Public Notices

The MRH Lau Plan is an equal access plan that protects ELs (English learners). The plan describes what the school district will do:

• to identify its ELs
• to design an effective program reflective of their needs
• to employ appropriate English-as-a-second-language or bilingual personnel (or both),
• to align the instruction of ELs to state and local content standards
• to provide ongoing authentic assessments to ascertain their growth in English language proficiency and in the comprehension of academic content.

Essential components of a Lau plan include the legal foundation, student assessments, an instructional plan, parental involvement, qualified personnel, a coordination plan, a budget, adjunct services, and other possible considerations.

OCR Lau Plan - Developing Programs For ELs

The Maplewood Richmond Heights School District provides an appropriate planned instructional program for identified students whose first language is not English. The overarching goal of the English Language Learner (ELL) Program is to provide English Learners (ELs) with instructional support that will enable them to participate fully in their educational experience in our schools, in their social lives, and in our community. The Missouri Migrant Education Program assists school districts in improving the education of farm workers’ children who have had their schooling interrupted. Federal legislation emphasizes helping migratory children meet the same high standards expected of all students. This is accomplished by coordinating and supporting services that help migratory children make progress in school.

This complaint resolution procedure applies to all programs administered by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education under the Every Student Succeed Act of 2015 (ESSA). A complaint is a formal allegation that a specific federal or state law or regulation has been violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted by school district personnel or by Department of Education personnel.

Any parent or guardian, surrogate parent, teacher, administrator, school board member, or another person directly involved with an activity, program, or project operated under the general supervision of the Department may file a complaint. Such a complaint must be in writing and signed; it will provide specific details of the situation and indicate the law or regulation that is allegedly being violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted.

The written, signed complaint must be filed and the resolution pursued in accordance with MRH District Policy KL. Complaints are best resolved by addressing them at the level where the concern originated through communication with appropriate staff members. A complaint may be appealed by addressing the issue to the Board of Education by submitting a request to the superintendent or the secretary of the Board. If the issue cannot be resolved at the local level, the complainant may file a complaint with the Missouri Department of Education. If there is no evidence that the parties have attempted in good faith to resolve the complaint at the local level, the Department may require the parties to do so and may provide technical assistance to facilitate such resolution.

Any persons directly affected by the actions of the Department may file a similarly written complaint if they believe state or federal laws or regulations have been violated, misapplied, or misinterpreted by the Department itself.

Anyone wishing more information about this procedure or how complaints are resolved may contact local district or Department personnel.  

These procedures can also be found here:

https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/essa-complaint-procedures

Parents of each student attending a school receiving Title I funds may request information regarding the professional qualifications of the student's classroom teacher. If a parent would like such information, a written request must be submitted to the building principal where the teacher is assigned. MRH schools that receive Title I funds are MRH Early Childhood Center and MRH Elementary School.

All responsible public agencies are required to locate, evaluate, and identify children with disabilities who are under the jurisdiction of the agency, regardless of the severity of the disability, including children attending private schools, highly mobile children, such as migrant and homeless children, and children who are suspected of having a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade. The Special School District of St. Louis County in partnership with the Component Districts assures that a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) is provided to all students with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 under its jurisdiction. Disabilities include autism; deaf/blindness; emotional disorders; hearing impairment and deafness; mental retardation; multiple disabilities; orthopedic impairment; other health impairments; specific learning disabilities; speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury; visual impairment/blindness; and young child with a developmental delay as identified in accordance with 162.675 (2) (3) RSMo and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The Special School District in partnership with the Component Districts assures that it will provide information and referral services necessary to assist the State in the implementation of early intervention services for infants and toddlers eligible for Missouri’s First Steps Program.

The Special School District in partnership with the Component Districts assures that personally identifiable information collected, used, or maintained by the agency for the purposes of identification, evaluation, placement, or provision of FAPE of children with disabilities may be inspected and/or reviewed by their parents/guardians. Parents/guardians may request an amendment to the educational record if the parent/guardian believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of their child. Parents have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning alleged failures by the District to meet the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The Special School District of St. Louis County has developed a Local Compliance Plan for implementation of State Regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This Plan contains the agency’s policies and procedures regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention and destruction of personally identifiable information, and the agency’s assurances that services are provided in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA). This Plan is available for public review during regular school hours on days school is in session in the Office of the Superintendent of Schools.

Local school districts in the State of Missouri are required to conduct an annual census of all children with disabilities or suspected disabilities from birth to age twenty-one (21) who reside in the District. This census must be compiled by December 1 each year. This information is treated as confidential and must include: name of the child; parent/legal guardian’s name/address; birth date and age of the child; the child’s disability; and the services provided to the child. If you have a child with a disability or know of a child with a disability who is not attending public school, please contact your local school district or the Special School District of St. Louis County.

