Burgettstown Area School District

• August 31: First Student Day (early dismissal: 12:32 PM MS/HS, 1:30 PM BAEC)
• September 4: No School
• September 7: Labor Day- No School/District Closed
• September 11: MS/HS Picture Day
• September 14: BAEC Picture Day

For the safety of everyone, parents/trusted adults are not pemitted to take photographs in front of the elementary center on the first day of school. We encourage families to take first day of school photographs at home. While we will create a “photo op space” during open house, we will not permit photography in front of the school on the first day of school. We ask for your continued understanding that we implemented these procedures for the safety of all of our students, and wish everyone a wonderful start to the new school year.

More information about drop off/pick up may be found at the link below

To ensure a safe, efficient, and uninterrupted dismissal process, no early dismissals will be granted after 3:00 PM. All early dismissals must occur prior to 3:00 PM and require a written note from a parent or legal guardian submitted to the main office on the morning of the early departure. Please note that early dismissals will affect the student’s attendance record. Early dismissals are marked as excused or unexcused depending on whether a valid note or medical reason is provided.

Additionally, no office visitors are permitted after 3:00 PM unless arriving for a pre-scheduled school appointment or picking up an ill student from the Nurse’s office.

If your student is a bus rider and you decide to pick up your child from BAEC at dismissal time, you are required to send a note to BAEC. If a parental note is not present notifying the school, then the school will place the student on the school bus to ride home. If you will be picking up your child each and every day of the year, we need notification in writing of your plan. Then you will not need to write a daily note to the teacher. With any changes in transportation, please write a note or call the school secretaries at 724.947.8150. Please do not email teachers or send a message through Class Dojo.

The state budget included an item that provides free breakfast for all students, every day. Those students who qualify for free lunch will continue to receive them, however the state budget also contained a provision that enables all students who qualify for reduced price lunch to receive free lunch. While most families qualify through direct certification of their financial situation, families may also complete the necessary forms to determine eligibility. The HERE for the application, which also contains eligibility information. The food service link on the district website has additional information as well.

Though all students will receive a free breakfast and many will receive a free lunch, we still set student meal prices.

For the 2026-2027 school year, the meal prices are as follows:

BEAC Breakfast: Free

BAEC Lunch: $3.00

BMHS Breakfast: Free

BMHS Lunch: $3.10

As we begin another school year, we want to share an important reminder with families about items that students bring to school. Our purpose is not to cause alarm, but rather to help prevent an innocent mistake from becoming a serious situation for a student, family, and our school community.

Pennsylvania law takes the possession of weapons on school property very seriously. Under the Pennsylvania School Code, the definition of a weapon includes, but is not limited to, any knife, cutting instrument, cutting tool, nunchaku, firearm, shotgun, rifle, or other tool, instrument, or implement capable of inflicting serious bodily injury.

For families, the most important thing to remember is that the definition can include some items that a child may not necessarily think of as a “weapon.” For example, pocketknives, pen knives, small folding knives, multi-tools containing a blade, and similar items should never be brought to school.

Our District also takes seriously look-alike weapons—items that may appear to be a weapon even though they cannot actually cause the same harm. This can include toy guns, BB or airsoft guns, realistic replicas, water or squirt guns, and other items that resemble weapons. Even when brought to school as a toy, joke, or without any intent to frighten or harm someone, these items can create significant concern and must be addressed by school officials.

We Are Asking for Your Help

We especially encourage parents and guardians of our elementary-aged students to have a simple conversation with their children about what should and should not come to school.

Young children sometimes place things in backpacks or coat pockets without understanding the potential consequences. Likewise, an older student may use a backpack over the weekend and unknowingly leave a pocketknife or similar item inside before returning to school on Monday.

Please periodically check backpacks, lunch bags, coat pockets, and other items your child brings to school and remind your child that if they are ever unsure whether something is appropriate for school, the safest choice is to leave it at home and ask an adult.

