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Policies and Policy Statements

Acceptable Attire
Accident Reporting for Staff
Accident Reporting for Students
Americans with Disabilities Act
Annual Compliance Training
Attendance at Conferences
Blood Borne Pathogens
Certification
Child Abuse Reporting Procedures
Civil Service Regulations
Code of Conduct
Code of Ethics
Collaboration with Community Resources and Law Enforcement
Complaints
Conduct by School Employees
Confidential Student Record Access
Copyright/Intellectual Property Rights
Disability Insurance
Drug Free Workplace
Employee Assistance Program
Employment Verification
Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination
Evaluations
Expense Reimbursement
Expense Voucher
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Field Trips
Frontline (formerly AESOP)
Frontline Professional Growth
Hepatitis B Vaccination-Occupational Exposure
Instructional Appointments
Internet and Computer Use Policy
Maintenance Requests
Mandatory Reporting: Child Abuse or Maltreatment
Meal Reimbursement
Medication Dispensed by School Personnel
Military Duty
Name and Address Change Requests
Non-Instructional Appointments
Professional Growth/Staff Development
Prohibition of Corporal Punishment
Report of Possible Discrimination or Harassment
Resignation
Sexual Harassment
Sick/Personal Leave
Smoke Free Environment
Travel and Overnight Stays
Vacation/Sabbatical
Weapons or Firearms on School Property

Acceptable Attire (Board Policy 1100)

Appropriate professional attire is expected to be worn by all employees. Clothing shall be neat and clean. Staff dress standards set an example for students. Clothing that is not appropriate for students is not appropriate for staff. Conversely, clothing styles that are tolerated when worn by students may not be appropriate for staff. For more information, refer to Board Policy 1100.

Accident Reporting for Staff
(Board Policy 5005)

Please report all accidents to your supervisor as soon as possible after the injury. Remember it is important that you let us know if you need to visit a doctor or hospital or if you lose any days from work, as a result of injury. Additionally, a network pharmacy must be used for any medications you may receive for your work-related injury or sickness.

** Please inform doctor/hospital at the time of treatment that is an on-the-job injury. **

You can access the Employee Report of Injury form online at: https://www.hfmboces.org/employees

For more information, refer to Board Policy 5005.

Accident Reporting for Students

All student injuries or health related issues need to be reported to the nurse immediately following the health-related injury. If the nurse is unavailable, contact the medical assisting teacher if there is no substitute available for the nurse.

Americans with Disabilities Act (Board Policy 0010)

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation. If you need a disability accommodation in order to perform your essential job functions, you should refer to Board Policy 0010 for more detailed information.

Annual Compliance Training

All employees will complete mandatory compliance training every year that is required due to State and Federal regulations. There may be additional trainings that will need to be completed by certain employee groups based upon their relevant job responsibilities. You will be notified of the specific annual trainings that you need to complete and how to complete them.

Attendance at Conferences (Board Policy 6104)

Attendance at conferences must be approved by the appropriate administrator. You must submit a completed conference request form in a timely manner and secure the approval (signature) by the appropriate administrator before attending any conference. Please keep in mind that when considering conference requests, the administrator will consider budget allocations for cost/benefit, conformance of the conference to student and program needs, relevance of the conference to your assignment and/or roles within HFM BOCES, number of current year conferences attended by you and/or attendance to the same conference in consecutive years, as well as timeliness of the request. For more information, refer to Board Policy 6104.

Blood Borne Pathogens

It is important for HFM BOCES to ensure the safety of their staff and students. When dealing with blood and bodily fluids, you should take care to protect yourself.

To prevent infection:

Avoid contact with blood and other bodily
Use CPR breathing barriers, such as resuscitation masks when giving ventilations (rescue breaths).
Wear disposable gloves whenever providing care, particularly if you may come into contact with blood or bodily Also wear protective coverings, such as a mask, eyewear, and a gown, if blood or other bodily fluids can splash.
Cover any cuts, scrapes or sores and remove jewelry, including rings, before wearing disposable gloves.
Change gloves before providing care to a different
Remove disposable gloves without contacting the soiled part of the gloves and dispose of them in a proper container.
Thoroughly wash your hands and other areas immediately after providing Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer where hand-washing facilities are not available if your hands are not visibly soiled. When practical, wash your hands before providing care.

