POLICY

5710. PUPIL GRIEVANCE

Date Created: February, 2009

Date Edited: February, 2009

5710- PUPIL GRIEVANCE

The Board of Education believes that pupils are citizens who possess the

right to request redress of grievances and that pupils should be

encouraged to respect lawful procedures for the resolution of disputes.

Accordingly, the Board will establish and observe procedures by which the

grievances of pupils will be heard.

For the purposes of this policy, a pupil grievance means any complaint

that arises out of the acts or policies of this Board or the acts of its

employees.

A pupil grievance will be heard in the following manner:

1. A pupil should first make the grievance known to the staff

member most closely who shall attempt to resolve the matter informally and

directly;

2. A grievance not resolved at the first step must be reduced to a

written statement in which the pupil sets forth the specific nature of the

grievance, the facts that gave rise to it, the relief sought, and the

reasons why that relief is appropriate;

3. The written grievance may be submitted to the Chief School

Administrator and the Board of Education, in that order and within a

suitable period of time to be allowed at each level for the hearing of the

grievance and the preparation of a response;

4. At each step beyond the first, the school authority hearing the

grievance may summon the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of a grievant who

is not an adult. The grievant may summon the assistance of his/her

parent(s) or legal guardian(s) at any step;

5. A pupil grievance that proceeds to the Board will be determined

promptly and the Board will issue a decision in no more than ten calendar

days after the hearing. The pupil will be informed of the right to appeal

a decision of the Board to the Commissioner of Education.

The Chief School Administrator shall direct all staff members to respect

the right of pupils to seek redress of grievances by lawful procedures

without fear of reprisal.

Adopted: 9 February 2009