Uniform Complaint Procedures Community Relations                               AR 1312.3

Compliance Officers

 

The Pope Valley Governing Board designates the following compliance officer to receive and investigate complaints and ensure district compliance with law:

 

  District Superintendent    

  Pope Valley Union School District

  (707) 965-2402                  

           

The Superintendent investigating complaints may have access to legal counsel.

 

Notifications

 

The Superintendent or designee shall meet the notification requirements of 5 CCR 4622, including the annual dissemination of district complaint procedures and information about available appeals, civil law remedies and conditions under which a complaint may be taken directly to the California Department of Education.  The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that complainants understand that they may pursue other remedies, including actions before civil courts or other public agencies.

 

Parental Notifications

 

The above notification shall state that complainants may seek help from agencies such as the county office of education. 

 

Procedures

 

The following procedures shall be used to address all complaints that allege that the district has violated federal or state laws or regulations governing educational programs.  Compliance officers shall maintain a record of each complaint and subsequent related actions, including all information required for compliance with 5 CCR 4632.

 

All parties involved in allegations shall be notified when a complaint is filed, when a complaint meeting or hearing is scheduled and when a decision or ruling is made. 

 

 

                                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uniform Complaint Procedures Community Relations  (cont.) page 2   AR 1312.3

 

Step 1:  Filing of Complaint

 

Any individual, public agency or organization may file a written complaint of alleged noncompliance by the district.

 

Complaints alleging unlawful discrimination may be filed by a person who alleges that he/she personally suffered unlawful discrimination or by a person who believes that an individual, or any specific class of individuals has been subjected to unlawful discrimination.  The complaint must be initiated no later than six months from the date when the alleged discrimination occurred or when the complainant first obtained knowledge of the facts of the alleged discrimination.   (5 CCR 4630)

 

The complaint shall be presented to the compliance officer who shall maintain a log of complaints received, providing each with a code number and a date stamp.

 

If a complainant is unable to put a complaint in writing due to conditions such as illiteracy or other disabilities, district staff shall help him/her to file the complaint.  (5 CCR 4600)

 

Step 2:  Mediation

 

Within three days of receiving the complaint, the compliance officer may informally discuss with the complainant the possibility of using mediation.  If the complainant agrees to mediation, the compliance officer shall make all arrangements for this process.

 

Before initiating the mediation of a discrimination complaint, the compliance officer shall ensure that all parties agree to make the mediator a party to related confidential information.

 

If the mediation process does not resolve the problem within the parameters of law, the compliance officer shall proceed with his/her investigation of the complaint.

 

The use of mediation shall not extend the district's timelines for investigating and resolving the complaint unless the complainant agrees in writing to such an extension of time.

(5 CCR 4631)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uniform Complaint Procedures Community Relations  (cont.) page 3   AR 1312.3

 

Step 3:  Investigation of Complaint

 

The compliance officer shall hold an investigative meeting within five days of receiving the complaint or an unsuccessful attempt to mediate the complaint.  This meeting shall provide an opportunity for the complainant and/or his/her representative to repeat the complaint orally. 

 

The complainant and/or his/her representative and the district's representatives shall also have an opportunity to present information relevant to the complaint.  Parties to the dispute may discuss the complaint and question each other or each other's witnesses.

(5 CCR 4631)

 

Step 4:  Response

 

OPTION 1:  Within 60 days of receiving the complaint, the compliance officer shall prepare and send to the complainant a written report of the district's investigation and decision, as described in Step #5 below.  (5 CCR 4631)

 

OPTION 2:  Within 30 days of receiving the complaint, the compliance officer shall prepare and send to the complainant a written report of the district's investigation and decision, as described in Step #5 below.  If the complainant is dissatisfied with the compliance officer's decision, he/she may, within five days, file his/her complaint in writing with the Board.

 

The Board may consider the matter at its next regular Board meeting or at a special Board meeting convened in order to meet the 60-day time limit within which the complaint must be answered.  The Board may decide not to hear the complaint, in which case the compliance officer's decision is final. 

 

If the Board hears the complaint, the compliance officer shall send the Board's decision to the complainant within 60 days of the district's initially receiving the complaint or within the time period that has been specified in a written agreement with the complainant. 

(5 CCR 4631)

 

Step 5:  Final Written Decision

 

The report of the district's decision shall be written in English and in the language of the complainant whenever feasible or required by law.  If it is not feasible to write this report in the complainant's primary language, the district shall arrange a meeting at which a community member will interpret it for the complainant.

 

 

 

 

Uniform Complaint Procedures Community Relations  (cont.) page 4   AR 1312.3

 

This report shall include:

 

1.         The findings and disposition of the complaint, including corrective actions, if any

             (5 CCR 4631)

 

2.         The rationale for the above disposition  (5 CCR 4631)

 

Notice of the complainant's right to appeal the decision to the California Department of Education, and procedures to be followed for initiating such an appeal

     (5 CCR 4631)

 

4.         A detailed statement of all specific issues that were brought up during the investigation and the extent to which these issues were resolved

 

If an employee is disciplined as a result of the complaint, this report shall simply state that effective action was taken and that the employee was informed of district expectations.  The report shall not give any further information as to the nature of the disciplinary action.  

 

Appeals to the California Department of Education

 

If dissatisfied with the district's decision, the complainant may appeal in writing to the California Department of Education within 15 days of receiving the district's decision.  For good cause, the Superintendent of Public Instruction may grant an extension for filing appeals.  (5 CCR 4652)

 

When appealing to the California Department of Education, the complainant must specify the reason(s) for appealing the district's decision and must include a copy of the locally filed complaint and the district's decision.  (5 CCR 4652)

 

Adopted 1-21-2004