If you are exposed you must follow these steps:

Wash needle stick injuries, cuts and exposed skin thoroughly with soap and
If splashed with blood or potentially infectious material around the mouth or nose, flush area with water.
If splashed in or around the eyes, irrigate with clean water, saline or sterile irrigate for 20 minutes.
Record the incident by writing down what Include the date, time, and circumstances of the exposure, any actions taken after the exposure, and any other information as requested.
Seek immediate follow-up care as identified in our employer’s exposure control plan by contacting the School Nurse/Business Office.

Certification

New York State Education Law requires that all teachers must have and maintain a valid teaching certificate. It is your responsibility to maintain proper certification status and to meet all requirements.

Child Abuse Reporting Procedures (Board Policies 7201-7202.4)

Oral reports shall be made to the State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR), unless otherwise required to report directly to the local child protective services. The SCR phone number is 1-800-342-3720.

Written reports shall be made by the Superintendent, or designee, to the local Child Protective Service (CPS) within 48 hours of the oral report, on a form supplied by the local CPS.

The form will include:

Names and address of child and parent or guardian responsible for the care of the child (if known).
The child’s age, sex, and
The nature and extent of the child’s injuries, abuse or maltreatment, including any evidence of prior injuries, abuse or maltreatment to the child and their
The name of the person or persons responsible for the cause of the abuse, if
Family composition, where
The source of the
The name of the person making the report and where they can be
The actions taken by the reporting source, including the taking of photographs and x-rays, removal or keeping of the child, or notifying the medical examiner or
Any other information which the person making the report believes might be

Any “school official” who willfully fails to report a case of suspected child abuse will be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

For more information, refer to Board Policies 7201-7202.4.

Civil Service Regulations

Employees hired in provisional positions are responsible for registering and taking all tests and examinations required for their position. Requirements to reside in Hamilton, Fulton or Montgomery County may exist.

Civil Service announcements can be found at:

Fulton County Personnel Office
1 E. Montgomery St. Johnstown, NY 12095
(518) 736-5574

http://www.fultoncountyny.gov/personnel-0

Code of Conduct (Board Policy 1100)

It shall be the responsibility of all employees to maintain a climate of mutual respect and dignity for all students and staff. Be fair, firm, and consistent in enforcing school rules in buildings, school buses, on the school campus, and at school functions. Seek to develop a cooperative relationship with parents for the educational benefit of the student by keeping open communication. Report orally to your principal, the district superintendent, or their designee any incident of harassment, bullying, or discrimination that you witness or that is reported to you. Each division of the HFM BOCES has on record an appropriate procedure for out-of-school suspensions in accordance with Section 3214 of the Education Law. For more information, refer to Board Policy 1100.

Code of Ethics (Board Policy 0030)

All employees of the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, whether paid or unpaid, shall follow the standards of the following guidelines found in the Board Policy 0030, concerning:

Gifts
Confidential Information
Representation Before the Board
Representation Before Any Agency for a Contingent Fee
Disclosure of Interest in Legislation
Investments in Conflict with Official Duties
Private Employment
Future Employment

For more information, refer to Board Policy 0030.

Collaboration with Community Resources and Law Enforcement (Board Policy 1100)

Human Services Agencies and Person-In-Need of Supervision (PINS) petitions – When there is evidence of educational neglect or child abuse, neglect, or maltreatment, all mandated reporters shall follow the procedures established by law and BOCES Policy.

Law Enforcement Agencies and Juvenile Delinquency Complaints – Whether a particular act in violation of this Code is reported to a law enforcement agency shall be determined by the building administrator, in consultation with the program director. When BOCES utilizes a School Resource Officer (SRO) who is an employee of a law enforcement agency, the SRO shall be the initial point of reporting.

In general, the person against whom the act was directed should be identified as the complainant where the district attorney decides to initiate a juvenile delinquency petition. The BOCES, or a BOCES employee in their official capacity, may only be identified as the complainant when the District Superintendent determines that it is appropriate to proceed in that manner. For more information, refer to Board Policy 1100.

Complaints (Board Policy 0010)

You have the right to present complaints and grievances in accordance with established procedures free from retaliation, coercion, interference, restraint, discrimination, or reprisal. You are encouraged to speak to your immediate supervisor if any issues arise. You may also seek out either:

Dr. Aaron Bochniak,
Assistant Superintendent for BOCES Operations and Component District Services
(518) 736-4305
abochniak@hfmboces.org

Dr. Bill Bordak,
Director of Human Resources
(518) 736-4309
wbordak@hfmboces.org

For more information, refer to Board Policy 0010 and 0010.1.

