Notices & Disclosures

It is the policy of the Board of Education to maintain an education and work environment that is free from all forms of unlawful harassment, including sexual harassment. This commitment applies to all School District operations, programs, and activities. All students, administrators, teachers, staff, and all other school personnel share responsibility for avoiding, discouraging, and reporting any form of unlawful harassment. This policy applies to unlawful conduct occurring on school property, or at another location if such conduct occurs during an activity sponsored by the Board.

The Board will vigorously enforce its prohibition against discriminatory harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, age, religion, ancestry, or genetic information (collectively, Protected Classes) that are protected by Federal civil rights laws (hereinafter referred to as unlawful harassment), and encourages those within the School District community as well as Third Parties, who feel aggrieved to seek assistance to rectify such problems. The Board will investigate all allegations of harassment and in those cases where unlawful harassment is substantiated, the Board will take immediate steps to end the harassment, prevent its reoccurrence, and remedy its effects. Individuals who are found to have engaged in unlawful harassment will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

Other Violations of the Anti-Harassment Policy

The Board will also take immediate steps to impose disciplinary action on individuals engaging in any of the following prohibited acts:

1. Retaliating against a person who has made a report or filed a complaint alleging unlawful harassment or who has participated as a witness in a harassment investigation.
2. Filing a malicious or knowingly false report or complaint of unlawful harassment.
3. Disregarding, failing to investigate adequately, or delaying investigation of allegations of harassment, when responsibility for reporting and/or investigating unlawful harassment charges comprises part of one's supervisory duties.

In compliance with AHERA regulations, we are notifying you of an update of the District Asbestos Inspection and Management Plan.

SPECIAL NOTICE: The Groveport Madison Local Schools have received notice of their receipt of Federal flow through IDEA-PART B of the Education for the Handicapped Act. The maximum entitlement for the school district this year is equal to the number of resident handicapped children ages 3 through 21 who were provided full and appropriate special education programs by the Groveport Madison Local Schools based on the December 1, 2017, child count. Suggestions regarding the expenditure of these funds may be directed to Amanda Bernowski, Director of Special Education, 4400 Marketing Place, Suite B, Groveport, OH 43125, or by calling 614-492-2520. The first priority for the expenditure of these funds must be to provide direct services to Handicapped Children.

SEARCH FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN

School districts across the State of Ohio are participating in an effort to identify, locate, and evaluate all handicapped children between the ages of 3 and 21. A handicap is defined as a condition such as hearing impairment, visual impairment, speech or language impairment, learning disability, behavioral, multiple, or severe handicaps, mental retardation, autism, and other health impairments. Many handicapped children are not visible because they do not function in the mainstream of the community. Also, many unidentified handicapped children are preschoolers. Parents may not be aware of the programs and services available. If you know of a handicapped child, please write to Amanda Bernowski at Groveport Madison Local Schools at 4400 Marketing Place., Suite B, Groveport, OH 43125, or call 614-492-2520.

In compliance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act, Groveport Madison Schools ensures that homeless children and youth are advised on the choice of schools, immediately enrolled, and promptly provided necessary services, including transportation.

The Director of Student Services, Kellie Hayden, is the District's contact for homeless children. She can be reached by email, or by phone, at 614-492-2520.

2025-2026 Business Advisory Council Joint Statement

ESC of Central Ohio Business Advisory Council Website

MACHINE READABLE FILES (MRFs)

Federal Transparency in Coverage (TIC) regulations require health insurers and group health plans to create machine-readable files (MRFs) that contain the negotiated rates for in-network providers and allowed amounts derived from historical claims for out-of-network providers and make those files publicly available.

These files follow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) defined layout and are in the CMS-approved format (JSON), and are not meant for a consumer-friendly search of rates, benefits, or cost-sharing. These files will be published on anthem.com and will be updated on the first day of each month.

Schools generate and maintain numerous student records, including grades, standardized test scores, disciplinary accounts, contact information, mental health records, and more. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which applies to educational agencies and institutions that receive certain types of financial assistance from the Department of Education (ED), regulates the handling of education records in several ways. The law sets forth two key requirements for covered entities. First, FERPA requires schools to allow parents to access and review their children's education records. Second, it prohibits schools from releasing students' education records, including personally identifiable information (PII), without the written consent of their parents, subject to several exceptions. FERPA defines "education records" as materials that (1) "contain information directly related to a student" and (2) "are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a person acting for such agency or institution."

