity, publications, or public relations activities. For example, pictures and articles about school activities may appear in school publications or be given to local newspapers. Students may also participate in distance learning, virtual field trips, and video conferencing through interactive television, which involves transmitting the student’s voice and image to the distance sites. Participating in an interactive TV transmission is not a violation of any person’s privacy rights.

If you do not want your child’s name, art work, written work, voice, or picture (video or still) to appear in any school publicity or publication, school buildings, school videos, or website, please indicate below and return with this acknowledgement page to the school office.

Brookesmith ISD does not discriminate in its educational programs and services, including its career and technology education programs, on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, national origin, or disability. The District complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Any questions or concerns about the district’s compliance with these federal programs should be brought to the attention of the person shown below as Title IX or Section 504 Coordinator.

The Title IX Coordinator for the school district is Bryan Swartz, whose office is located at 13400 FM 586 South and who can be reached by telephone by calling 325-643-3023 ext. 11.

The Section 504 Coordinator for the school district is Cari Miller, whose office is located at 13400 FM 586 South and who can be reached by telephone by calling 325-643-3023 ext. 18.

Cari Miller is our liaison for services to students who are determined to be homeless, as defined by federal law. If you believe your child may be eligible for services or assistance, contact Mrs. Miller at 325-643-3023 ext. 18.

Bryan Swartz is our Parent Involvement Coordinator, who works with families and children participating in Title I programs. If you have ay questions about the program or need assistance related to the program, contact Mr. Swartz at 325-643-3023 ext. 11.

Parents control the access to their children’s education records until the child becomes an adult at age 18. When the child reaches age 18, or is emancipated by a court, he or she controls the access to his or her records and is the one who can consent to the release of the records to other persons. However, parents continue to have a right to see and to copy their children’s education records so long as the child is a dependent for federal income tax purposes, even if the child does not want them to.

If a parent wants to see or copy his or her child’s education records, she or he should contact Pattie Boenicke at 325-646-3791 ext. 13. Records can be reviewed in administrative offices from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; someone will be available to answer questions about the records.

Originals can not be removed from the principal’s or superintendent’s office. Copies will be provided to parents within a reasonable time, usually not more than two or three days, after parents have made a written request for copies. The school will provide one copy of the requested records at no charge.

If you disagree with information in your child’s records or believe some information is inaccurate, you can ask for a correction. If the principal does not make the correction, you can ask for a hearing with the superintendent to explain why you believe the record is wrong or misleading. If the superintendent does not direct an amendment to be made, you have 30 days to place a comment in the student’s record about the information. Under no circumstances can students or parents use this process to challenge a grade recorded for a student.

Because parents generally control access to their children’s education records, the district ordinarily will not permit access to or copies of education records without at least one parent’s written authorization to release the records. However, under some circumstances, the district can and will provide access to or copies of education records without parent authorization. The most common circumstances are these:

Certain information about district students is considered directory information and will be released to anyone who follows the procedures for requesting information unless the parent or guardian objects to the release of the directory information about the student.

If you do not want Brookesmith ISD to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the district in writing by September 11, 2007.

Brookesmith ISD has designated the following information about your child as directory information: name, address, telephone listing, e-mail address, photograph, degrees, honors, awards received, date of birth, place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, grade level, most recent school attended, security recordings unless used to impose discipline, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, height & weight of members of athletic teams.

q If you DO NOT want us to release ANY information about your child without your written consent, check this box and return the form by September 11, 2007.

We have designated the following categories of directory information as pertinent to limited school-sponsored purposes. "School-sponsored purposes" means for publication in a student directory, a school yearbook, or official school publications including the school’s website and programs for school-sponsored events.

Brookesmith ISD receives federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq.), and we are therefore required to disclose your secondary (grades 6-12) child’s name, address, and phone number to a military recruiter or institution of higher education, on their request, unless you have told us that you do not want that information released without your prior written consent.

q If you DO NOT want us to release your secondary school (grades 7-12) child’s name, address, and telephone number to a military recruiter or institution of higher education, check this box.

___________________________ _______________________

Student’s Name (printed) Parent/Guardian Name (printed)

____________________________ ___________________

Parent/Guardian’s Signature Date

We do not require students to participate in any surveys that are funded with any U.S. Department of Education funds that concern the following topics unless you (or your child if he or she is an adult) give us your prior consent. You will also have the opportunity to inspect the survey in advance. If we administer surveys that concern any of these topics that are funded from other sources, we will give you advance notice of the survey, allow you an opportunity to inspect the survey, and give you an opportunity to opt-out of the survey. The topics that are covered by this notice are:

Options and Requirements for Providing Assistance to Students Who Have Learning Difficulties or who Need or May Need Special Education:

If a child is experiencing learning difficulties, the parent may contact the person listed below to learn about the district’s overall general education referral or screening system for support services. This system links students to a variety of support options, including referral for a special education evaluation. Students having difficulty in the regular classroom should be considered for tutorial, compensatory, and other academic or behavior support services that are available to all students.

