July 24 and 25, 2019 - Stoughton Back to School 7

Legal Notices

Public Release: National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Special Milk Program The Courier Hub; Stoughton Food Pantry; Dane county Human Services, Stoughton; Stoughton Library. The Courier Hub published on July 25, 2019. The others were mailed on July 25, 2019. RELEASE STATEMENT The Stoughton Area School District today announced its policy for children unable to pay the full price of meals served under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program or milk for split-session students served under the Special Milk Program. Each school office and the central office has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party. The following household size and income criteria will be used for determining eligibility. Children from families whose annual income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for free and reduced price meals or free milk if a split-session student does not have access to the school lunch or breakfast service.

Educational Options The following summarizes Stoughton Area School District’s (SASD) educational options for children who reside in the District pursuant to section 118.57 of the state statute. The District’s primary education path and instructional program for students involves progression from 4-year-old kindergarten through Grade 12, leading to a high school diploma. Some of the specific education programs offered to eligible students who are enrolled in and attending SASD include the following: • Early childhood special education (for students who are at least 3-years old, but not yet school age) • Special Education for students with disabilities • English language learner education for students for whom English is not their primary language • Gifted and Talented education known as Journeys • Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at both the middle and high school • Summer School programming, Summer Excel • Online courses The most recent state-assigned performance category (201718) shows that Fox Prairie Elementary School (Grades K-5) Exceeds Expectations, Kegonsa Elementary School (Grades K-5) Meets Expectations, Sandhill Elementary School (Grades K-5) Exceeds Expectations, River Bluff Middle School (Grades 6-8) Meets Expectations, and Stoughton High School (Grades 9-12) Exceeds Expectations.

Application forms are being sent to all homes with a notice to parents or guardians. To apply for free or reduced price meals or free milk, households must fill out the application and return it to the school (unless notified at the start of the school year that children are eligible through direct certification). Additional copies are available at the office in each school. The information provided on the application will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by agency or other program officials. Applications may be submitted at any time during the year. To obtain free or reduced price meals or free milk for children in a household where one or more household members receive FoodShare, FDPIR, or Wisconsin Works (W-2) cash benefits, list the FoodShare, FDPIR or W-2 case number, program name, list the names of all school children, sign the application, and return it to the school office. For the school officials to determine eligibility for free or reduced price meals or free milk of households not receiving FoodShare, FDPIR or W-2 cash benefits, the household must provide the following information requested on the application: names of all household members, total number of household members, and the adult signing the application form must also list the last four digits of his or her Social Security Number or mark the box to the right of “Check if no SSN”. Also, the income received by each household member must be provided by amount and source (wages, welfare, child support, etc.).

Educational options for students who are enrolled in the Stoughton Area School District that involve part-time attendance at an educational institution other than a school of the Stoughton Area School District include the following: • Early College Credit Program (ECCP) • Provides opportunities to apply for approval to take up to a total of 18 college credit courses at an Institution of Higher Education and is available to students in grades 9-12 • is subject to state and local eligibility requirements, including the limitation that the courses must satisfy a high school graduation requirement; and • includes certain District-approved dual credit opportunities that the District offers in conjunction with a partner institution of higher education. • See policy 723 Early College Credit Program • Start Technical College, which • High school students in good academic standing and who have no record of significant disciplinary problems, as determined by the School District, may have the opportunity to take college courses at a local technical college • (See policy 725 Start Technical College Now)

Additional educational options for children who reside in the District that involve full-time enrollment/attendance at a school, program, or other educational institution that is not a school or instrumentality of the Stoughton Area School District include: • Technical college: High school students meeting certain age and other eligibility requirements may be permitted to attend a technical college or certain other programs If a hearing is needed to appeal the decision, the policy contains an outline of the hearing procedure. for the purpose of completing a program leading to the If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size changes, the family should contact the student’s high school graduation or to a high school school. Such changes may make the household eligible for reduced price meals or free meals or free milk if the equivalency diploma household income falls at or below the levels shown above, and they may reapply at that time. • Full-time Open Enrollment involving physical attendance in a public school of a nonresident district or attendance Children formally placed in foster care are also eligible for free meal benefits. Foster children may be certified as through a virtual charter school that is associated with a eligible without a household application. Households with foster children and non-foster children may choose to nonresident school district include the foster child as a household member, as well as any personal income available to the foster child, on • Private school for students with a disability. Beginning the same application that includes their non-foster children. in 2016-17, a child with a disability who meets the program’s specific eligibility requirements may apply to The information provided by the household on the application is confidential. Public Law 103-448 limits the attend an eligible, participating private school under a release of student free and reduced price school meal eligibility status to persons directly connected with the scholarship awarded through the state’s “Special Needs administration and enforcement of federal or state educational programs. Consent of the parent/guardian is Scholarship Program,” as established under section needed for other purposes such as waiver of text book fees. 115.7915 of the state statutes • Enrollment in a private school of the family’s choosing, at Non-discrimination Statement: the family’s own cost In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and • Private school participating in a parental choice program policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA • Enrollment in a home-based private educational program programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal as provided under state law or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Educational options for children who reside in the Stoughton Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, Area School District but who are enrolled in and attending a large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they private school or home-based private educational program applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA include the following: through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available • Private school students in the high school grades have in languages other than English. the opportunity to apply for approval to take up to two courses per semester in a District school, pursuant to To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (ADsection 118.145(4) of the state statutes 3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a • Students who are enrolled in a home-based private letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy education program have the opportunity to: of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: • Apply for approval to take up to two courses per semester in public schools as provided (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture under section 118.53 of the state statutes Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights • Participate in district interscholastic athletics 1400 Independence Avenue, SW (with the guidelines of the WIAA for eligibility) Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; and extracurricular activities as provided under section 118.133 of the state statutes (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or Under the provisions of the free and reduced price meal and free milk policy Director of Taher Food Service Inc. will review applications and determine eligibility. If a parent or guardian is dissatisfied with the ruling of the official, he/she may wish to discuss the decision with the determining official on an informal basis. If the parent/guardian wishes to make a formal appeal, he/she may make a request either orally or in writing to: Erica J. Pickett, Director of Business Services, 320 North Street, Stoughton, WI 53589.

(3)

email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Any questions regarding the application should be directed to the determining official.

For more information about any of the education options listed in this notice, please contact the SASD Director of Instruction, SASD District Administrator,, or the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction http://dpi.wi.gov/ed-options.