Annual Notifications

Mt. Lebanon School District is committed to creating and maintaining a website that is welcoming and accessible to parents/guardians, students, employees, and the community at large. It is our intent to post information to the website in accordance with both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.

If you have difficulty accessing our website due to a disability or other issue, please contact Brandi Smith at hello@mtlsd.net. Please provide the URL (web address) of the material you tried to access, the problem you experienced, and your contact information. Be sure to include your name, email address, and phone number so that we may contact you to provide the information in another format.
 

AEDY Programs were created to provide education to students in grades 6-12 who have been removed from the regular education setting for certain disciplinary reasons. These programs help students work on behavioral problems while, at the same time, keeping up with their school work.

Placements in AEDY Programs are temporary. Students may only stay in placement until they have met their behavioral goals, at which time they return to the regular education setting.

Resources for Families

• Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth (AEDY), Pennsylvania Department of Education
• AEDY Parent Guide, produced by the Pennsylvania Department of Education

 
Dr. Natasha Dirda
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2027
ndirda@mtlsd.net 
 

Filing an AEDY Complaint with the School District
The following is a process designed to address complaints and concerns regarding any aspect of Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth (AEDY) programs, including placement and exiting decisions, the quality of academic instruction, the provision or omission of language assistance services, and services to students with disabilities including reasonable modifications. This process is referred to as the “AEDY Complaint Process” throughout this document.

Individuals having complaints and concerns regarding AEDY are required to seek resolution via the relevant School District rather than elevating concerns to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in the first instance. The filing of a complaint via the AEDY Complaint Process does not limit any other rights or remedies under federal and state law. This means, for example, that a parent may still file a separate due process complaint concerning his or her child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) as provided pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

School districts will ensure that parents and students who are limited in (or have no) English proficiency (known as Limited English Proficiency or LEP) are provided translation and interpretation services to participate in the AEDY Complaint Process. If you need translation and interpretation services to access this document or the AEDY Complaint Process, please contact Dr. Natasha Dirda at 412-344-2027 or ndirda@mtlsd.net. 
 

Any individual or organization may submit a written complaint using the attached AEDY Complaint Form. The form must be completed and sent to the relevant School District. The complaint must include:

(1) the facts on which the statement is based;
(2) all relevant documents and supporting information;
(3) a proposed resolution to the problem to the extent known and available to the complainant at the time the complaint is filed; and
(4) the contact information for the complainant.

All relevant documents must be forwarded to the Mt. Lebanon School District at 

Dr. Natasha Dirda
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2027
ndirda@mtlsd.net

Failure to provide all of the information in the AEDY Complaint Form will not result in the complaint being dismissed. LEAs will work with complainants to ensure that the requested information is as complete as possible.

The staff member in charge of this process shall be impartial, and the School District will ensure that the staff member handling the investigation is not the subject of the complaint. The staff member in charge of this process may interview any individual who is said to have knowledge of the allegations. As part of the investigation, the Staff Member may require the AEDY Program and/or School District to respond to the allegations and may contact the complainant. The staff member may consider any relevant evidence as part of the investigation and outcome.

If the staff member concludes an investigation and makes a finding of compliance, the staff member will notify the complainant and the School District and take no further action. If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision, the Staff Member may provide the State AEDY Complaint Process information to the complainant. If the Staff Member concludes an investigation and makes a finding of non-compliance, the staff member will notify the complainant, the School District, as applicable, and direct corrective action to address the non-compliance.

The staff member will make a good-faith effort to perform the actions outlined above in accordance with the following timeline: (1) investigate within 30 days of a determination that an investigation is appropriate, and (2) determine compliance or noncompliance within 30 days of the conclusion of an investigation. Depending upon the nature of the allegations and the investigation, the staff member may take additional time for these steps and will notify the complainant if additional time is needed. Regardless of the aforementioned timelines, the Staff Member will expedite its investigation and corrective action for allegations involving the health, safety, and welfare of students or for other good cause shown.

