General School Policies and Procedures

Academic Progress

Course grades are updated regularly on a student’s dashboard for labs, projects, internships and other requirements. Please see the dashboard to view academic progress for your student. Please log in to Family Access to view attendance. For questions on logging in to the dashboard or Family Access, please ask school’s Principal Assistant.

Assembly Behavior

Assemblies are an integral part of the school curriculum and have an educational value, therefore, attendance at assemblies is required. Students are expected to behave in a way that shows respect for those speaking or performing and those in attendance. Students who misbehave at assemblies may be removed from the assembly by an administrator and subject to discipline.

Cell Phone & Personal Electronics Use

Cell phones and other personal electronic or “smart” devices (including headphones and Air Pods) will need to be silenced and stowed in backpacks/or placed in a teacher designated location at the beginning of each class period and remain stowed until the end of class period (bell to bell). This policy will also extend to hallways and common areas while class is in session. Students will be allowed access to their phones during non-instructional times (before/after school, during passing periods, and during their designated lunch time).

Check Acceptance Policy

The District has established the following protocol for accepting checks and collecting bad checks:

• For a check to be an acceptable form of payment, it must include the current, full, accurate name, address and telephone number.
• If a check is returned for non-payment, the associated fee/fine payment will be re-assessed.

Computer/Technology Use

The District encourages information dissemination, collaboration, innovation, and experimentation through the ethical use of technology. The District requires its staff and students to adhere strictly to District Regulations and laws governing technological hardware and software. In cases involving any activity prohibited by District Regulation and/or law, rights accorded to persons by the District, such as privacy, do not protect an individual from discipline and/or prosecution. Complete copies of Regulations 2022 and 5253 may be obtained at any school or on the district website.

Computers are to be used for academic purposes only. No games, audio files, video files, or other applications may be downloaded or installed without permission of the site administrator or designee. Every student using a District computer must have a parent/guardian/caretaker sign a Responsible Use Agreement. This form acknowledges the right of the District to review material stored on its network, as well as the wide range of information accessible through public networks. The Issaquah School District does use monitoring software when students are using a district device (on and off campus), a student email address, and when using district provided programs like OneDrive, Office 365, etc. This means students and parent/guardian/caretakers  will be contacted if a student uses any language that references illegal, violent, sexual or self-harm language while using a district device, email or program. The Responsible Use Agreement also releases the District from liability for any damages due to information gained or obtained through the District network, including access to public networks.

Counseling Center

Students will be assigned to a specific school counselor according to last name. The Counseling Center is open from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily (8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Wednesdays). Arrangements to see a counselor may be made by emailing or calling the counselor.

Counseling Center services include:

• Academic planning
• Maintenance of academic records
• Classroom presentations
• Individual and group post-high school planning, career counseling and guidance
• Consultations with teachers/parent/guardian/caretakers to assist in discussions of learning and performance challenges and working to resolve academic problems
• Coordination and provision of information for drug/alcohol intervention and assessments
• Consultation on personal issues for students
• Parent/guardian/caretaker and student interventions for academic concerns
• Consultation and referral to Child Protective Services, law enforcement and referrals to community agencies

Please visit the Counseling Center website to access the following:

• Post high school planning options
• College application procedures
• Information on all in and outside credit completion options
• Checklists for students that are bound for community college, technical college, 4-year college, apprenticeships and military
• Comprehensive course requirement planning guides and instructions
• A complete course description guide
• Scheduling forms for all grade levels
• Graduation requirements 
• Course offerings by department

Dance Regulation

Gibson Ek occasionally hosts dances, but Gibson Ek students may also attend dances at their home high school. Students must purchase tickets in advance in the Gibson Ek or high school office and must complete a dance authorization form to attend at their home high school.

To attend any dance, everyone must have a picture ID. A current school ID, passport, or driver’s license will be the only forms of picture ID accepted.

Students who bring a guest to a school dance must have the appropriate dance pass completed, signed and returned to the ASB bookkeeper no later than two days before. Dance passes are available in the main office or at the ticket sales table. Students may not bring a guest that is 21 or older or in middle school. If a student guest is asked to leave a dance, both parties will be required to leave. Parent/guardian/caretaker will be called to come and pick the student up if necessary.

Students may not engage in any type of inappropriate dancing. Examples of this include, but are not limited to:

• Inappropriate touching, fondling, excessive displays of affection
• Removal of shirts, pants or necessary articles of clothing
• Dancing on another’s lap
• Lifting another person’s leg(s) off the ground
• Violent, “mosh pit” style dancing

Dance Chaperones are authorized to ask students to stop if students are found to be dancing inappropriately.