Conduct by School Employees (Board Policy 1100)

Acceptable conduct by school employees shall be consistent with the role of teachers and staff outlined in Section IV and of Sections IX of the Code of Conduct. For more information, refer to Board Policy 1100.

Confidential Student Record Access (Board Policy 7400-7400.4)

HFM BOCES complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 as amended. FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Parents or eligible students (age 18) have the right to review student education records. BOCES must have written permission from the parent or eligible student to release any information from a student’s education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose information without consent to the following under certain conditions:

School officials with legitimate educational interests;
Other schools to which the student is transferring;
Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
Accrediting organizations;
To comply with a judicial order or lawfully-issued subpoena;
Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
State/local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to a specific State law.

For more information, call 1-800-USA-Learn (1-800-872-5327). Individuals who use TDD may use the Federal Relay Service (http://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/gen/index.html#frs).

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-8520

For more information, refer to Board Policies 7400-7400.4.

Copyright/Intellectual Property Rights (Board Policy 5302-5302.1)

It is the policy of HFM BOCES that any materials created by employees, consultants or interns connected by their employment, internship, or consulting arrangement, shall be the sole property of BOCES. A copyright notice shall be placed on all materials prior to their release or publication to anyone outside the organization. In cases where BOCES produces materials for other districts, other BOCES, or any other clients outside of HFM BOCES as the result of contracting for specific products, ownership and copyrights for those products shall be retained by the client.

For more information, refer to Board Policies 5302-5302.1.

Disability Insurance

HFM BOCES offers the option to purchase disability coverage from a third-party agency as per the New York State Workers Compensation Board. If you have any questions in regard to this, please call the Business Office at 518-736-4310.

Drug Free Workplace (Board Policy 0021)

HFM BOCES prohibits the use, illegal distribution, or possession of controlled substances in the workplace, on school grounds, at school-sponsored activities, or any place in which you are working within the scope of your employment or duties. For more information, refer to Board Policy 0021.

Employee Assistance Program

HFM BOCES offers an Employee Assistance Program through a partnership with Educators’ EAP. This program offers free videos, trainings and webinars on a wide range of topics including professional development, healthy lifestyles, family life, personal finance, pet care and much more. The service also offers live personal and professional coaching and counseling services. All services offered are confidential.

To use the service visit www.theEAP.com/Educators-EAP and follow the onscreen instructions to create an account. Select Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery (HFM) BOCES as your organization.

Employment Verification

All employment verifications need to be submitted in writing. When a request has been received, Human Resources will respond in writing to verify employment.

Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination (Board Policy 0010)

HFM BOCES is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, admissions and employment.

Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, religious practice, national origin, ethnic group, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, disability, weight or any other basis prohibited by New York state and/or federal non-discrimination laws in its programs and activities, including admissions and employment, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding the BOCES non- discrimination policies should be directed to Dr. Aaron Bochniak (abochniak@hfmboces.org), Assistant Superintendent for BOCES Operations and Component District Services, (518) 736-4305, HFM BOCES, 2755 State Highway 67, Johnstown, NY 12095. Inquiries may also be addressed to the Office for Civil Rights at the US Department of Education, 32 Old Slip, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10005, 646- 428-3800, OCR.NewYork@ed.gov.

The Federal Office of Civil Rights requires that a non-discrimination statement be included on any “bulletins, announcements, publications, catalogs, application forms, or other recruitment materials that are made available to participants, students, applicants, or employees.”

For more information, refer to Board Policy 0010.

Evaluations

Employees will be evaluated on an annual basis, per their current employee contract, tenure, or probationary status. Evaluations are intended to help improve work effectiveness.

Expense Reimbursement (Board Policy 4700)

HFM BOCES staff who incur expenses that are necessary to carry out authorized duties, and are reasonable in nature and amount, will be reimbursed, provided that: the expense was approved by the District Superintendent or their designee prior to the expense being incurred, the expense is within the approved budget, and a properly filled-out and approved voucher and supporting receipts as are required by the business office are submitted. For more information, refer to Board Policy 4700.