At any time, a parent is entitled to request an evaluation for special education services. Within a reasonable amount of time, the district must decide if the evaluation is needed. If evaluation is needed, the parent will be notified and asked to provide consent for the evaluation. The district must complete the evaluation and the report within 60 calendar days of the date of the district receives the written consent. The district must give a copy of the report to the parent.

The designated person to contact regarding options for a child experiencing learning difficulties or a referral for evaluation is:

We do not perform any invasive physical examinations or screenings as a condition of attendance. We do perform vision, hearing, acanthosis nigricans, and scoliosis screenings, as required by state law. Please contact the principal if you have questions regarding those screenings.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria. Viral meningitis is most common and the least serious. Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of serious bacterial infection with the potential for serious, long-term complications. It is an uncommon disease, but requires urgent treatment with antibiotics to prevent permanent damage or death.

Someone with meningitis will become very ill. The illness may develop over one or two days, but it can also rapidly progress in a matter of hours. Not everyone with meningitis will have the same symptoms. Children (over 1 year old) and adults with meningitis may have a severe headache, high temperature, vomiting, sensitivity to bright lights, neck stiffness or joint pains, and drowsiness or confusion. In both children and adults, there may be a rash of tiny, red-purple spots. These can occur anywhere on the body. The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is based on a combination of symptoms and laboratory results.

Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as diseases like the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been. The germs live naturally in the back of our noses and throats, but they do not live for long outside the body. They are spread when people exchange saliva (such as by kissing; sharing drinking containers, utensils, or cigarettes).

The germ does not cause meningitis in most people. Instead, most people become carriers of the germ for days, weeks or even months. The bacteria rarely overcome the body's immune system and causes meningitis or another serious illness.

Seek prompt medical attention.

Your school nurse, family doctor, and the staff at your local or regional health department office are excellent sources for information on all communicable diseases. You may also call your local health department or Regional Texas Department of Health office to ask about meningococcal vaccine. Additional information may also be found at the web sites for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov and the Texas Department of Health: www.tdh.state.tx.us.

You may request the following information, which we will provide to you in a timely manner:

While we recognize that there are circumstances when a parent may wish his or her child to be enrolled under a name other than the child’s legal name, we are required to maintain all school records for your child under the child’s legal surname as shown on the birth certificate or other recognized document to prove the child’s identity or as shown in a court order changing the child’s name.

These are the basic requirements for admission to the district:

The application for admission and enrollment forms are official government records and it is a crime to provide false information of any kind or false records for identification. School officials can ask parents or another adult enrolling a student to provide some evidence that they are bona fide residents of the school district. As required by law, we will record the name, address, and date of birth of the person enrolling a student. Penal Code 37.10, Education Code 25.001(h), 002(d)

If school officials have reason to question the legitimacy of a child’s residency information, they can investigate to determine the student’s actual place of residence. If the district finds that a student is not really a district resident, the student will be withdrawn, and school officials will take the necessary legal steps to recover the maximum tuition fee the school district can charge or the amount the board of trustees budgets as an expense per student.

If you believe that your child is the victim of bullying (see the definition in the Student Code of Conduct), you may request a transfer to another classroom at the same campus or to another campus within the school district. If we verify that your child is the victim of bullying, the transfer will be made. If the transfer is to another campus, we will not provide transportation to that campus. Our decision on this kind of transfer is final and cannot be appealed to the board or any other authority.

If another student in the district is convicted of committing continuous sexual abuse of a young child or children or convicted and placed on deferred adjudication for a sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault against your child (see definitions in the Student Code of Conduct), you may request that your child be transferred to a neighboring school district, and the request will be granted. We will not provide transportation to the new campus. If you do not want to transfer your child, we will take appropriate steps regarding the other student to ensure that both students are not assigned to the same campus. Our decision on this kind of transfer is final and cannot be appealed to the board or any other authority.

A student who will need to leave school during the day must bring a note from his or her parent that morning. Students will be allowed to leave school during the school day only with the permission of the principal, Superintendent or someone in the principal’s office who has been given the authority to release students. Parents cannot go directly to their children’s classroom and take the child away from school during the day. Teachers do not have the authority to let children leave their classroom with anyone. If you need to take your child from school before the end of the school day, such as for a medical appointment or a family emergency, you should go to the principal’s office and sign the child out. The teacher will send the child to the principal’s office, and she or he will be released to you at that time.

At the time children are enrolled, the parent or other adult completing the enrollment forms should list those people who are authorized to pick up children during the school day. Unless the principal has a current court order signed by a judge, showing an official file stamp with the court, and indicating that a parent’s right of access to and possession of his or her children has been limited in some way, the principal will release children to either parent.

Students will not ordinarily be released during the school day to participate in private lessons or other instruction. If you believe you have a special situation that would warrant an exception to this rule, please contact the campus principal to schedule a conference about your situation.

Children who are under age 18 will not be permitted to withdraw from school unless a parent, legal guardian, or other adult with responsibility for the child comes to the school to complete the necessary forms. Students must return all textbooks issued to them and clear any library fines and other outstanding fees in order for the school to release an official copy of the student’s records to the parents or to another school district.

Students who are age 18 or older, who are legally married, or who have ever been legally married are adults and can withdraw themselves from school.