The staff member will review the actions taken to address any noncompliance. If the staff member determines that the School District addressed the noncompliance, the matter will be closed. If the staff member determines that the School District failed to address the noncompliance, the Staff Member will report to a School District Administrator for appropriate enforcement action.

The staff member will acknowledge receipt of complaints. To determine the status of a complaint, please feel free to contact;

Dr. Natasha Dirda
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2027
ndirda@mtlsd.net

If the complainant disagrees with the School District’s conclusions, they may file a complaint with PDE.

Free/Reduced Priced Meals are available for eligible families. Family circumstances can change at any time; therefore, please know that applications can be completed anytime during the school year.

• Download and print the application: 2026 - 2027 Free and Reduced School Meal Application
• Families who qualify for free/reduced price lunch may also qualify for low-cost Internet service from Xfinity via the Internet Essentials program. 

Children may be determined “categorically eligible” for free meals through participation in certain Federal Assistance Programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or based on their status as a homeless, migrant, runaway, or foster child.
Children can also qualify for free or reduced-price school meals based on household income and family size. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the Federal poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals.
 

In 1986, Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). This required schools to be inspected to identify any asbestos‐containing building materials.

All buildings owned or used by the Mt. Lebanon School District were inspected and suspect materials were sampled to be tested and characterized according to condition and potential hazard.

The AHERA regulation requires that each building be re‐inspected every three (3) years for the purpose of re‐assessing the condition of the materials. The information is compiled into an AHERA Management Plan. A copy of the Management Plan is available at the the Facilities office.

In 2026, SE Technologies completed the state mandated three-year AHERA re-inspection of the Mt. Lebanon School District. A Pennsylvania-licensed asbestos management planner conducted the AHERA re-inspection and determined that nine school district buildings are asbestos free with exception of a pipe in the ceiling of Foster Elementary School Gymnasium and encased pipe fittings at the stadium field house and underneath the stadium bleachers.

It is the intention of the Mt. Lebanon School District to comply with all federal, state and local regulations and guidelines to maintain and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure students, parents and employees a healthy and safe environment in which to learn and work.

The AHERA Management Plan is available to be reviewed upon request.

Jeff Kaiser
Director of Facilities
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2113
jkaiser@mtlsd.net 
 

Notice of Special Education Services & Programs

• Each school district, along with other public agencies in the commonwealth, must establish and implement procedures to identify, locate and evaluate all children who need special education programs and services because of the child's disability. This notice is to help find these children, offer assistance to parents, and describes the parents’ rights with regard to confidentiality of information that will be obtained during this process. The content of this notice has been written in English but can be translated into other languages. If a person does not understand any of this notice, he or she should contact the school district (412-833-1600 ext. 2064) and request an explanation.

Identification Activities

• Mt. Lebanon School District provides free, appropriate public education to eligible students. To qualify as an eligible student, the child must be of school age, in need of specially designed instruction and meet the eligibility criteria for one or more of the following physical or mental disabilities, as set forth in the Pennsylvania State Regulations: Specific Learning Disability, Emotionally Disturbed, Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Blindness/Visual Impairment, Deaf-blindness, Deafness, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Neurological Impairment, Other Health Impairment and Speech and Language Impairment. Information regarding the appropriate developmental milestone descriptors for infants and toddlers may be found at the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov or The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) website at www.parentcenterhub.org.  
• Identification activities are performed to find a child who is suspected of having a disability that would interfere with his or her learning unless special education programs and services are made available. These activities are sometimes called screening activities. The activities include: review of group data, conducting hearing and vision screening, assessment of student's academic functioning, observation of the student displaying difficulty in behavior and determining the student's response to attempted remediation. Input from parents is also an information source for identification. After a child is identified as a child with a possible disability, he or she is evaluated, but not before parents give permission for their child to be evaluated.

Confidentiality

• The school district maintains records concerning children enrolled in the school district, including students with disabilities. All records are maintained in the strictest confidentiality. Your consent, or consent of an eligible child who has reached the age of majority under State law, must be obtained before personally identifiable information is released, except as permitted under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The age of majority in Pennsylvania is 21. Each participating agency must protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information at collection, storage, disclosure, and destruction states. One official at each participating agency must assume responsibility for ensuring the confidentiality of any personally identifiable information.