Any student or guest dressed inappropriately will be asked to change or be removed from the dance. No refund will be given. For appropriate dress description, see Student Dress Code.

Distribution of Printed Materials on School Grounds

Students distributing printed materials through activities or athletics need to work with their coach or advisor regarding distribution of printer materials. In respect for the rights and beliefs of all of our students, for materials outside of activities or athletics, you must submit a request to PeachJar for any community distribution. If you wish to post information on the school’s community bulletin board or other area set aside for this purpose, please contact your assistant principal for approval. Guidelines for distribution of material on school grounds are included in Regulations 2340 and 4320. A complete copy of these policies may be obtained at any school or on the district website.

Drug Free Zones

Schools in the Issaquah School District are protected as drug free zones, as established by the City of Issaquah and King County. Drug free zones provide for possible double penalties for anyone caught trafficking controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a designated school, school bus stop or public park.

Fines

School fines are issued when a student fails to pay a class fee in the first three weeks of the semester and/or when a student damages or fails to return any property of the school including, but not limited to, textbooks, items checked out from the library, athletic uniforms, rental instruments, technology support items, etc. All fines are due by the end of the quarter in which they are issued. You are encouraged to pay your fees & fines online. You can access the “Pay Online” button from the school home page using the same username as Family Access. If you have difficulties logging in to make payment, please contact your school Bookkeepers for support.

Seniors’ fine will be due before graduation – see weekly bulletins, announcements and posted signs for further details.

Scholarships are available for students who need support. Please see your ASB bookkeeper, school administrator, or school counselor for support.

Foundational and Advanced Level Competencies

Students can demonstrate mastery of competencies at a foundational or advanced level. A student demonstrates advanced application of competencies through work that has an impact outside of school and exhibits at least two of the following:

• leadership that inspires others toward social responsibility
• consistent and ongoing mentorship from a professional in a relevant field
• deep and complex knowledge of a subject or skill set
• professional-level performance; significant contribution to a community outside of school
• critical application of Design Thinking, including multiple iterations and revisions based on a range of feedback

Good Neighbor Policy

The District wishes to maintain positive relationships with our neighbors. Students are to avoid trespassing on neighbors’ property, littering and loitering in the street near their homes. Students with off-campus passes who leave during the school day are to avoid congregating in the neighborhood streets bordering the school.

Graduation Requirements

Level Up, Gateway & Graduation Requirements

Students who did not complete the Software Tech or Northwest Studies requirement in middle school will need to demonstrate a comparable experience.

Latest information for state tests required for graduation can be found at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Homework

Homework, as an extension of the classroom, must be planned and organized, purposeful to the students, evaluated and returned to them promptly. The purpose of homework assignments, the basis for evaluating the work performed and the guidelines and/or rules should be made clear to the student at the time of the assignment. Students should talk to their classroom teachers with any questions about assignments or grades for a course. A complete copy of Regulation 2422 and related Regulations and Procedures are available on the District’s website.

Identification Cards

All students are provided with a student identification card, featuring their name, grade and a photo. Students are encouraged to carry their card during the school day.

Inspection, Search and Seizure

Students are entitled to the guarantees of the Fourth Amendment and shall be secure in their persons, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. However, school officials are required to promote a safe environment and are empowered to conduct a reasonable search of a student, of their personal property (including cars parked on campus), and of school property when there is reasonable and individualized cause or grounds for suspecting or believing that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating either the law or the rules of the school. Any search conducted must comply with applicable laws. School property shall remain under the control of school officials and shall be subject to search.

Searches of Students and Personal Property

Any search of a student conducted by a District employee must be reasonably related to the discovery of contraband or other evidence based upon an individualized suspicion of the student's violation of the law or school rules.

The term “contraband” means items, materials, or substances the possession of which is prohibited by law or District Regulation, including but not limited to, controlled substances, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, nicotine delivering devices, or any object that can reasonably be considered a firearm or a dangerous weapon.

Automobile Searches

Students can park on school premises as a matter of privilege, not of right. The school retains authority to conduct without notice routine patrols of student parking lots and inspections of the exteriors and visible interiors of student automobiles on school property. The interiors of student vehicles may be searched whenever a school official has reasonable cause or grounds for suspecting or believing that the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating either the law or the rules of the school. School officials may call and/or consult with local law enforcement officials in appropriate circumstances, such as when criminal activity is suspected.