State compulsory attendance laws generally require all children between the ages of six and 18 to attend school each day that school is in session. A student who is younger than six and has ever been enrolled in the first grade is required to attend school. Once a parent enrolls a child in kindergarten or pre-kindergarten, the child is required to attend school that school year.

A student who voluntarily remains enrolled after the age of 18 is required to attend school. If an 18-year-old student has more than five unexcused absences in a semester, we may revoke his or her enrollment for the rest of the school year. If we revoke enrollment, the student will be treated as an unauthorized person and may be arrested for trespassing if he or she comes on school property. A student who is at least 18 years old and under the age of 21 will be required to attend school until the end of the school year.

Regular attendance is critical to your child’s success in school. It is also critical to the school district’s success because it is a factor in the district and campus rating under the state accountability system and is a determining factor in the amount of state financial aid the district is entitled to receive.

If a student who is at least 18 years old and younger than 21 fails to attend school, the District will pursue legal action against the student for failure to attend school. We will not ordinarily send warning notices to parents under these circumstances. Parents of these older students will not be referred for prosecution for contributing to truancy.

Of course, there are times that children are sick or have other legitimate reasons for being absent from school. Regardless of the age of your child, if he or she is sick and will not be at school that day, you should call the school office to let them know of the absence. Whenever a child is absent from school for any reason, he or she should bring a note signed by the parent explaining the reason for the child’s absence when he or she returns to school. The principal or someone acting for the principal will make the final decision whether an absence is classified as excused or unexcused.

If the child does not bring a signed note, the absence will be classified as unexcused. Students will be permitted to make up missed work for credit if the absence is unexcused. The grade for make-up work after an unexcused absence shall be reduced by 31 points. Local EIAB

Although students who are married are legally adults, this fact does not mean that they are not legally required to attend school until they are age 18. Recent changes to the laws on how schools enforce compulsory attendance give us the authority to file charges directly against students, who are married, have not graduated from high school, and do not attend school. We will work aggressively with local authorities to make sure that all students who are within compulsory attendance requirements come to school.

Absences for appointments with doctors, dentists, orthodontists, physical therapists, and other health care professionals will be classified as excused absences if the student returns to school on the same day as the appointment and presents a note from the health care provider stating the time of the appointment and the time the student left the doctor’s office. If the appointment is at the end of the school day and the student has been at school all day up to that time, the absence will be excused if the student brings a note from the health care provider the following day.

Absences for religious holy days, including up to two days of travel time if necessary, will be classified as excused absences.

Attendance and Credit

Separate and apart from the compulsory attendance requirements, students must attend school a certain amount of time in order to get credit for their academic work. State law generally requires students to be "in attendance" for at least 90 percent of the days a class is taught during a semester or year. All absences from class, excused or unexcused, are counted in determining whether a student has met attendance for credit requirements. Students who are in attendance in a class at least 75% of the days but less than 90% are eligible to receive credit if they complete a plan approved by the principal providing for the student to meet the instructional requirements for the class. Students who are under the jurisdiction of a court in a criminal or juvenile justice proceeding must also obtain the court’s consent before credit may be granted.

In the 2007-2008 school year, we require students to be in class for 73 days in the Fall Semester and 86 days in the Spring Semester to meet the 90% attendance for credit requirements. Each campus has an attendance committee that will review student attendance records. If the committee decides that extenuating circumstances prevented a student from meeting the minimum attendance for credit standard or fulfilling the principal’s plan for meeting instructional requirements, the committee can award credit or tell the student what additional work or time needs to be completed in order for the student to get credit for the grade level or course. We offer a Saturday school program as one way students can make up time. If your child needs this program, the principal will provide complete information about the times before your child is assigned.

You will be notified when your child is in danger of losing credit because of absences and will have the chance to meet with the attendance committee to discuss your child’s situation.

Released Time

Along with this Student Handbook, your child has also received a copy of the Brookesmith ISD Student Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct contains the school district’s requirements for student conduct and behavior while at school or under the school’s jurisdiction. The Code of Conduct also explains the kinds of disciplinary action school officials can take in response to violations of the rules for student conduct and the steps involved in taking disciplinary action. If you have any questions about conduct or discipline rules, please refer to the Code of Conduct or call your child’s principal.

A student age 21 or older who has been admitted to District schools to complete the requirements for a high school diploma will not be placed in the District’s DAEP or a JJAEP in which the District participates for violations of the Code of Conduct. Instead, the District will revoke the student’s admission to the District.

We expect students to come to school in clothes that are clean and neat, and we expect students to exhibit basic cleanliness and grooming that will not be a health or safety threat to themselves or to other students or staff. While we understand students’ desire to express themselves in their clothing and grooming styles, we do not permit students to wear clothing with pictures, emblems, or writing that is lewd, offensive, vulgar, or obscene or that advertises or depicts tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substance that students are prohibited from having or using at school. Students and parents may determine a student’s personal dress and grooming standards, provided that they comply with the following:

The administration has the authority to allow all or part of the student body to vary from the dress code and establish a particular mode of attire for special occasion days or for particular school-sponsored or school-related activities. The administration makes decisions about dress and grooming violations. If your child comes to school wearing clothes that violate the dress code or in any other way violates our dress and grooming standards, she or he can be placed in in-school suspension until she or he is in compliance. We will make efforts to notify you as soon as possible, and if the student changes clothes or otherwise comes into compliance with the dress and grooming standards, he or she will return to regular classes immediately.