For additional information related to student records, the parent can refer to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

This notice is only a summary of the Special Education services, evaluation and screening activities, and rights and protections pertaining to children with disabilities, children thought to be disabled, and their parents. For more information or to request evaluation or screening of a public or private school child, contact:

Dr. Jennifer Shuman
Director of Special Education and Student Services
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2012
jshuman@mtlsd.net 

A parent may file a written complaint alleging that the rights described in this notice were not provided to:

Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education
Division of Compliance
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

The Department of Education will investigate the matter and issue a report of findings and necessary corrective action within 60 days. The Department will take necessary action to ensure compliance is achieved. Complaints alleging failures of the school district with regard to confidentiality of personally identifiable information may also be filed with:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-460

Services for Protected Handicapped Students – (504)

• Students who are not eligible to receive special education programs and services may qualify as protected handicapped students and, therefore, be protected by other federal and state laws intended to prevent discrimination. The school district must insure that protected handicapped students have an equal opportunity to participate in the school program and extracurricular activities to the maximum extent appropriate for the individual student. In compliance with state and federal law, the school district will provide to each protected handicapped student, without discrimination or cost to the student or family, those related aids, services or accommodations which are needed to provide equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the benefits of the school program and extracurricular activities, to the maximum extent appropriate to the student’s abilities. In order to qualify as a protected handicapped student, the child must be of school-age with a physical or mental disability which substantially limits or prohibits participation in, or access to, an aspect of the school program.

 
Early Intervention Identification

• In Pennsylvania, a child between 3 years of age and the school district’s age to begin school who has a developmental delay or one or more of the physical or mental conditions listed above is identified as an “eligible young child.” The parents of these children have the same rights described above. The Pennsylvania Department of Education is responsible for providing programs and services to eligible young children under Act 212 of 1990, the Early Intervention Services System Act. Screening for preschool children is available through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit #3. For more information, contact the Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Preschool Early Intervention “DART” Program at 412-394-5904.
  
  Susan Sams, Ph.D., Program Director
  Phone:  412-394-5816
  Email:  susan.sams@aiu3.net 

 
Educating Students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and English Language Learners (ELL)

• The education of students whose dominant language is not English is the responsibility of every school district/charter school in Pennsylvania. English language learners must be enrolled upon presentation of a local address and proof of immunization. The school district/charter school must administer a home language survey (HLS) to all students as required by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The results of that survey must be retained in the student’s permanent folder. For those students whose primary language is other than English (PHLOTE), the district must also determine the student’s English language proficiency. Then, if appropriate, ESL instruction will be provided for the limited English proficient student with local/state funds.
• The Mt. Lebanon School District will provide ongoing screening services. If you wish to learn more, have questions, or believe your child may need to be identified, please contact:

Dr. Jennifer Shuman
Director of Special Education and Student Services
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2012
jshuman@mtlsd.net

Services to Students Who Are Mentally Gifted

• In compliance with state law, the Mt. Lebanon School District provides services designed to meet the unique needs of gifted students. The Mt. Lebanon School District identifies “gifted” students on a case-by-case basis based on state law and District procedures. Such students may possess superior IQ scores and meet multiple criteria indicating gifted ability. Gifted ability is not determined by IQ score alone. Additional criteria include but are not limited to indicators of classroom performance and grades, standardized test scores, and teacher ratings. If your child is suspected to be in need of such services, you will be notified of the evaluation procedures. If you believe your school-age child may qualify for gifted education services, you may contact in writing your child’s principal or Dr. Jennifer Shuman, Director of Special Education and Student Services, at any time to request a determination of eligibility. An evaluation is conducted with parent permission. Please note that entitlement to gifted services includes only those rights provided by Pennsylvania law.

Dr. Jennifer Shuman
Director of Special Education and Student Services
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2012
jshuman@mtlsd.net
 

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covers uninsured kids up to age 19 in Pennsylvania. It doesn’t matter why your kids don’t have health coverage right now; CHIP may be able to help. Most kids receive CHIP for free. Others can get the same benefits at a low cost.

