Complaints and Concerns

It is the policy of the Board of Education that complaints and concerns of parents and other members of the community are to be dealt with as efficiently as possible but in accordance with the procedure described below. Please follow this procedure so that the District can respond promptly and appropriately to your concerns.

 

Contact the concerned staff member who shall discuss it promptly with you and make every effort to provide a reasoned explanation or take appropriate action within his/her authority and District administrative guidelines. This step does not apply if the matter involves suspected child abuse, substance abuse, or any other serious allegation which may require investigation or inquiry by school officials prior to approaching the professional staff member. In such cases, follow Step Two.

 

If the matter involves suspected abuse or if it cannot be resolved satisfactorily with the staff member, contact the staff member's principal who shall make arrangements to discuss the matter with you but in compliance with any provisions of the negotiated agreement that may be applicable.

 

If you believe that your concern has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you may request a meeting with the Superintendent. Please include with your request the following:

A. a brief statement of the facts giving rise to your complaint

B. a description of how you, your child, or other students have been affected adversely

C. the action which you wish the District to take, together with the reasons that such an action should be taken

The Superintendent will then arrange to meet with you at a mutually convenient time.

 

Step Four (not needed if Step Three is with the Superintendent)

Should the matter still not be resolved to your satisfaction, or if it is one beyond the principal or supervisor's authority and requires involvement of the Superintendent, a meeting will be arranged as quickly as possible.

 

If the Superintendent is unable to satisfy your concerns, then you may request, in writing, a meeting with the Board. The Board, after reviewing all material relating to the case, shall grant a hearing before the Board or a committee of the Board. You shall be advised, in writing, of the Board's decision, no more than ten (10) business days following the hearing. The Board's decision shall be final.

Since administrators are considered members of the District's professional staff, the general procedure specified in "Matters Regarding a Professional Staff Member" shall apply. Step One would be to discuss the matter initially with the concerned administrator. If the complaint is about the Superintendent or Treasurer, you should contact him/her directly. Any involvement of the Board would be in accordance with Policy 9130.

In the case of a support staff member, the complaint is to be directed, initially, toward the person's supervisor, and the matter then brought as may be necessary to higher levels in the same manner as prescribed for "Matters Regarding a Professional Staff Member".

If your concern or complaint relates to a matter of District procedure or operation, it should be addressed, initially, to the person in charge of that operation. If you are not sure who that person is, please call the Superintendent's secretary at 616-254-6570.

If your concern or complaint relates to some aspect of the District's program, it should be addressed, initially, to the principal of the school in which the program functions, and then brought, in turn, to higher levels of authority in the manner prescribed in "Matters Regarding a Professional Staff Member."

If your concern or complaint relates to instructional materials such as textbooks, library books, reference works, and the like, please complete the form 9130 F2 - REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF MATERIALS OR COURSE CONTENT which is available at the school office or the central office. The completed form should be submitted to the principal who will respond to your request in accordance with the steps outlined in Board policy 9130, a copy of which is available upon request.