If you or your child have a complaint about sexual comments, conduct, contact or any other inappropriate conduct by a school employee or about any other kind of harassment, do not hesitate to contact the Title IX coordinator whose name appears at the beginning of this Handbook regarding sexual harassment or the superintendent regarding any other harassment. We will listen to your concern and conduct a prompt investigation. We also will look into reports that other students have been making sexual or other harassing comments to or engaging in sexual or other inappropriate conduct or contact with your child at school or school activities and take appropriate disciplinary action according to the requirements of the Code of Conduct.

A copy of the entire policy on harassment is included in the appendix of this handbook.

The principal or other school administrator can search a student’s outer clothing, pockets, or property if she or he has a reasonable basis to suspect that the search will reveal evidence that the student has violated a school rule. The scope of the search will be related to the suspected violation.

Lockers are school property and remain under the school’s control at all times. Lockers can be searched at any time. Because students are responsible for any contraband that is found in their lockers and will be disciplined accordingly, they should not give any other student the combination to their locker or otherwise let anyone else have access to their lockers.

Vehicles parked on school property are required to display a parking permit and are subject to search by the principal or other school administrators if the administrator has a reasonable basis to suspect that there may be contraband of any kind, such as weapons, alcohol, drugs, or any other prohibited substance, in the car.

We periodically bring in trained dogs to sniff around vehicles parked on school property, lockers, classrooms, other common areas of the school, or within 300 feet of school property. If the trained dog alerts to a vehicle, or locker, that alert provides a reasonable basis to search the car or locker. We will always ask the student for permission to search when a dog alerts or we have any reasonable basis, such as a reliable tip, to search the vehicle. If the student does not consent, we will ordinarily contact a parent and local law enforcement and turn the matter over to the police. Because students are responsible for any contraband that is found in a vehicle they have parked on school property and will be disciplined accordingly, they should be aware of and very careful about what goes on in any vehicle they drive to school.

As school officials, we have the right to question your child about his or her own conduct at school and, in the investigation of alleged misconduct by other students, to question him or her about the conduct of others. We expect students to cooperate in this process, and the refusal to cooperate will be treated as insubordination and disciplined accordingly. We will not ordinarily contact you before questioning your child about his or her own conduct or about the conduct of other students, but certainly will contact you as provided in the Student Code of Conduct if our investigation shows that your child has violated school conduct rules. The Code of Conduct provides a complete explanation of the discipline processes and when you will be contacted. Our investigation of possible violations of the Code of Conduct is not a criminal proceeding, and there is no such thing as "taking the Fifth" or a student’s right not to incriminate him or herself in a school discipline investigation.

Sometimes law enforcement officials or investigators from Child Protective Services (CPS) ask to interview students at school. In the case of an investigator from Child Protective Services conducting a child abuse or neglect investigation, we are required by state law to permit the investigator to talk to the child at school. We will also make every effort to cooperate with law enforcement officials conducting an investigation that requires talking to students.

Ordinarily, we will attempt to contact you before the interview by an outside person takes place. However, if the CPS investigator or the law enforcement official asks or tells us not to contact you, we will comply.

Each school day students will be lead in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. flag and to the Texas flag. If you do not want your child to participate in this activity, please make a written request to the principal for your child to be excused. Following the recitation of the pledges, the school will observe a minute of silence. During this time, students may choose to reflect, pray, meditate, or engage in any other silent activity that is not likely to interfere with or distract other students.

Each student has a right to individually, voluntarily, and silently pray or meditate in school or any school activity in a manner that does not disrupt or interfere with the delivery of instruction or other activities in the school. No school employee can or will require, encourage, or coerce a student to engage in or to refrain from such prayer or meditation during any school activity.

Brookesmith ISD operates a full-day Kindergarten thru 12 program that meets all state curriculum requirements. Schools are organized by grade level, elementary (K thru grade 8), and high school (grades 9 thru 12).

The State Legislature has designated August 26 as Women’s Independence Day. Women’s Independence Day will be observed by appropriate programs to inspire a greater appreciation of the importance of woman’s suffrage.

Celebrate Freedom Week shall be observed the week in which November 11 falls. During this week all social studies classes in grades 3-12 shall include instruction concerning the intent, meaning and importance of the Declaration of Independence, and the United States Constitution in their historical contexts. The State Board of Education has adopted 19 TAC 74.33 which requires a specific recitation from the Declaration of Independence. To request that your child be excused from recitation of a portion of the Declaration of Independence during Celebrate Freedom Week (1) provide a written statement requesting that your child be excused, (2) the District determines that your child has a conscientious objection to the recitation, or (3) you are the representative of a foreign government to whom the United States government extends diplomatic immunity.

In accordance with state law, the district will ensure that students in elementary school and middle or junior high school engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day or 135 minutes per week. The district offers a PE period scheduled daily to students in elementary school and middle or junior high school. For additional information on the district’s requirements and programs regarding elementary, middle, and junior high school student physical activity requirements, please see the principal.

