School District of South MilwaukeeStudent Non-Discrimination and Equal Educational Opportunities Policy & Complaint Procedures The School District of South Milwaukee prohibits all forms of unlawful discrimination against students and other persons in all aspects of the District's programs and operations. Accordingly, consistent with section 118.13 of the state statutes, no person shall unlawfully be discriminated against in any curricular, extracurricular, pupil service, recreational, or other program or activity because of the person's sex, sexual orientation, race, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, any physical, mental, emotional or learning disability, or any other legally-protected status or classification. The District likewise requires and enforces nondiscrimination in a manner consistent with the rights and obligations established under all applicable federal civil rights laws, including the current provisions of Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race, color, religion, sex, or national origin), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (sex), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (disability), the Americans with Disabilities Act (including Title II of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in state and local government services), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (age), and the civil rights provisions associated with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the District's participation in federal meal programs". The District's commitment to nondiscrimination and to responding appropriately to any report, allegation, or confirmed incident of unlawful discrimination against any student is further addressed in the School Board's policies, including but not limited to Board Policy 300 and Board Policy 411. These Board policies can be accessed online at https://www.sdsm.k12.wi.us/. As further required by the Board's policies and applicable law: The District provides legally-required accommodations and appropriate educational services or programs for students who have a qualifying disability, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. The District also provides for the reasonable accommodation of a student's sincerely held religious beliefs with regard to examinations and other academic requirements. As mandated by the current provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and under the regulations set forth in Part 106 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the District does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits all forms of unlawful sex discrimination in any education program or activity that the District operates. Title IX's requirement not to discriminate on the basis of sex in any education program or activity includes, but is not limited to, discrimination affecting students. A more comprehensive notice covering the application of Title IX to the District is available on the District's website at https://www.sdsm.k12.wi.us/. The District's Title IX notice identifies each of the District's designated Title IX Coordinators and includes additional information on how to report or file a complaint of sex discrimination, how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment under Title IX, and the manner in which the District will respond to such reports or complaints. Inquiries regarding how Title IX and the federal Title IX regulations apply to the District may be referred to a District Title IX Coordinator (as designated below), to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, or to both. The District shall provide children of homeless individuals and unaccompanied homeless youth, as identified under federal law, with equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including the provision of comparable services, as the District provides to other children and youth who reside in or otherwise attend school in the District. The Director of Pupil Services, who can be contacted at 414-766-5041, is the District's designated liaison for homeless children and youth. All District career and technical education opportunities are offered to students on a nondiscriminatory basis. Additional information regarding such program offerings and the applicable admission/participation criteria can be obtained on the District's website or by contacting any school's guidance office. Nondiscrimination Coordinator(s) – The following employee serves as the District's primary nondiscrimination coordinator for student matters: Jennifer Sielaff Director of Personnel, Administrative & Legal Services 901 15th Ave. South Milwaukee, WI 53172 jsielaff@sdsm.k12.wi.us (414) 766-5011 Carrie Stollenwerk Director of Pupil Services 901 15th Ave. South Milwaukee, WI 53172 cstollenwerk@sdsm.k12.wi.us (414) 766-5051 The student nondiscrimination coordinators identified above also serve as District-designated Title IX Coordinators and as District-designated ADA/Section 504 Coordinators. How to Report or Make a Complaint of Student Discrimination – Any person (including a person who is not claiming to have been personally harmed/ victimized by the alleged conduct or by a challenged policy) may report information about or, if eligible, a person may submit a complaint alleging any type of student discrimination that is prohibited pursuant to state or federal law (including any allegation of prohibited retaliation) to the District's student nondiscrimination coordinator, as identified with their contact information, above. Formal complaints alleging Title IX sexual harassment must be submitted in writing as further detailed in Board Policy 300 and will be processed using the District's designated Title IX grievance process for such complaints. Unless applicable laws require the use of other processes (e.g., for certain special education matters), any other reports or complaints of prohibited student discrimination (including prohibited retaliation) will normally be processed under the complaint procedures that the District has established under Board Policy 411. For a complete copy of such complaint procedures, refer to Board Policy 411 on the District's website at sdsm.k12.wi.us. Questions concerning this notice, the District's nondiscrimination policies, the application of student nondiscrimination laws to the District, or the District's complaint procedures may be directed to either