CHIP is brought to you by leading health insurance companies that offer quality, comprehensive coverage.

There is no limit on income. If your income is below CHIP guidelines, your child may be enrolled in Medical Assistance.

Apply/renew at CHIPcoversPAkids.com or call 800-986-KIDS. 

Chip Covers

• Routine check-ups
• Prescriptions
• Hospitalization
• Dental
• Eye Care
• Eyeglasses
• Behavioral care
• Specialty care
• And More

Chip Website

All information gathered about your child is subject to the confidentiality Provisions contained in federal and state law. The District has policies and procedures in effect governing the collection, maintenance, destruction, and disclosure to third parties of this information. For information about these policies and procedures as well as rights of confidentiality and access to education records, you may contact in writing your child’s Building Principal or the Director of Pupil Services.

In accordance with 34 CFR § 300.624, please be advised of the following retention/destruction schedule for the Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA), Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), and Keystone Exam-related materials:

PSSA, Keystone Exam, and PASA test booklets will be destroyed one year after student reports are delivered for the administration associated with the test booklets. 
 
PSSA and Keystone Exam answer booklets and PASA media recordings will be destroyed three years after completion of the assessment. 

Dr. Jennifer Shuman
Director of Special Education and Student Services
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2012
jshuman@mtlsd.net 
 

Effective July 1, 2012, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 82 of 2012, which requires schools to disclose the Interscholastic Athletic Opportunities Disclosure Form athletic opportunities for students in grades 7-12. School entities must collect this data for each school year, beginning in the 2012-13 school year. This includes public schools, joint schools, area vocational-technical schools, and all public schools having student athletes in grades 7-12th. Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, all non-school (booster clubs, alumni, and other non-school) contributions and purchases will be collected for each PIAA sports team.

Information for all Pennsylvania public schools is available from the Pennsylvania Department of Education's website: Disclosure of Interscholastic Athletic Opportunity
 

All reports can be found here.  

The Pennsylvania Department of Education recognizes that students – and the schools that serve them – are more than just standardized test scores. Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education website, July 2025

Launched in November 2018, the Future Ready PA Index is the result of discussions with thousands of educators, parents, advocates, policymakers, and business leaders across Pennsylvania about how communities should evaluate schools.
The tool moves beyond a single, summative score to increase transparency around school and student group performance – it features a dashboard approach to present data and information. The Future Ready PA Index illustrates student and school success via three color-coded categories: academic performance, student progress, and college and career readiness, providing the public with a more comprehensive look at how Pennsylvania's schools are educating students. 

Visit the Future Ready PA Index

Starting in 2019, PDE reports additional state, local education agency (LEA), school, and student group-level data via the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Report Card. The ESSA State Report Card is accessible via the Future Ready PA Index and is updated as new data elements become available.

PDE's ESSA Report Card is designed to provide education leaders and all stakeholders with additional data on student outcomes and equity considerations.  

Visit the PDE ESSA Dashboard

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records.  These rights are:

The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day the School Principal or Student Services receives a request for access.

Parents or eligible students who wish to inspect their child’s or their education records should submit to the School Principal or the Student Services a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect.  The School Principal or designee will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
 
The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

Parents or eligible students who want to amend their child’s or their education record should write the School Principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed and specify why it should be changed.  If the School decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, Student Services will notify the parent or eligible student of the School’s decision and of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.
 
The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without con­sent.

One authorized disclosure that does not require prior consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official typically includes a person employed by the school district (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or a person serving on the school board.  School officials may also include the following: a volunteer,  contractor, or consultant who performs an institutional service or function, such as an attorney, audi­tor, medical consultant, or therapist; instructional technology or student data system vendors; a parent or student volunteering to serve on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.  A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educa­tion record in order to fulfill his or her professional or educational responsibility.
 