To meet the requirements of state and federal law, we also offer several programs designed to meet specific needs of some of our students. We identify students as eligible for one or more of these programs based on assessments made after referrals and recommendations from teachers and counselors and will always inform you about the program beforehand. We also can identify students based on an assessment after a request or referral from you. If you have any questions about the referral and identification process for any of the following programs, please contact your child’s teacher(s), counselor, or the campus principal.

Once again, the statewide assessment program is in transition. Students and parents will be informed of changes in the program affecting them as those changes are implemented. The current transition will eventually eliminate TAKS for high school students and implement instead a state-developed end-of-course examination in core curriculum courses. Students in grades 3-8 will continue to be assessed using TAKS.

Results of the state examinations are used to assess individual student progress, as well as being a significant factor in the campus and district ratings under the statewide and federal accountability system. Please make every effort to have your children at school on state test administration days and to be sure that they have had plenty of rest the night before and a good breakfast that morning.

High school students can get registration and test preparation materials for the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT), the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), and the American College Test (ACT) from the high school counselor.

Beginning during the 2007-08 school year, we will annually assess the physical fitness of students in grades 3-12. You may request the results for your child in writing at the end of the school year.

In grades 1-12, achievement is reported to parents as: 100-90 = A, 89-80 = B, 79-70 = C, 69 or below F. Students taking distance learning classes and receiving a grade of 60 or above will earn high school credit for the classes. It will be up to the accepting college or university whether they accept a 60 for college credit.

Teachers establish their grading standards, including penalties for late work, but those standards must be consistent with guidelines approved by the campus principal and Board policy. If you have a question about a grade your child receives on an assignment, you should talk first with the teacher. An exam or course grade issued by the teacher is final and will not be changed unless we determine that it was arbitrary, erroneous, or not consistent with the grading standards and policy.

Course credit will be awarded for each course based on the average of the 2 semesters. Juniors and seniors who maintain an average of 80 or above for the semester and have 3 or fewer absences per semester will be exempt from final exams; for purposes of exam exemptions, 3 tardies will be considered as one absence.

Report cards will be sent home at the end of each 6 week grading period. If your child is having trouble in a class, the teacher may ask you to schedule a conference. We encourage you to attend those conferences. If your child’s performance in language arts, math, science, or social studies is consistently unsatisfactory, you will receive grade reports every three weeks. EIA LOCAL

With the report of grades for the first grading period of the school year, we will inform you of the most recent performance rating of your child’s campus under the state’s Academic Excellence Indicator System, along with a definition and explanation of each performance rating.

Students may request schedule changes after the first 3 days of classes, but no later than the end of the second week of school.

Students are promoted from grade to grade, or awarded credit for a course, based on their mastery of the knowledge and skills that will let them be successful at the next grade level. In secondary grades, students receive credit for a course when they have met all the state and local requirements for that credit. In grades 1-8, promotion to the next grade level shall be based on an overall average of 70 on a scale of 100 based on course-level, grade-level standards (essential knowledge and skills) for all subject areas and a grade of 70 or above in 3 of the following areas: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

The District permits high school students to take correspondence courses (courses by mail) for credit toward high school graduation. A maximum of 2 credits may be earned through correspondence courses. For further information, see policy EEJC

Parents of students in grades 3, 5, and 8 who do not perform satisfactorily on their TAKS tests will be notified that their child will participate in special instructional programs designed to improve performance. These students will also have two additional opportunities to take the test. If the student fails a second time, a grade placement committee (GPC), consisting of the principal or designee, the teacher, and the student’s parent, will determine the additional special instruction the student will receive. After a third failed attempt, the student will be retained; however, the parent can appeal this decision to the GPC. In order for the student to be promoted, based on standards previously established by the District, the decision of the GPC must be unanimous. Whether the student is retained or promoted, an educational plan for the student will be designed to enable the student to perform at grade level by the end of the next school year.

For further information, see policies at EHBC, EL, and EIE

A student who has received prior instruction in a course but did not receive credit may use credit by examination to receive credit if:

On approval of the attendance committee, a student who has excessive absences may be permitted to earn or regain course credit through credit by examination.

Credit by examination shall not be permitted to gain eligibility for participation in extracurricular activities.

All costs associated with such examinations shall be the responsibility of the student or parent.

A student will be permitted to take an examination to earn credit for an academic course for which the student has no prior instruction. The dates on which examinations are scheduled during the 2007-2008 school year include: September 25, October 16, December 11, 2007, January 29, March 25, and May 6, 2008.

The passing score required to earn credit on an examination for acceleration is 90.

Distance Learning classes are offered to seniors through Howard College. It is highly recommended that students have an 85 average or better in regular high school classes to enroll in dual credit courses. To obtain college credit, students must be TAKS exempt or have passed certain areas of the THEA. Tuition, fees, and textbooks associated with distance learning classes are the responsibility of the student or parent. Grades of 60-69 are considered a "D" at Howard College, for the purposes of Brookesmith ISD only grades of 60-69 will be adjusted to a 70. Grades below 60 will not be considered passing by Howard College or Brookesmith ISD, no credit will be awarded for the course and could cause a senior not to graduate. At any time students may be removed from distance learning class and returned to a regular high school class with no refund of payments. Behaviors that could cause removal may include, but not limited to, students who do not make payments, who are not passing the course, who are not keeping up with their assignments, have excessive absences or tardies, or having discipline problems with the facilitator or Howard College professor. A $50 non-refundable deposit payable to Brookesmith ISD is required to pre-register for these courses.