Locker Searches

All student lockers may be searched at any time without prior notice and without reasonable suspicion that the search will yield evidence of any student's violation of the law or school rules. If the school official conducting such a search develops a reasonable suspicion that any container inside the locker, including but not limited to a purse, backpack, gym bag, or an article of clothing, contains evidence of a student's violation of the law or school rules, the container may be searched pursuant to the District’s procedures governing personal searches.

Additional information regarding student privacy and searches may be found in Regulation 3230 and Procedure 3230P.

Learning Through Internship Program and Counseling Office

The Learning Through Internship Program and Counseling Program are excellent resources for students, parent/guardian/caretakers, and faculty needing information about post-secondary education and career decisions. Visit the Counseling website for up-to-date detailed information on our services and resources including:

• Career counseling/college selection with students & parent/guardian/caretakers (if desired)
• Career exploration
• Career Library
• College, university, community, and technical college information
• College representative visits
• Culminating Project
• Financial aid
• Field trips to special programs and colleges
• Military information and ASVAB testing
• Part-time job information
• Resume, application and interview resources
• SAT/ACT books
• Scholarship information
• Summer and volunteer opportunities
• Tech Prep/college credit information
• WaNIC information

Lunch Accounts

Charging a Meal

Students will be assigned a lunch account to purchase standard program meals from the school kitchen.

Financial Assistance

Applications for meal assistance are available at the meals webpage, by contacting food services at 425-837-5060 or in the main office of your student’s school.

Balance Notification

Food Services partners with MySchoolBucks.com, a service that allows the use of credit cards to make payments for a student’s lunch account. There is a $3.25 fee per credit card transaction charged by MySchoolBucks.com, however, the use of their website to monitor a student’s lunch balance and account activity is free. It is also free for users of Myschoolbucks.com to set up e-mail notifications when their student’s lunch balance reaches a specified dollar amount. Families are encouraged to use this free service to receive automated reminders when their student’s lunch balance is low. Log on instructions and a link to Myschoolbucks.com can be found on the District website.

Food Services has developed an automated balance notification service that will notify parent/guardian/caretakers via e-mail when the student’s lunch balance is low and again when the lunch balance is in arrears. The negative balance notification e-mails will continue to be sent weekly until the unpaid meal charges have been resolved. 

Students will be given access to a standard program meal regardless of lunch account balance. Charges to the student’s lunch account will continue to accrue until reconciled.

A student’s lunch account must have sufficient funds to purchase a la carte items (chips, cookies, vendor pizza, bottled beverages, etc.).

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
   833-256-1665 or 202-690-7442; or
3. email:
   Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Medication Administration at School

Washington State Law and Issaquah School District Policy require that schools have written authorization from a licensed healthcare provider and parent/guardian/caretaker on file yearly when a child needs to take medication during the school day. Students can carry medication and self-administer at the high school level when the health care provider and parent/guardian/caretaker have requested self-administration in writing and the request has been approved by the school nurse. High school students may be allowed to carry and self-administer over-the-counter medication when authorized by the parent/guardian/caretaker and school nurse. All medication must be in the original pharmacy labeled container. Students who carry and self-administer medication must carry only one daily dose in an original pharmacy container. Please note students are not allowed to carry opioid reversal medications such as Narcan (naloxone) at any time on school grounds or at school events.

The Authorization for Administration of Medication at High School form is available in the attendance office, nurse’s office, and on the Issaquah School District website.

Additional information and requirements related to the administration of medication at school may be found in District Regulations and Procedures 3416 and 3416P (Medication at School), 3417 and 3417P (Catheterization), 3419 and 3419P (Self-Administration of Asthma and Anaphylaxis Medications), and 3420 and 3420P (Anaphylaxis).

Our School is Gender Inclusive

In Washington, all students have the right to be treated consistent with their gender identity at school. Our school will:

• Address students by their requested name and pronouns, with or without a legal name change
• Change a student’s gender designation and have their gender accurately reflected in school records
• Allow students to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity
• Allow students to participate in sports, physical education courses, field trips, and overnight trips in accordance with their gender identity
• Keep health and education information confidential and private
• Allow students to wear clothing that reflects their gender identity and apply dress codes without regard to a student’s gender or perceived gender
• Protect students from teasing, bullying, or harassment based on their gender or gender identity

To review the district’s Gender-Inclusive Schools Policy See Regulation 3211 and 3211P. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Gender-Inclusive Schools Coordinator:  

Stacy Cho, Assistant Director of Compliance
5150 220^th Ave. SE
Issaquah, WA 98029
425-837-7000
ChoS@issaquah.wednet.edu

For concerns about discrimination or discriminatory harassment based on gender identity or gender expression, please see the HIB information. 

