Student Handbook - Harford County Public Schools

D. All make-up work will be graded in accordance with the regular
classroom grading policy as long as it is completed within the
established meline.
E. It is the responsibility of the student and the parent/guardian to
iniate the request and obtain work from the teachers and return the
completed work within the allocated meframe.
F. Students permied to enroll in the Alternave Educaon Program as
a result of a long-term suspension do not have the opon to receive
make-up work from the home school.
ATTENDANCE AREAS
The aendance area for each public school in the county is designated
by the Board of Educaon. Students must aend the school in the area
in which they reside. The residence of the student is considered to be
the same as the residence of his/her parent, legally-appointed guardian,
or caretaker. If there are quesons concerning the boundaries of a
school’s aendance area, log on to the HCPS website (www.hcps.org) to
access the “School Locator”/Aendance Area Boundary maps or call the
school system’s Transportaon Office at 410-638-4092.
Boundary Excepons
The Board of Educaon recognizes that circumstances may arise
that cause parents or legal guardians to request permission for a
student to aend a school outside their home aendance area. The
superintendent of schools will develop and implement administrave
guidelines for evaluang boundary excepon and school transfer
requests. To apply for a boundary excepon, please contact your
child’s Pupil Personnel Worker (PPW).
The superintendent of schools shall submit the Administrave
Guidelines for Evaluang Boundary Excepon/School Transfer
Requests along with recommended changes to the Board of Educaon
for review on an annual basis. The review will occur each winter prior
to the March 1st applicaon period for the next school year.
Proof of Residency
When registering for enrollment into any Harford County Public
School, proof that they student is domiciled in Harford County with the
child’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) is required. Proof of residency must
be updated each me residency changes.
The following are the types of acceptable documentaon for proof of
residency:
• For homeowners – a current monthly ulity bill (cable, non-cellular
phone, or gas and electric) with service address indicated
• For renters - an original current lease (dated within 90 days of
registraon) along with a current monthly ulity bill (see above)
All documents must be originals, dated within three months of
registraon.
Examples of documents that are unacceptable as proof of residency:
• Driver’s License
• Property Tax Bill
• Water Bill
• Cell Phone Bill
Families who do not have a house or apartment of their own, but live
with a relave or friend, are required to submit a notarized Mul-
Family Affidavit as proof of residency for each year the student and
parent are in a shared housing/mul-family living arrangement. Review
of the mul-family/shared living arrangement will be conducted by
the Pupil Personnel Worker (PPW) in your aendance area. Special
documentaon must be on file.
CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT
Definions
1. Child - any person under the age of 18 years.
2. Child abuse - the physical or mental injury of a child by any parent
or other person who has permanent or temporary care or custody
or responsibility for supervision of a child, or by any household or
family member, under circumstances that indicate that the child’s
health or welfare is harmed or at substanal risk of being harmed;
or sexual abuse of a child, whether physical injuries are sustained
or not.
3. Neglect - leaving a child unaended or other failure to give proper
care and aenon to a child by any parent or other person who
has permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for
supervision of the child under circumstances that indicate: that the
child’s health or welfare is harmed or placed at substanal risk of
harm; or mental injury to the child or a substanal risk of mental
injury.
4. Sexual abuse - any act that involves sexual molestaon or
exploitaon of a child by a parent or other person who has
permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for
supervision of a child, or by any household or family member.
Sexual abuse includes: incest, rape, or sexual offense in any degree;
sodomy; and unnatural or perverted sexual pracces.
A. The Maryland child abuse and neglect laws mandate that any
person who believes or has reason to believe that a child may have
been abused or neglected must report such reasons both orally and
in wring to the Department of Social Services (DSS) or to a local law
enforcement agency within 48 hours.
B. Educators (teachers, school counselors, or other professional
employees of the school system), as well as volunteers working in
the schools, are required to report the incident to the principal of the
child’s school.
C. Individuals reporng in good faith are immune from any civil liability
or criminal penalty.
FACILITY INFORMATION
Use Of School Facilies
The Board of Educaon of Harford County encourages the use
of Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) facilies by the school
community in accordance with Secon 7-108 of the Educaon Arcle
of the Maryland Annotated Code and the HCPS Use of Public School
Facilies Procedure. Students and parents who are part of a schoolaffiliated
group may be allowed to use HCPS facilies for any curricular
or co-curricular program or acvity that is directly affiliated with the
programs of the school system and under the supervision of a parcular
school within HCPS. School-affiliated groups may be allowed to use
HCPS facilies to sponsor programs or acvies that are directly
affiliated with the school’s educaonal program and sponsored by the
Parent-Teacher-Student Associaon (PTSA), the Harford County Council
of PTSA, and officially recognized employee organizaons. Requests
for school-sponsored acvies must be submied and processed, and
once approved must be conducted, in accordance with Board policy
and the HCPS Use of Facilies Procedure. Local schools must document
the intended use by the school-affiliated group by compleng the Use
11