After the ninth grade, students are classified according to the number of credits toward graduation.

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Our school has a library available for student research and study, with resources appropriate for needs of the grades served by the district. The library is supervised by a certified librarian. Students have access to the library during the school day and during posted hours before and after school.

If you have a concern about library materials available to your child, please contact the librarian, teacher, or the principal. We have a policy and process that will allow you to explain your concerns and reach an understanding about your child’s access to the questioned materials.

We are steadily acquiring computers for school use and access to other instructional and research resources through connections to the Internet and the World Wide Web. These electronic instructional resources are for use at school and for school-related purposes. Before your child is permitted to receive a User Identification and password to use school computers, you and your child must sign a User Agreement that explains acceptable and unacceptable use of school educational technology. You will have the choice to prevent your child from having access to the Internet on school computers.

The following kinds of use of the school’s equipment or network are classified as unacceptable under our policy and the User Agreement:

Students who violate the terms of the User Agreement may lose their computer privileges at school, as well as incur consequences under the school’s Student Code of Conduct. The Brookesmith ISD consequences for Internet violations are as follows:

To ensure the health and safety of our student athletes and others who participate in extracurricular activities, we have implemented a random drug-testing program. At the time your child expresses an interest in participation in an activity subject to the drug-testing program, you and your child will receive complete information about the program, which is a requirement for participation in affected activities. Please contact the high school principal if you would like more information about this program. To participate in any extracurricular activity students must agree to comply with the District’s Drug Testing Policy (policy included as a separate section in this handbook).

Students who participate in UIL athletic activities will be subject to random testing for the presence of illegal steroids as required by UIL rules and regulations.

We offer a variety of school-related extracurricular activities and encourage students to participate in those that are of interest to them. Although most extracurricular activities are designed for secondary students, those in grades 6-12, we encourage elementary age students to participate in UIL Academic activities and competitions.

Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege, not a right. By state law, students must make a passing grade in all their classes in each grading period in order to be eligible to participate in any extracurricular performance or competition in the next grading period, unless the failing grade was received in dual credit course in English language arts, math, science, social studies, or a language other than English. Students who are ineligible because of one or more grades below 70 will be allowed to practice or rehearse during a suspension, but cannot perform or compete. If the student raises the grade(s) to passing within three weeks, he or she will regain eligibility to perform or compete.

Many of our approved extracurricular activities have standards of conduct, dress, and grooming that are stricter than those that apply to all students. You and your child will be informed of those rules at the beginning of the semester, school year, or activity and will be asked to sign a form acknowledging that you are aware of those standards and know that violation of those standards will result in suspension or removal from the activity. These additional rules are authorized by the school board, which has delegated to the superintendent the authority to approve them.

Students can miss a class no more than 10 times in the school year to participate in an approved extracurricular activity. If a student advances to a post-district competition level, he or she is allowed up to 5 additional absences prior to state, and a maximum of 2 absences for state competition. (See FM LOCAL)

Our secondary school has established a limited open forum that permits students to meet on school premises during non-instructional time before or after school in groups that are not related to the curriculum. Meetings of these groups must be student-initiated and student-run. School employees cannot be sponsors of these groups, and adults from outside the school system cannot direct, conduct, control, or regularly attend these meetings. (See FNAB LOCAL)

All materials prepared and published as part of a school’s journalism or language arts programs are under the control and supervision of the administration and the Board of Trustees. The principal has final approval authority on all materials published or distributed in the name of the school.

Each campus has an area in the school where nonschool publications or materials that have been approved by the principal can be made available to students. Students are not permitted to distribute nonschool publications or materials in the classroom or hallways.

Parking permits will be available in the principal’s office free of charge. No permits will be issued to students without the submission of a copy of a valid Texas Driver’s license and proof of financial responsibility. The permit must be displayed on the front windshield of the vehicle on the driver’s side. Vehicles without permits will be given one warning; a second violation will result in the vehicle being towed at the owner’s expense. If a student drives a vehicle to school that does not have a parking permit, that student is responsible for coming to the principal’s office and receive a temporary parking permit. The temporary permit will be displayed from the rear view mirror.

Personal Graduation Plan (PGP): If your child is in junior high/middle school or high school and does not perform successfully on any state assessment or if we determine that your child is not likely to receive a high school diploma within five years of beginning the 9^th grade, you will be asked to participate in developing a personal graduation plan for your child. That plan will identify your child’s education goals and will take into consideration your educational expectations for your child. Should a personal graduation plan be appropriate for your child, the counselor and principal will contact you with more specific information. Policy EIF

Under State Board of Education rules, students have, a variety of graduation plans to choose from, depending on when they first began high school. If your child began the ninth grade before 2001-02, check with the high school counselor for full information on graduation requirements.