The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the [School] 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

The School District may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you notify Student Support Services in writing prior to September 15 of each school year. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the School to include information from your child’s education records in certain school publications.  Examples include:

• A playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama production;
• The annual yearbook;
• Honor roll or other recognition lists;
• Graduation programs; and
• Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.
• Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, the local police department, PTO/PTSO/PTA organizations, booster groups, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, state and federal law requires the School District to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information – names, addresses and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the School that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent. 

If you do not want the School District to disclose information designated as directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify your school's secretary in writing by September 15. 

The School District has designated the following information as directory information:

• Student's name
• Address
• Telephone listing
• Electronic mail address
• Photograph
• Date and place of birth
• Grade level
• Enrollment Status
• Dates of attendance
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• The most recent educational agency or institution attended
   

The Mt. Lebanon School District uses an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach for managing insects, rodents and weeds. Our goal is to protect every student from pesticide exposure by using an IPM approach to pest management. Our IPM approach focuses on food and water sources and eliminating their hiding and breeding places. We accomplish this through routine cleaning and maintenance. We routinely monitor the school building and grounds to detect any pests that are present. Once pest sightings are reported the situation is evaluated to determine the appropriate pest management techniques to address the problem. The techniques can include increased sanitation, modifying storage practices, sealing entry points, physically removing the pest, etc.

From time to time, it may be necessary to use chemicals to manage a pest problem. Chemicals will only be used when necessary and will not be routinely applied. When chemicals are used, the school will try to use the least toxic products when possible. Applications will be made only when authorized persons do not have access to the area(s) being treated. Notices will be posted in these areas 72 hours prior to applications and for two days following application.

Parents or guardians of students enrolled in the school may request prior notification of specific pesticide applications made at the school. To receive notification, please complete the Integrated Pest Management Notification Registration Form. Notifications will be sent electronically to the email address you provide for the selected school(s).

Exemptions to this notification include disinfectants and antimicrobial products; self-containerized baits placed in areas not accessible to students and gel type baits placed in cracks, crevices or voids; and swimming pool maintenance chemicals.

Each school year, the district prepares a new notification registry. Parents/guardians who wish to receive notification should complete a new Pest Management Notification Registration Form at the start of each new school year. 

If you have any questions, please contact:

Jeff Kaiser
Director of Facilities
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2113
jkaiser@mtlsd.net 
 

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act program is designed to address situations that students in housing transitions have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. Homeless children and youth should have access to the education and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same student academic achievement standards in Pennsylvania to which all students are held.

According to the Basic Education Circular for Education for Homeless Youth, categories of children who are "homeless" and entitled to the protections of the federal law. These categories include:

• children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals;
• children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
• children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings;
• “migratory children” who qualify as homeless under federal law because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii) above. The term "migratory children" means children who are (or whose parent(s) or spouse(s) are) migratory agricultural workers, including migratory dairy workers or migratory fishermen, and who have moved from one school district to another in the preceding 36 months, in order to obtain (or accompany such parents or spouses in order to obtain) temporary or seasonal employment in agricultural or fishing work; and,
• "Unaccompanied homeless youth" including any child who is "not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian." This includes youth who have run away from home, been thrown out of their home, been abandoned by parents or guardians, or separated from their parents for any other reason.

Districts are required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance or success in school of homeless children and youth. The District is also able to refer you to community agencies and organizations that support the needs of families experiencing homelessness.

 If you need assistance or more information, please contact: 

Joseph Sciullo, Ph.D.
Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education
412-344-2027
jsciullo@mtlsd.net 
 

References

• Education for Homeless Youth / McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
• Pennsylvania's Education for Children Experiencing Homelessness Program 

Additional Resources

• Finding Your Way in PA App 
• PA 211
• PA Navigate

The Mt. Lebanon School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Dr. Natasha Dirda
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2027
ndirda@mtlsd.net 
 

As required by the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) [Section 1112(e)(1)(A)] and the Every Student Succeeds Act [Section 1112(e)(1)(A)], parents have a right to request professional qualifications of their children’s teachers. This letter is to inform you of your right to ask for the following information about your children’s classroom teachers or paraprofessionals.

Whether Pennsylvania has licensed the teacher for the grades and subjects he or she teaches. 
 
Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which Pennsylvania licensing criteria have been waived. 
 
The teacher’s baccalaureate degree major and whether the teacher has any advanced degrees, and if so, the subject of the degrees.
 
If you would like to receive specific information about your children’s teachers or paraprofessionals, please contact your school principal.

The Mt. Lebanon School District is committed to the safety and security of its students, including their online activities and interactions. Students regularly receive age and developmentally appropriate instruction regarding responsible online behavior including interacting via social networks and in chat rooms, cyber-bullying and protecting against the disclosure of personal information.

There are a number of excellent online educational resources that benefit students, many of which provide unique learning experiences. Notably, interactive online tools such as blogs, wikis, and other websites provide some of the most compelling educational tools for today’s students. While allowing access to these interactive online educational resources, we must also safeguard students’ privacy and personal information.

To review a list of interactive websites and applications that have been approved for use by the Mt. Lebanon School District, visit the links below:

Online Resources – Privacy Links

Within the Online Resource – Privacy Links page, a link to each website’s privacy policy, which describes how that site collects and/or uses student data, is provided. Parents are encouraged to visit each website and review the privacy policy regarding student data usage.

In addition, the following online services, including but not limited to, are recognized as official systems of the District: Apple Classroom; ArbiterSports; AssetTiger; Atlas; Backupify; BoxCast; Brightly; CableCast by Lerro; Carousel by Lerro; ClassLink; Comply; Constant Contact; Destiny Library Manager by Follett; Finalsite; Fortinet Security Fabric, including FortiGate and FortiAnalyzer; Frontline Education; Gaggle; Google Workspace for Education; GoGuardian; Health eTools for Schools; IEPWriter; Jamf Pro; JobRouter; Kaseya VSA; Keystone Agenda by PSBA; Malwarebytes; Naviance; PA-ETEP; PaperCut; PayForIt.net; PowerSchool; ProSoft by Harris School Solutions; Safe2Say Something; SchoolMessenger; Schoology; SmartDeploy by PDQ; Veeam Backup & Replication; VisitorSafe by Raptor Technologies; VolunteerSafe by Raptor Technologies; and VMware.

If you have any issues, concerns and/or questions regarding the privacy policy for any of these websites and/or applications, please email: cstengel@mtlsd.net.
 

Notification of Rights Under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment 
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment affords parents and students who are 18 or emancipated minors (“eligible students”) certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. These include the right to:
 
Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected area (“protected information survey”) if the survey is:

• Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parents
• Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family
• Sexual behavior or attitudes
• Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior
• Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships
• Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers
• Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents, or income, other then as required by law to determine program eligibility.
• Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of:
• Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding
• Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under state law; and
• Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or to otherwise distribute the information to others. 
• Inspect, upon request and before administration or use:
• Protected information surveys of students 
• Instruments used to collect personal information from students of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and
• Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum

The District will develop and adopt policies, in consultation with parents, regarding these rights, as well as arrangements to protect student privacy in the administration of protected surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes. The District will notify parents and eligible students of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes. The District will also directly notify parents and eligible students, such as through the U.S. mail or email, at least annually at the start of each school year of the specific or approximate date of the following activities and provide an opportunity to opt a student out of participating in:

Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales or other distribution

Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or in part by ED
Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described above.
Parents/eligible students who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
 

The Mt. Lebanon School District complies with all Threat Assessment Team requirements under Act 55 of 2022. All school buildings within the Mt. Lebanon School District have threat assessment teams composed of, but not limited to, the following District employees: principal, school counselors, school psychologist, school police officer, and additional members, as needed. Building-level teams report to the District-level team, which includes District Central Office administrators and Student Support Services staff. All team members have received training on the process of identifying, reporting, assessing, responding to and intervening with threats by utilizing the threat assessment process and protocols.

The School Safety and Security Coordinator has been identified as the Superintendent. The Coordinator and Director of Special Education and Student Services oversee the training, development, and implementation of Threat Assessment and School Safety programming. Annually, staff is provided with information on how to report a threat, report student at-risk behavior, and how to conduct safety and security drills. Student information reviewed and maintained by the Threat Assessment Teams is confidential.
 