Special Services

Each District school has a Guidance Team to address concerns regarding student performance. Parent/guardian/caretakers may contact their school guidance counselor for more information about this process. If a student is suspected of having a disability, the Guidance Team may refer the student for special education or a Section 504 assessment. The school psychologist assigned to the school will coordinate the special education process. A copy of the special education notice of procedural safeguards is available on the Parent and Student Rights (Procedural Safeguards) webpage (OSPI).

Student Dress Code

Appropriate clothing in a school or at school events contributes to a positive and quality environment at school, thus student clothing must be appropriate for an academic atmosphere. Students dress and grooming may not:

• Disrupt, interfere with, disturb, or detract from school activities.
• Create a hazard to the student’s safety or to the safety of others. For example, students are required to always wear appropriate footwear.
• Promote by printed word or symbol the use of illegal substances or other prohibited activities, including intimidation, harassment, sexual innuendo, vulgarity, and obscenities.

If school officials reasonably believe a student’s dress or grooming is objectionable under these provisions, the principal or designee will ask the student to make appropriate corrections. If the student refuses, the student is subject to discipline. See District Regulation 3224.

Student Parking

For increased security and protection, ALL students who drive to school must register their vehicles. Parking rules and regulations are available on the school website. Parking and driving are considered privileges. All parking and driving regulations are strictly enforced. Violations may lead to suspension of privileges, fine/ticket, towing of vehicle, discipline, and/or police notification. Vehicles are not to be used for storage during the school day. Students found in the parking lot, loitering in their vehicles during the school day, or littering are subject to discipline. Security cameras are in use. Speed limit of 10 mph is strictly enforced.

If students desire parking privileges, they agree not to allow contraband in their automobiles. They agree that their vehicles are subject to search by school officials if the officials develop individualized suspicion that student(s) are or have been violating a law or student conduct rule. Students and their families understand the parking lots will be subject to periodic patrols by drug-sniffing dogs  when they are not near them. Students agree that if a drug-sniffing dog “hits” on their vehicle while it is parked on school premises, school officials will have the authority to search the vehicle. If students refuse to allow searches of vehicles by school officials in such circumstances, students will lose their parking privileges and must understand that the District will presume that the dogs have accurately discovered contra-band in determining whether student discipline is warranted. See Regulation 3230.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Students are entitled to the rights of all people as set forth in the Constitution and laws of the United States; the Constitution and laws of the State of Washington; the law regarding equal education opportunity; First Amendment rights to freedom of press, speech, peaceable assembly and petition; and the right to be secure in their pursuit of an education while in the custody of the District. These rights are subject to the District’s authority to make reasonable rules and regulations to maintain the educational process.

Students with Special Health Care Needs

Students with life-threatening conditions such as severe bee stings, severe food allergies, severe asthma, diabetes, seizures, etc., are required to have a medication or treatment order and nursing care plan in place before they start school each year. If a medication or treatment order is not provided, the school's chief administrator must exclude the child until such order is provided. This requirement applies to students with a life-threatening condition who are new to the district and students who are already attending the school. Contact your school nurse to discuss your child’s healthcare needs at school.

For additional information and requirements related to life-threatening health conditions, please see Regulation 3413 and Procedure 3413P.

Transportation

The mission of the District and bus drivers is to safely transport students to and from school or to school activities. A complete copy of Regulation 6606, setting forth the specific rules of conduct on buses, may be obtained at any school or from the Transportation Department.

The District uses random placement of video cameras on school buses to maintain good order and increase safety. The video tapes may be used to identify students who violate the rules of conduct for buses and for decisions based on those violations.

Visitors

During the school day, only parent/guardian/caretaker, emergency contacts listed in Skyward, approved volunteers and invited guests can visit District schools. Parent/guardian/caretakers, emergency contacts listed in Skyward, volunteers and invited guests will continue to have access to all District schools before and after the school day in order to confer with and directly assist teachers, staff and students, provide support for District programs and observe or participate in school sponsored activities.

Parent/guardian/caretakers, emergency contacts listed in Skyward, volunteers and invited guests visiting a school during the school day must register at the school’s office upon arrival, must comply with any safety procedures and directives indicated by the principal, and must not engage in any activity or behavior which is disruptive to the educational process. Additional information and requirements related to visitors at school are in Regulation 4311 and Procedure 4311P.