Student Records BOE policy

FERPA website (U.S. Department of Education)

Any Groveport Madison parent or guardian is eligible to receive free language assistance if he/she has limited English proficiency in one or more of the following areas: speaking, reading, writing, and/or comprehending English. A parent does not need to have limited proficiency in all areas. The Groveport Madison Local School District will generally accept a parent’s assertion that he/she needs language assistance without requiring additional corroboration.

English

Parents/Guardians:  The District is sometimes able to provide free language assistance in other languages. If you need such assistance, please contact the building secretary or building administrator at your child's school and let them know the language you speak.  

Somali

Waalidiinta/Mas'uuliyiinta:  Degmada Waxbarashadu waxay mararka qaarkood idinka caawin kartaa luqooyinka kale. Haddii aad u baahan tahay caawintaas, fadlan la xariir xoghaynta ama qofka maamula iskuulka ilmahaagu dhigto una sheeg luqadda aad ku hadashid.

Spanish

Padres / Guardianes:  A veces el Distrito puede proporcionar asistencia gratis en otros idiomas. Si necesita esta ayuda, comuníquese con la secretaria del edificio o con el administrador del edificio en la escuela de su hijo y hágales saber el idioma que usted habla.

The Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, age, religion, military status, ancestry, genetic information (collectively, Protected Classes), or any other legally protected category, in its programs and activities, including employment opportunities.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Recently, Ohio state legislators passed Senate Bill 29, which focuses on student data privacy. The new law, which will take effect at the end of October, requires Ohio school districts to take certain actions and protections around our students' data when working with outside vendors, and specifically:

• Acknowledge school district ownership of student data
• Contain provisions prohibiting unnecessary access to student data
• Restrict the use of student data
• Return or destruction of student data upon conclusion of contract
• Restrictions on how a technology provider may sell, share, or disseminate educational records

The new law also requires school districts to notify parents and guardians when monitoring student devices owned by the school district. Below is our notice of general monitoring:

General Monitoring of School-Issued Devices

Please be aware that the District, directly or through a technology provider, is electing to generally, monitor all school-issued devices (as this term is defined by R.C. 3319.325). Monitoring will include these features: location tracking and student interactions with school issued devices (e.g. web-browsing activity). 

The District generally monitors these features for the noncommercial education purpose of instruction, technical support, and/or exam proctoring. Additionally, these features are generally monitored as a necessary precaution for preventing and/or responding to threats to life or safety.

If you see something going on in our school district that makes you suspect fraud is occurring with taxpayer dollars, please report it to the Ohio Auditor at the following link:  Report Fraud

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

PBIS is a multi-tiered school-wide, behavioral framework developed and implemented for the purpose of improving academic and social outcomes and increasing learning for all students. The Board directs the Superintendent/designee to develop a PBIS system/framework consistent with the components set forth in the State Board of Education’s (SBOE) policy, State law and this policy. The District implements PBIS on a systemwide basis in an effort to promote positive interactions and solutions within the District. The District encourages family involvement as an integral part of its PBIS system. This policy is implemented in accordance with all applicable definitions set forth in State law.

PBIS Policy (Restraint and Seclusion)

The Board of Education designates the following personally identifiable information contained in a student's education records as "Directory Information."

• Student's name
• Student’s place of residence
• Primary telephone number
• Date and place of birth
• Major field of study
• Participation in officially-recognized activities and sports
• Height and weight (if a member of an athletic team)
• Dates of attendance
• Expected date of graduation
• Awards received

Please consider carefully the consequences of any decision to withhold Directory Information. Should you decide to inform this institution not to release Directory Information, any future request for such information from non-institutional persons or organizations will be refused. Should you decide to withhold Directory Information, you may authorize at a later date on a transaction-by-transaction basis the release of directory or non-directory information (for example, the release of a transcript for employment purposes) or you may cancel withhold directory. See FinalForms for instructions.

Note to students about to graduate: The withhold Directory Information flag will remain on your records after graduation if you have requested that the information be withheld; therefore, we will not be able to verify your graduation to potential employers.

Groveport Madison Local Schools will honor your request to withhold the information listed in FinalForms, but cannot assume responsibility to contact you for subsequent permission to release that information. Regardless of the effect upon you, Groveport Madison Local Schools assumes no liability for honoring your request for information to be withheld.