Mt. Lebanon School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex and further prohibits discrimination in all education programs and activities operated by the District, including in its admission and employment practices as required by Title IX. 

Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations may be made to a District Title IX Coordinator, or the Office of Civil Rights, or both.

The Title IX Coordinator is:
Dr. Natasha Dirda
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2027
ndirda@mtlsd.net 

A copy of the Nondiscrimination Policy and Grievance Procedures may be found on the District’s Publicly Accessible Website.  

Any information regarding conduct that may constitute sex discrimination under Title IX, as well as complaints of sex discrimination under Title IX, may be reported to Dr. Natasha Dirda via the contact information provided above. 

Related Policies
The MTLSD School Board Policy Manual is available online. Title IX-related policies include:

• 103 - Discrimination/Title IX Sexual Harassment Affecting Students
• 104 - Discrimination Title IX Sexual Harassment Affecting Staff
   

Type 1 diabetes in children is an autoimmune disease that can be fatal if untreated, and the guidance provided here is intended to raise awareness about this disease.

Description: Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children and young adults, but can occur at any age

• Type 1 diabetes can appear at any age, but it generally appears at two noticeable peaks. The first peak occurs in children between 4 and 7 years old. The second is in children between 10 and 14 years old (Mayo Clinic).
• Type 1 diabetes affects insulin production

Normally the body turns the carbohydrates in food into glucose (blood sugar), the basic fuel for the body’s cells. The pancreas makes insulin, a hormone that moves glucose from the blood into the cells. In type 1 diabetes, the body’s pancreas stops making insulin, and blood glucose levels rise. Over time, glucose can reach dangerously high levels in the blood, which is called hyperglycemia. Untreated hyperglycemia can result in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is a life-threatening complication of diabetes.

Risk Factors Associated with Type 1 Diabetes

• It is recommended that children displaying warning signs and symptoms associated with type 1 diabetes described below, should be screened (tested) for the disease by their health care provider.

Risk Factors
Researchers do not completely understand why some people develop type 1 diabetes and others do not. However, having a family history of type 1 diabetes can increase the likelihood of developing type 1 diabetes. Other factors might play a role in developing type 1 diabetes, including environmental triggers such as viruses. Type 1 diabetes is not caused by diet or lifestyle choices.

Warning Signs and Symptoms Associated with Type 1 Diabetes and Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• Warning signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children develop quickly, in a few weeks or months, and can be severe. If your child displays the warning signs below, contact your child’s primary health care provider or pediatrician for a consultation to determine if screening your child for type 1 diabetes is appropriate:
  • Increased thirst
  • Increased urination, including bed-wetting after toilet training
  • Increased hunger, even after eating
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Feeling very tired
  • Blurred vision
  • Very dry skin
  • Slow healing of sores or cuts
  • Moodiness, restlessness, irritability, or behavior changes

DKA is a complication of untreated type 1 diabetes. DKA is a medical emergency. Symptoms include:

• Fruity breath
• Dry/flushed skin
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach pains
• Trouble breathing
• Confusion
• Type 1 Diabetes Treatments

There are no known ways to prevent type 1 diabetes. Once type 1 diabetes develops, medication is the only treatment. If your child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, their health care provider will be able to help develop a treatment plan. Your child’s health care provider may refer your child to an endocrinologist, a doctor specializing in the endocrine system and its disorders, such as diabetes.

Contact your child’s school nurse, school administrator, or health care provider if you have questions.

References

• Centers For Disease Control and Prevention: About Type 1 Diabetes
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: Type 1 Diabetes
• Mayo Clinic
• Medline Plus: National Library of Medicine; Type 1 Diabetes
   

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form. Instructions and forms are available online from the USDA: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/complaint-resolution, as well as from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (Form AD-3027) or letter must be submitted to USDA by mail, fax or email.

mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

fax:  (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442

email:  Program.Intake@usda.gov

• Procedure for Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Civil Rights Complaints, Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Food and Nutrition
• USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form
• Download/print the "And Justice for All" poster from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.