MRH Title IX Investigator Training Presentation

MRH District Title I Plan

MRH District Title II Plan

MRH District Title IV Plan

MRH District Parent & Family Engagement Policy

The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth.

If your family lives

• in a shelter
• in a motel or campground due to the lack of an alternative adequate accommodation
• in a car, park, abandoned building, or bus or train station
• doubled-up with other people due to loss of housing or economic hardship your child might be able to receive help through a federal law called the McKinney-Vento Act.

Your McKinney-Vento eligible children have the right to

• receive a free, appropriate public education.
• enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents
• normally required for enrollment.
• enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents.
• enroll in the local school; or continue attending the school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that school is determined to be in your child's educational best interest.
• receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this.
• receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children's needs.

McKinney-Vento Parent Information

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a federal law that, among other things, outlines the enrollment and educational stability rights for children and youth in foster care.

• A child in foster care remains in his or her school of origin unless it is determined that remaining in the school of origin is not in that child's best interest.
• If it is not in the child's best interest to stay in his or her school of origin, the child is immediately enrolled in the new school even if the child is unable to produce records normally required for enrollment.
• That the new enrolling school immediately contacts the school of origin to obtain relevant academic or other records.

Please contact our Director of Student Services, Vince Estrada, if you have any questions about services to support the educational stability and rights of students in foster care. He can be reached at 314-565-7441 OR vince.estrada@mrhschools.net

A guidance document by MSBA's Legal Department is intended to help inform school districts about legal requirements related to school district online content and mobile application content.

This brief summary contains information that Missouri school districts should make available to the public on their official school district website and are required to be posted under MSBA Model Policy.

School districts should also be aware of recently updated regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specifically, the Department of Justice recently released a rule that mandates that online information and information contained on mobile apps posted by government entities such as school districts must meet a certain technical standard for accessibility.

The rule became effective June 24, 2024. Learn more in the guidance document.

Families of the MRH Community,

Efforts to eliminate lead in school drinking water received a huge boost in August when the State of Missouri approved $27 million dollars for schools to test and remediate water sources in schools.  

The new law, which went into effect Aug. 28, 2022 requires schools to test their drinking water and follow recommendations to remediate water sources that test 5 parts per billion or greater. This is more stringent than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which states that remediation should begin at 15 parts per billion or greater. 

MRH began discussions in June, prior to the law going into effect to have all our water sources tested.  The information below is an update regarding the recent water quality testing conducted in our school district. While our experts have been very pleased with the low percentage of contaminated sources, MRH strives for a count of zero.  We understand the significance of ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, and I want to assure you that we are taking immediate and proactive measures to address any concerns.

Highlights of Water Quality Testing Results:

Early Childhood Center:

There were zero reported concerns of lead in the water at our Early Childhood Center. 

Elementary School:

There was one reported incident of over 5 parts per billion in a faucet that is not regularly used and not considered a drinking source.  This replacement has already been ordered and will be installed immediately. The water to this faucet has been shut off and will remain so until successful remediation and testing is performed.

Middle School/ High School:

Our vendor identified 10 incidents out of 145 water sources with levels of over 5 parts per billion of lead. While this is well below the average reported by other schools, we recognize the importance of addressing this promptly. Of these 10, six were handwashing sinks that will be replaced, three were in a kitchen area that had not been used but will still be replaced, and one was in a classroom that was not used for drinking water. The water to these sources has been shut off and will remain so until successful remediation and testing is performed. 

Concerns and Remediation Efforts:

Construction Impact:

• Due to ongoing construction, several sources were not accessible for testing. Before these sources are used, they will be thoroughly tested to ensure they meet safety standards.

Incidents and Remediation:

• While we could simply add mandated signage indicating non-potable water on the sinks that have been tested, we believe in taking proactive measures. All affected hand washing sinks have already been marked as non-potable, and fixtures are ordered for replacement based on the recommendations of water testing professionals.

Timely Response:

We received the test results on Tuesday and promptly convened a meeting with our plumbing vendor within 24 hours to target and address deficiencies. 

Next Steps:

We are actively working on targeted remediation to ensure that all water sources within our schools meet or exceed safety standards. We will provide updates as we progress, and your feedback and questions are welcome.  Once all remediation is complete, the 11 sources across the district will be retested.  

The safety and well-being of our students remain our top priority. We appreciate your cooperation as we work to resolve these issues. If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact Dr. Michael Dittrich at michael.dittrich@mrhschools.net.

Thank you for your continued support.

Pursuant to Missouri Senate Bill 638, Section 161.1050, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has established the “Trauma-Informed Schools Initiative.”

Learn more on the DESE website.