District Plans & Notices

The Board of Education of the Poland Central School District (the “District”), acting in public session, has adopted an Annual Professional Performance Plan (the “APPR Plan”) for principals and teachers who are covered by the annual professional performance review provisions of Chapter 103 of the Laws of 2010.  

Approved APPR

APPR Transparency

Each classroom teacher and school principal receive an annual professional performance review (APPR) that results in a composite effectiveness score and rating. Parents have the right to obtain the APPR quality ratings and composite effectiveness scores for their child’s current teacher(s) and principal(s) once available. To initiate this request, please contact the office of your child’s principal.

American Rescue Plan-ESSER Plan 

• For summary information on the Poland CSD Plan , click here.
• For the full plan submitted, click here.
• For the financial summary reports, click here.
  • Financial summary amendment 1
  • Financial summary amendment 2
• For additional financial reports, choose an option:     
  • Budget file 1
  • Budget file 2
  • Portal submission 1
  • Portal submission 2
  • Portal submission 3
  • Portal submission 4-5
  • Portal submission 6
• For the Approved ARP ESSER Part 2 application, click here.
• For the Approved ARP ESSER State Reserves application, click here.

To view the district's attendance policy, click here.

Because New York State is interested in data about children’s health, schools are now required to keep height and weight data and to calculate students’ Body Mass Index (BMI), which becomes part of a student’s confidential health record. BMI is a way of checking for underweight or overweight children based on their height and weight. Some schools will be surveyed by the state Department of Health each year and asked to share the number of pupils they have in each of six possible BMI categories based on students’ age and sex.

When surveyed, Poland will only share group data (for instance, the number of second-grade boys whose BMI is below the fifth percentile), not individual data. Parents who wish to request their child’s data be excluded from such group calculations may do so by contacting the nurse. To reach the nurse by phone, please use 315-826-0208.

The Code of Conduct in full as Poland CSD Board Policy #1005. 

Additionally, the District has provided age-appropriate versions that summarize expectations.

The summaries are written for the PK-5 student body and the 6-12 student body.

New York state requires school districts to develop a continuity of operations plan and make it available. The Poland Central School District's plan is incorporated into the district safety plan (see top of page) so stakeholders are aware of the district's plans in the event of an ongoing public health emergency involving communicable disease.

COVID Testing and Sites
Click on the table below to open the file in a new window and better view the content.

NYS DoH Find a Testing Site - This link allows a person to enter a zip code and find COVID testing sites.

Contact Tracing

DoH Herkimer Testing Out - will bring up the directions for testing out of quarantine for asymptomatic persons who reside in Herkimer County.

Jan. 2022 Isolation and Quarantine

Daily Report Card PCS

Feb. 2022 Isolation and Quarantine

2021-22 School Reopening Plan
COVID data for the Poland Central School District and all schools in NYS is noted on the NYS Department of Health website.

Schools and Districts report daily summaries at the portal HERE. 

This dashboard resource replaces School Messenger calls and letters about individual cases in the 2021-2022 school year.  

2021 Facilities

2021 Containment

2021 Closure

1. The goal of the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) is to provide students with a safe and supportive learning environment that is free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying. Some of the law requirements include: establishing anti-harassment and discrimination policies, creating school training programs, and including a course in civility, citizenship and character education in the curriculum for every grade level. To view the policies and process for reporting harassment, bullying and discrimination, visit https://www.polandcs.org/studentsparents/dignity-for-all-students.

Information about the Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act can be found here: https://www.polandcs.org/athletics/resources-parentstudent.

New York State Education Law gives you the right to information about how Poland CSD is safeguarding student and staff data.

Read the Bill of Rights (Parents’ Bill of Rights) and learn more about the vendors we work with.

View our Data Security and Privacy Policy.

If at any time the district learns that student and/or employee data has been compromised, parents/guardians will be notified, and the data breach will be reported to the New York State Education Department. Parents/guardians who have concerns or complaints about data privacy or security may file a complaint by contacting Superintendent Laura Dutton at 315-826-0203 .

Education of Homeless Students Policy

Instructional/Teaching Jobs
Poland Central School uses the OLAS service as the mechanism to post instructional positions including classroom teachers, assistants, substitutes (per diem and long-term), and other certificated vacancies within the district. 

Please check the OLAS service periodically for updates and changes or call the District Office at 315-826-0203 with inquiries.
Please click here to download and print a district application for all district positions.

Non-Instructional Jobs
Account Clerk

Click here for the exam announcement

• Exam name: Account clerk / Account Clerk-Typist
• Exam number: 23-178
• Herkimer County civil service application deadline: February 3
  • Click here for the Herkimer County civil service exam application
• Herkimer County civil service examination date: March 25

Substitute cleaners, substitute bus drivers, and substitute registered nurses. 