of the nondiscrimination coordinators identified in this notice. By following all required procedures and timelines of the applicable non-District entity, complaints of unlawful student discrimination may also be filed externally with an appropriate state or federal court or state or federal agency. Such courts and agencies independently determine the extent to which any given complaint falls within their scope of authority. Student Records The School District of South Milwaukee maintains student records for each student attending school in the District. State and federal laws require that the maintenance of such records assure confidentiality. Accordingly, an adult student, or the parent(s) or guardian(s) of a minor student have the following rights in the District: (1) The right to inspect, review and obtain copies of the student's school records upon request in accordance with established District procedures. The District will respond to such requests without unnecessary delay and in no case more than 15 working days after the request is made. Copies of the District's student records procedures are available upon request at the South Milwaukee School District Office, 901 15th Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI 53712. Regular office hours are: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (2) The right to request the amendment of the student's school records if he/she believes the records are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy rights. Complaints or requests for amendments regarding the content of student records may be made in accordance with established District procedures. Copies of the District's procedures are availableupon request as outlined above. (3) The right to consent to the disclosure of information contained in the student's schoolrecords except to the extent that state and federal laws authorize disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials determined to have legitimate educational or safety interests in the records. A "school official" is a person employed by the District who is required by the Department of Public Instruction to hold a license; a person employed by or working on behalf of the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor or support staff member (including health or medical staff and police-school liaison personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the District has contracted to perform a specific task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant or therapist); the designated police-school liaison officer; or a parent or student serving on an official committee such as a disciplinary or grievance committee or assisting another school official in performing his/her tasks. A school official has a "legitimate educational or safety interest" if the official needs to review a student record in order to fulfill his/her professional or District responsibility. A second exception which permits disclosure without consent is to a law enforcement officer who is individually designated by the school board and assigned to the school district. The District shall transfer a student's records to another school or school district in which the student seeks to enroll or is enrolled without consent upon request in accordance with state law. District procedures outline the specific reasons for disclosure without consent and are available upon request as outlined above. (4) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education for alleged District noncompliance with federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5901. Further, the South Milwaukee School Board has designated the following student record information as directory data: student's name, date and place of birth, parent/guardian name, major field of study, school most recently/previously attended, dates of attendance, grade level, participation in activities and sports, weight and height if member of athletic team, student photograph, student degrees/awards. This information may be disclosed to any person or organization UNLESS the adult student, or parent, legal guardian or guardian ad litem of a minor student completes the Request to Withhold Directory Data form at the school in which said student attends of their desire that all or any part of the directory information may not be disclosed without his/her consent. The District will not release directory data earlier than two weeks (14 days) after the opening of school or receipt of this notice. Previous requests to withhold the disclosing of directory data will be honored unless a revised request is submitted. High School Parents and Students: Please note that the district is required to give students' names, addresses, email address, and phone numbers to military recruiters or an institution of higher education unless you inform us in writing that you do not want your information or your student's information provided to military recruiters or an institute of higher education. Please contact the high school office if you have any questions regarding this aspect. Child Find The School District of South Milwaukee endeavors to locate, identify, and evaluate all resident children with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. The school district has a special education screening program to locate and screen all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the district and who have not graduated from high school. Upon request the school district will screen any resident child who has not graduated high school to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate. A request may be made by contacting Carrie Stollenwerk, Director of Pupil Services, South Milwaukee School District at (414) 766-5041 or in writing at 901 Fifteenth Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI 53172. A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to report the child to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child's parent that the referral will be made. The referral must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Others who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child to the school district in which the child resides. A referral of a child residing in the School District of South Milwaukee may be sent to Pupil Services Office, 901 Fifteenth Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI 53172. WNAXLP October 8 2025 LWIX0380361