Expense Voucher (Board Policy 4700)

Employees must complete the Expense Voucher Form, attach receipts, if applicable, and forward one (1) copy to the appropriate administrator. One (1) copy shall be retained by the employee. Expense vouchers must be submitted within (90) calendar days after the expenses were incurred, or by the last working day of the fiscal year, whichever is earlier. For more information, refer to Board Policy 4700.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (Board Policy 6400)

HFM BOCES will provide family and medical leave to its eligible employees as required by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Leave is provided for eligible employee, consistent with Board Policy 6400.

Field Trips (Board Policy 8500)

HFM BOCES recognizes that student participation in field trips and excursions primarily serves to provide enrichment in the instructional program for the student. For more information, refer to Board Policy 8500.

Frontline (formerly AESOP)

Employees are responsible for reporting all absences (vacation, sick, personal, etc.) in the Frontline system, which can be accessed via the online portal.

Frontline Professional Growth

Frontline Professional Growth (formerly My Learning Plan) is a web-based tool that helps employees manage all aspects of in-district and out-of-district professional learning in one comprehensive online system. Registration on the system is free and allows employees to track their registered workshops.

https://app.frontlineeducation.com/pd-plm/growth-journey

Hepatitis B Vaccination-Occupational Exposure

HFM BOCES is obligated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to offer Hepatitis B vaccinations to employees. Participation in the program is voluntary and at no cost to you. However, by declining, you acknowledge the risk of acquiring Hepatitis B, a serious disease.

Instructional Appointments

Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, personnel in a certified instructional position are required to serve a four-year probationary period. This can be shortened to three years if the employee has received tenure in New York State in the same tenure area in which they are already serving.

Internet and Computer Use Policy (Board Policy 5301)

The use of computers and access to the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES network and internet is a privilege, not a right. Unacceptable use may result in cancellation of the privilege for any user whether that user is a student, a staff member, or a community member. For more information, refer to Board Policy 5301.

Maintenance Requests

Please refer to your supervisor for any maintenance requests; if your supervisor is unavailable, requests would then need to be entered using School Dude (www.myschoolbuilding.com).

Mandatory Reporting: Child Abuse or Maltreatment (Board Policies 7201-7202.4)

All “school officials” are required by law to report or cause a report to be made:

Whenever they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is being abused or maltreated;
Where the parent, guardian, or other person legally responsible comes before them in their professional or official capacity and states from personal knowledge facts, conditions or circumstances which, if correct, would render the child abused or maltreated.

Meal Reimbursement (Board Policy 4700)

Meal expenses may not be reimbursed while you are performing the usual duties of the office except when:
- You are on approved overnight travel or approved conference or training sessions; or
- You are prevented from taking the time off for a meal due to a pressing need to complete business at hand and the business is of an immediate nature and conducting business at mealtime is essential.
The cost of meals for any guest may not be reimbursed unless the meal promotes a valid BOCES purpose, such as a business luncheon with other government officials or community leaders for discussion or negotiation of a matter that is or will be before the Cooperative Board for action.
An itemized restaurant receipt must be submitted with the Expense Voucher. Meal expenses may be claimed to a maximum of $75/day. Expenses in excess of the ceiling amount, when properly justified, may be submitted to the Board for consideration. The Expense Voucher form and receipt(s) shall be attached to a copy of the original approved conference/workshop request form.
The purchase of alcoholic beverages is not

Medication Dispensed by School Personnel (Board Policy 7102)

HFM BOCES requires a written note from the medical provider and written parent/guardian consent for all medications that are to be taken by the student in school, whether prescription or nonprescription. All medications are required to be kept in the school nurse’s office to protect the health and safety of all the children and so that they can keep a log of when the child takes their medication.

For the full scope of the New York State Department of Education Guidelines for Medication Management in Schools, please download the pdf document: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/sss/documents/MedicationManagement-final2015.pdf

For more information, refer to Board Policy 7102 – 7102.3.

Military Duty

Under Military Law, employees are entitled to leaves of absences while engaged in full-time military duty, including National Guard and the Reserves. Employees must be reinstated at the end of the military duty with all benefits they would have had if they had not left. If on military leave, employees are entitled to receive a salary for a period of 30 days or 22 working days, whichever is greater, in any one calendar year. Military orders must be filed with HFM BOCES to obtain these benefits.

Name and Address Change Requests

If an employee is seeking to change their name or address of record, they must submit a written request to Human Resources.

Non-Instructional Appointments

Each employee shall serve a probationary period of 12 months or the maximum required by law, if such is less than 12 months as per the CSEA contract.