• Please contact the District Office at 315-826-0203 for an application or print the four-page form here. (Do not fill out this form for the account clerk position).

Equal Opportunity Policy

 The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides parents/guardians and students who are 18 years of age or older (known as “eligible students“) with certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. Parents/guardians and eligible students have the right to:

Inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day a request for access is received by the school. These requests should be submitted to Laura Dutton at ldutton@polandcsd.org or 315-826-0203.

Request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent/guardian or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights;

Provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent as outlined below;

File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the district to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA are: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202.
Disclosures without prior consent
Disclosure of personally identifiable information from a student’s education records is permitted without the consent of the parent/guardian or eligible student if it meets certain conditions, such as if the disclosure is:
To officials of another school, school system or institution of postsecondary education where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled;
To authorized representatives of the U.S. comptroller general, the U.S. attorney general, the U.S. secretary of education or state and local educational authorities;
In connection with applications or determinations for financial aid;
To state and local officials or authorities to whom information is specifically allowed to be reported or disclosed by a state statute that concerns the juvenile justice system;
To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school that meet certain requirements;
To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions;
To parents/guardians of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes;
To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency;
Designated as “directory information” by the district;
To an agency caseworker or other representative of a state or local child welfare agency or tribal organization that is authorized to access a student’s case plan;
To the secretary of agriculture or authorized representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service for national school lunch and nutrition programs.

Once a potential applicant has been appointed by the Poland Board of Education, the applicant may Call MorphoTrust at 877-472-6915 to schedule a fingerprinting appointment. 

When asked for the service code, provide them with the appropriate code:

• Applicants for substitute functions shall use service code: 14ZGR7

Regional Fingerprinting Locations

Working Solutions
320 North Prospect Street
Herkimer, NY 13350

Masonic Care Community
2150 Bleecker Street
Utica, NY 13501

Notice is hereby given that the annual inspection of the school building, bus garage, and bus storage facility of Poland Central School District for the fire hazards which might endanger the lives of students, teachers, employees therein, has been completed, and the report thereof is available at the District Offices of Poland Central School District, 74 Cold Brook Street, Poland, NY for inspection by all interested persons.

For access to district records under the New York State Freedom of Information Law, please contact the district office, 315-826-0203 for a FOIL Request Form or use the one on the Business Office webpage.

Grading Policy

Decisions about student promotion and placement are at the final discretion of the administration. These decisions are guided by recommendations of principals, teachers and staff members, past academic performance and parent/guardian input. Past academic performance refers to a variety of indicators of student achievement and growth. The district’s promotion and placement policy was adopted by the Board of Education following a review by the district administration and is available using our online board policy book.

The Poland Central School District will be making alcohol-based hand sanitizers available in its school buildings. If parents/guardians wish to opt their child out of using it, they should send a written notice to the school.

HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) requires written authorization from a parent or guardian in order for information to flow between health providers and a school. For example, immunization records require such authorization.
 
Within the school setting, FERPA continues to govern the exchange of health care information that is contained in the student’s educational record. It is not necessary to obtain a release of information from a parent or guardian in order to share such information with school staff for the purposes of insuring the best and most appropriate care for a student.

State law requires school districts to sample all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes in buildings that may be occupied by students and to submit those samples to a state-approved lab for analysis. Testing took place on May 30, 2024 and must be completed every three years thereafter, unless the state Commissioner of Health requires testing sooner.

The state established an action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb), which was reduced from 15 ppb. If a sample from a water outlet exceeds this level, schools must take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level.

School districts are required to report the results of all water testing to the state Department of Health, the state Education Department and the local health department, and to post the results on the district website.

The Poland Central School District on August 15th, 2024 had 3 outlets retested that initially came back over the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb). In-line lead filters had been installed on the retested outlets.  Out of the 3 outlets retested, 2 came back above the state guidelines of 5 parts per billion (ppb).  The 2 outlets that failed have been cleaned; the district is now in the process of testing these outlets again.

The Poland Central School District on September 19th, 2024 had 3 outlets retested that came back over the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb). In-line lead filters had been installed and fixtures were cleaned on the retested outlets.  Out of the 2 outlets retested, 1 came back above the state guidelines.  The outlet that failed the in-line lead filter was moved closer to the outlet; the district is now in the process of testing that outlet again.

The Poland Central School District on December 13th, 2024 had 1 outlet retested that came back over the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb). An in-line lead filter had been installed, the fixture had been cleaned and the in-line lead filter had been moved closer to the outlet on the retested outlet.  The retested outlet came back above the state guidelines.  The outlet had old supply lines flushed and cleaned; the district is now in the process of testing that outlet again.