Students who began ninth grade in 2001-02, 2002-03, or 2003-04 can receive a diploma by passing the Exit-Level TAAS or TAKS Examinations and completing the Minimum Program, the Recommended Program, or the Distinguished Achievement Program.

Students who began ninth grade from the 2004-05 school year to the 2006-07 school year must complete the Recommended Program or Distinguished Achievement/ Advanced Program in place at the time the student entered the ninth grade, unless you, your child, and the counselor or principal agree that your child should be permitted to take courses under the Minimum Program.

Students who began the ninth grade in the 2007-08 school year must complete the Recommended or Distinguished Achievement/Advanced Program described below unless you, your child, and the counselor or principal agree that your child should be permitted to take courses under the Minimum Program.

To receive a high school diploma from the District, a student must successfully complete the required number of credits and pass a statewide exit-level exam. The grade 11 exit-level test, required for students in grade 11 covers English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies and requires knowledge of Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, Integrated Chemistry and Physics, English III, and early American and United States History. A student who does not pass the exit-level assessment will have additional opportunities to take the test.

The District requires no additional credits for graduation under the Recommended Program beyond those mandated by the state.

The District requires no additional credits for graduation under the Distinguished Achievement Program beyond those mandated by the state.

The Distinguished Achievement/Advanced Program is similar to the Recommended Program with the following differences and additional requirements:

For the Advanced (Distinguished Achievement) Program, students must also receive any combination of four of these advanced measures that are assessed through an external review process:

High school students who complete the Recommended or Distinguished Achievement/Advanced program and graduate in fewer than four school years are eligible under state law for the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program. This scholarship provides from $500 to $3,000 in credits toward tuition and mandatory fees for a public or private college or university in Texas. The amount of the scholarship depends on the number of months needed to complete the high school program and the number of college credits a student earns during high school. Contact your high school counselor for complete information on this program.

Final rank in class for purpose of determining valedictorian and salutatorian and honor graduates is calculated at the end of the fifth six-week grading period of the senior year.

Under state law, students who are ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class are eligible for automatic admission to all Texas state colleges and universities, including The University of Texas system and the Texas A&M University system.

Rank in class for purposes of determining which students are in the top 10% of their graduating class will be calculated at the end of the 11^th grade, middle of the 12^th grade, and at high school graduation. Students will use the latest ranking in relation to their college application deadlines. The number of students in the top 10% for automatic admission to a Texas college will not exceed the mathematical calculation of 10% of the number of students in the graduating class.

We use a weighted grade point/grade average system that is designed to recognize the relative difficulty and effort required for the course. The additional grade point(s) on the grade are used solely for ranking purposes and will not be reflected in the grades recorded on your child’s official transcript or Academic Achievement Record.

The valedictorian and salutatorian will be the highest and next highest ranking eligible student in the graduating class. Eligible students, who complete all requirements in three years, rather than the usual four years, will be ranked for graduation honors with students who have completed requirements in four years. The highest ranking graduate, who will be eligible to receive a scholarship for exemption from the first year of tuition at a state college or university, will be the person who has the highest rank in class, regardless of eligibility for the honor of valedictorian under our policies.

The valedictorian and salutatorian will be named at the end of the fifth six weeks in the twelfth (12) grade level. In the event of a tie, the American College Test (ACT) will be used to determine valedictorian and salutatorian. The student with the highest ACT score on a single administration of the test will be declared valedictorian. In the event a tie still exists, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) will be used to determine valedictorian and salutatorian. The student with the highest SAT score on a single administration of the test would be declared valedictorian, only in the event of a tie.

To be eligible for valedictorian or salutatorian a student must have been enrolled in Brookesmith ISD for all of the last two (2) years in high school. Highest honor graduates who do not meet the residency requirements will be unofficially ranked. An estimated rank in class will be provided upon request from a college or university.

Grades received as a result of enrollment in college in approved courses for concurrent or dual credit shall be weighed as determined by the status of the equivalent advanced course.

For determination of grade average, rank in class, an advanced graduate status including valedictorian and salutatorian, the semester grade for each course specified in the core curriculum areas will be converted to the following weights:

Advanced Courses 3.0 to 6.0

Regular Courses 1.0 to 4.0

Basic Courses 0.0 to 3.0

Eligible students whose class ranking places them in the top ten percent of their graduating class will be recognized as Honor Graduates.

For further information, see policies at EIC.

Graduation exercises are held at the end of the school year. With one legally required exception, only those students who have completed all state and local requirements, including passing the TAKS Exit-Level examinations or fulfilling state requirements for cumulative scores on end-of-course examinations, for receiving a diploma are eligible to participate in graduation exercises. All students who have completed all graduation requirements, whether in three years or four years, are eligible to participate in graduation exercises. A certificate of course completion will not be issued to a senior who successfully completes state and local credit requirements for graduation, but fails to perform satisfactorily on the exit-level tests. FMH (LOCAL).

State law requires that we permit a student with disabilities who has completed four years of high school but has not completed all requirements for graduation under the student’s individualized program to participate in graduation exercises if they wish to. Students may participate in only one graduation exercise.

Participation in graduation exercises is a privilege, not a right, and students who do not comply with dress, grooming, and conduct standards for the rehearsal and ceremony will be removed from the ceremony.