Professional Growth/Staff Development (Board Policy 6103)

HFM BOCES believes that staff development through attendance at conferences, training programs, workshops, professional meetings, and other in-service activities is an essential element in the development of quality educational programs and sound personnel practices. The Board of Cooperative Education encourages personnel to increase their competencies by continuing their training and experience through graduate study, in-service programs, and other appropriate educational activities. For more information, refer to Board Policy 6103.

Prohibition of Corporal Punishment (Board Policy 1100)

HFM BOCES recognizes the responsibility of all school personnel to see that proper standards of school behavior are maintained. All BOCES personnel are expected to help in maintaining proper levels of supervision. No employee of HFM BOCES whether paid or unpaid shall use corporal punishment against a pupil.

In situations in which alternative procedures and methods not involving the use of physical force cannot reasonably be employed, nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit the use of reasonable force for the following purposes:

To protect yourself from physical injury;
To protect another pupil or teacher or any other person from physical injury;
To protect the property of the school or others;
To restrain or remove a pupil whose behavior is interfering with the orderly exercise and performance of BOCES functions, powers and duties, if that pupil has refused to comply with a request to refrain from further disruptive.

Report of Possible Discrimination or Harassment (Board Policy 0010.1)

HFM BOCES’ policies expressly prohibit all forms of unlawful discrimination, bullying and harassment.

You may report possible discrimination or harassment directed at you or another employee to your supervisor or directly to the Compliance Coordinator(s). If the report is about conduct by the Compliance Coordinator(s), the report may be made to your supervisor or the District Superintendent.
If you witness conduct directed at a student that may be harassment, bullying or discrimination, or receive an oral or written report of such conduct, you must report that to the Compliance Coordinator(s). You must make an oral report to the Compliance Coordinator(s) within one school day, followed by a written report to the Compliance Coordinator(s) no more than two school days after your oral report.
It is each of our jobs to expand student/employee awareness of the problems of harassment, bullying and discrimination. All of our staff will be trained and then instructional staff will educate our students about appropriate, non-discriminatory.

If you experience any form of harassment, bullying or discrimination, you should refer to Board Policy 0010 – 0010.1 for more detailed information.

Resignation

A certified staff member may terminate their employment upon 30-days’ written notice without explanation. A non-certified staff member may terminate their employment with two weeks’ written notice.

Sexual Harassment (Board Policies 0010, 0010.1, 1100)

It is unlawful and against HFM BOCES to harass a person due to their sex or to engage in any other form of sexual harassment. For more detailed information on HFM BOCES’ Sexual Harassment policies, refer to Board Policies 0010, 0010.1, and 1100.

Sick/Personal Leave

Please refer to your particular employee contract/agreement for specific information regarding the use of sick or personal time.

Smoke Free Environment (Board Policy 0022)

There is no smoking on the grounds or in the buildings at HFM BOCES. This prohibition extends to any vehicles owned by HFM BOCES. For more information, refer to Board Policy 0022.

Travel and Overnight Stays (Board Policy 4700)

When business travel is approved, transportation by common carrier (air or bus) will be reimbursed at coach or economy rates. Business class may be used for travel by rail. Air travel arrangements should be made in advance whenever possible. Mileage for use of a personal vehicle will be reimbursed at the current IRS rate at the time of travel, and will be calculated based on your regular work day to and from your assigned work location or home, whichever is less. Parking and tolls will be reimbursed at actual cost upon presentation of an itemized receipt. Itinerant teachers working full days in component districts will only be reimbursed for actual travel between school district assignments.

Overnight accommodations will be reimbursed for the minimum period reasonably necessary to complete the BOCES-related business. Expenses of an employee’s or Board member’s spouse cannot be submitted for reimbursement. If a state or national conference hotel block housing has been secured and the attendee chooses a hotel not on that list, reimbursement for such lodging shall not exceed the conference hotel rate. No reimbursement can legally be made for New York State room taxes; tax exemption forms must be used. Expenses for personal services (laundry, dry cleaning, movies, etc.) are not eligible for reimbursement. For more, refer to Board Policy 4700.

Vacation/Sabbatical

Please refer to your particular employee contract/agreement for specific information.

Weapons or Firearms on School Property (Board Policy 1100)

No employee shall possess any firearm, electronic weapon/device, or other weapons on the property of any school at any time. This prohibition extends to any vehicles owned by HFM BOCES. For more information, refer to Board Policy 1100.