The Poland Central School District on January 17th, 2025 had 1 outlet retested that came back over the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb) and 3 outlets added for initial testing.  An in-line lead filter had been installed, the fixture had been cleaned, the in-line lead filter had been moved closer to the outlet and old supply lines were flushed and cleaned on the retested outlet.  The retested outlet came back above the state guidelines while the newly added 3 outlets passed.  The outlet that came back above state guidelines had old supply lines replaced and the fixture has been flushed and cleaned again; the district is now in the process of testing that outlet again."

To view previous reports, contact the superintendent’s office.

May 2024 results

New York adopted water testing regulations to help ensure that children are protected from lead exposure while in school. Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead, so much so that the experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization agree that there is no safe level of lead for children.

Please contact the superintendent’s office if you have any questions about these results.

Although payment for school meals is typically due at the time of the sale (through a prepaid balance, cash or some other means), the Poland CSD recognizes that at times, students are unable to make this payment for a variety of reasons. The Poland CSD has established a school meal charge policy to provide clear information about how these situations will be handled, including steps designed to avoid any embarrassment of children.

View Board Policy 5201 - School Food Service Program and Meal Charge Policy

While a variety of food choices are made available to all students, parents and guardians may also request meal modifications if the available options do not meet their child’s dietary needs. To request a meal modification, please contact Tana Steves, kitchen manager at tsteves@polandcsd.org.

Please complete the Meal Modification - Medical Statement form.

New York State Education Law requires school districts to make report card and accountability report information available on district websites. Click https://data.nysed.gov/profile.php?instid=800000051324 to view the report card.

The Poland Board of Education meeting schedule can be found on the district website. This meeting will be held in person at the Poland Central School District building. Public comments and participation will be allowed. If you have any questions about board of education meetings, please contact District Clerk Maryisa Washington at mwashington@polandcsd.org.

New York State education law requires schools to notify the school community that pesticide products may be used during the school year. Parents/guardians and staff members may request 48-hour advance written notification of certain pesticide applications. If an emergency application is necessary to protect against an imminent threat to human health, a good faith effort will be made to supply written notification to those on the notification list.

To be included in a 24-hour notification, please contact the business office by phone; the number is 315-826-0205. 
 
A new request must be submitted each year.

Academic Intervention Services, now known as Response to Intervention (RtI) services, are available to students who need additional learning support.  To view Poland's current plan for the delivery of services, please click here.  

As a parent of a student in the Poland Central School District, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teacher who instructs your child. Federal law allows you to ask for certain information about your child's classroom teacher and requires the district to give you this information in a timely manner if you ask for it.

Specifically, you have the right to ask for the following information about each of your child's classroom teachers:

• Whether the NYS Education Department has licensed or qualified the teacher for the grades and subjects he or she teaches.

• Whether the NYS Education Department has decided that the teacher can teach in the classroom without being licensed or qualified under state regulation because of special circumstances.

• The college major and whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of the degree.

• Whether any paraprofessionals provide service to your child and, if they do, their qualifications.

If you would like to receive this information, please call the district office. The number is 315-826-0203.

Teacher Qualifications (Title 1)

COVID data for the Poland Central School District and all schools in NYS is noted on the NYS Department of Health website. Collection of this data ended in 2022.

Schools and Districts report daily summaries at the portal HERE.   During the current school year, NYS has developed this website to assist parents and districts: HERE

This page may be used to understand the district's current precautions and planning.

Facilities

Monitoring Health

Containment

Closure of School

Following an amendment in July 2024, New York State Education Law requires school districts to notify parents and guardians within one week of when a safety drill is being conducted.

As required by the Smart Schools Bond Act (SSBA) Implementation Guidance, the Poland Central School District must post a final Smart Schools Investment Plan on its website. This plan is designed for the district to participate in the Smart Schools Bond Act of 2014. The act authorized the state to finance $2 billion for educational technology and infrastructure to improve learning and opportunity for New York students. Poland's plan is available here. More information here.
 

Access to Student Information

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), parents and students who are over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) have the right to inspect and review the student’s educational records.  

Additionally, parents have the right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information in a student’s education record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. It is the district’s policy to disclose personally identifiable information from student records, without consent, to school district officials with legitimate educational interests (i.e., to fulfill professional responsibilities) and, upon request, to another school district or institution in which a student seeks enrollment. School officials include administrators, supervisors, instructors and support staff employed by the district; Board of Education members; a person or company (e.g., attorney, auditor or therapist) with whom the district has contracted to perform a special task; or a parent or student serving on an official committee or assisting another school official in performing duties. Parents who believe the district has not complied with FERPA requirements may file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC, 20202-4605.

To view a video that explains FERPA, click HERE.

District Policy

The district policy that addresses FERPA and student privacy is Poland CSD Policy #7500. To be redirected to this policy, please click here.

To see a list of exceptions for FERPA, visit  USDOE FERPA information .

The 2022-25 Technology Plan is currently in draft form and awaiting NYSED comment.