Graduating students who are assigned to the district’s Disciplinary Alternative Education Program through the end of school year and successfully complete their term of assignment in the DAEP without further disciplinary action may be allowed to take part in graduation ceremonies. That decision rests with the principal and cannot be appealed.

The graduation ceremony is a solemn event commemorating a milestone achievement in the lives of our graduates. The planning and execution of the ceremony is under the joint control of the graduating class, which will decide on the basic organization and components of the ceremony, and the administration, which will exercise editorial review and approval of the speeches and other comments to be delivered by the Valedictorian and Salutatorian and any other students.

Each class (6-12) will elect class officers and members to the student council.

You can ask that your child be permitted to attend a class for credit above his or her grade level. If the counselor and child’s current and prospective teacher expect that the child can perform satisfactorily in the class, the request will not be unreasonably denied.

You may request that your child be permitted to take home any textbook used by the student, and if a book is available, we will gladly honor that request. If the teacher requests it, the student must return the textbook to school the following school day.

You are encouraged to visit your children’s schools from time to time; however, we ask that you comply with our policy requiring all visitors to go first to the principal’s office and sign in. We have this policy for the safety of your children and our staff. Parents and any other person on campus without the principal’s knowledge will be considered as trespassers.

We also expect parents to be polite and civil in their dealings with all school staff. We do not permit or tolerate abusive, disrespectful, threatening, lewd, profane, or offensive language from your children at school, and we will not tolerate it from parents. Parents who create a disruption at school or behave unacceptably may be prohibited from coming onto school property without specific authority and will be treated as criminal trespassers if they disregard the principal’s or superintendent’s directive.

While we encourage you to be involved in your children’s education and knowledgeable about their classes, teachers, and curriculum, it has been our experience that frequent and lengthy visits to the classroom are disruptive both to teaching and learning. The principal can limit or restrict the frequency and duration of classroom visits to be sure that disruption of the instructional process does not occur.

We encourage you to come to school occasionally and eat lunch with your child; however, children can be removed from the campus during lunch period only by following the established process of signing the child out from the principal’s office. Unless we have possession of a court document that limits a possessory conservator’s (that is the parent who does not ordinarily have custody of the student) access to their child while at school, we will permit either parent to eat lunch with their children at school. GKA LOCAL

We realize that situations may arise when parents disagree with a decision that affects their child or believe that a policy has been improperly applied to their child. A number of these types of disputes or controversies have specific processes for pursuing those concerns. The principal can provide you with a copy of the relevant policies and procedures.

In general, all parent complaints should be brought initially to the teacher involved or the campus principal within 15 business days of the events or situation that you are concerned about. Often the problem can be resolved through an informal conference with the teacher or principal. On those occasions when a conference does not take care of problem, you should request a copy of the complaint policy. In order for your concern to be resolved at the earliest possible level, you should put your complaint in writing before meeting formally with the principal.

The principal will schedule a conference with you and give you a written response within 10 district business days after the conference. You will also have an opportunity for a conference with the superintendent if the principal has not resolved the matter. If the superintendent is not able to take care of the problem, you can make a written request for the Board of Trustees to consider the matter a future meeting.

We have adopted and enforce policies to ensure that our campuses comply with Texas Department of Agriculture guidelines for restricting student access to vending machines.

As required by state law, we have and enforce prohibitions against student possession and use of tobacco and tobacco products on campuses or school-sponsored or related activities. These prohibitions are addressed in the Student Code of Conduct and also in board policy and the employee handbook.

The district’s student health advisory council met 2 times during the preceding school year.

We will develop an individualized health plan for children with diabetes who need care for diabetes while in school or participating in a school activity. This plan will be developed in collaboration with you and, if possible, your child’s physician. If your child has diabetes and will need care at school or while participating in a school activity, you must submit the diabetes management and treatment plan prepared by you and your child’s physician before or at the beginning of the school year, on enrollment after the beginning of the school year, or as soon as practicable following a diagnosis of diabetes.

We will promptly attempt to notify you or a person you have authorized us to notify if we have knowledge that your child has been injured at school or has become ill at school. We have trained aides available and an area where your child can stay if she or he is injured or becomes ill.

One of the forms we ask you to complete at the beginning of each school year is a form authorizing designated school employees to consent to medical treatment in case your child is injured at school or a school-related activity and requires emergency treatment. We, of course, will call you in such a situation and will also call for emergency medical assistance, if needed. It is important, however, that you understand that the school district is not responsible for any cost of medical treatment or services provided after an injury at school or a school-related activity. We cannot and will not use public funds to pay individual student medical expenses.

Although we want your child to attend school every day, we do not want your child at school if she or he has a communicable disease or is running a fever of 100° or more. Under State and local Health Department regulations, if your child has certain medical conditions, she or he must be excluded from school for a period of time. To protect other students from contagious illnesses, students infected with certain diseases are not allowed to come to school while contagious. Parents of a student with a communicable or contagious disease should phone the school nurse so that other students who might have been exposed to the disease can be alerted. These diseases include:

Further information may be found at policy FFAD.

Often, students have to take prescription