A New Pennsylvania Notification Requirement

We also want families to be aware of a recent change in Pennsylvania law. Act 44 of 2025 added Section 1303.2-A to the Pennsylvania School Code, requiring schools to notify parents/guardians and school employees following qualifying incidents involving possession of a weapon on school property. Unless circumstances require otherwise, that notification is to occur within 24 hours of the incident.

Because our schools share a campus, Pennsylvania law may require notification across the shared campus when a qualifying incident occurs.

Families should also understand that our District will communicate when an incident involves a look-alike weapon prohibited by District policy, such as a toy or squirt gun, even when the item is not an actual firearm and there is no indication that students were in danger. As a result, receiving a weapons-related notification does not necessarily mean that an actual firearm or other dangerous weapon was discovered at school. We will provide appropriate information so families can understand the nature of the incident while also protecting student confidentiality.

We share this information not to worry families, but to avoid unnecessary concern when notifications are required and, more importantly, to prevent these situations from occurring in the first place.

A quick conversation at home and an occasional check of a backpack or coat pocket can make

a tremendous difference.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe, welcoming, and focused on learning.

What is FERPA?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools/school districts that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

Who is protected under FERPA?

Students who are currently or formerly enrolled, regardless of their age or status in regard to parental dependency, are protected. Parents of students termed as "dependent" for income tax purposes may have access to the student's education records.

What rights does FERPA afford students with respect to their education records?

• The right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the school/school district receives a request for access.
• The right to request an amendment to the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
• The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the school/school district to comply with the requirements of FERPA

The Burgettstown Area School District does not discriminate in its educational programs, activities or employment practices based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, ancestry, genetic information or any other legally-protected category. Announcement of this policy is in accordance with State Law including the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and with Federal law, including Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The Board declares it to be the policy of this District to comply with federal law and regulations under Title IX prohibiting sexual harassment, which is a form of unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as to prohibit retaliation for protected conduct related to Title IX. Such discrimination and retaliation may be referred to collectively throughout this Policy and the Attachments as "Title IX sexual harassment." Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX to the District may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education, or both.

The District's Title IX Coordinator is:

Name: Melissa Ferencuha

Position: Assistant to the Superintendent

Address: 100 Bavington Road Burgettstown, PA 15021

Email: mferencuha@burgettstown.k12.pa.us

Phone: (724) 947-8136

Reports are to be made to the Building Level Title IX Coordinator who most closely has jurisdiction over the alleged events. If the Building Level Title IX Coordinator who meets that description is also the respondent/subject of the report or has a conflict of interest or bias against complainants or respondents in general or the specific complainant and/or respondent involved in the matter, the report shall be made to the other Building Level Title IX Coordinator.

The District's Building Level Title IX Coordinators are:

Elementary School Level Title IX Coordinator

Name: Melissa M. Mankey

Position: Principal, Burgettstown Area Elementary Center

Address: 100 Bavington Road Burgettstown, PA 15021

Email: mmankey@burgettstown.k12.pa.us

Phone: (724) 947-8150

Middle/High School Level Title IX Coordinator:

Name: Dr. Shaun Cooke

Position: Middle/High School Principal

Address: 104 Bavington Road Burgettstown, PA 15021 Email: scooke@burgettstown.k12.pa.us

Phone: (724) 947-3325

The District does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, and that it is required by Title IX not to discriminate in such a manner. This requirement extends to admission and employment.

The Board also declares it to be the policy of this District to comply with federal and state laws prohibiting other unlawful harassment, discrimination and retaliation against employees, students and others who may be protected by law, as stated in this Policy.

The District is committed to the maintenance of a safe, positive learning environment for all students that is free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation, by providing all students course offerings, counseling, assistance, services, athletics and extracurricular activities without any form of unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, including but not limited to Title IX sexual harassment and retaliation. Such unlawful conduct is inconsistent with the rights of students and the educational and programmatic goals of the District.

In accordance with Title IX, the District does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, and is required by Title IX not to discriminate in such a manner. The District's legal obligation not to discriminate in its education program or activity extends to admissions and employment.

Military Opt Out
The No Child Left Behind Act includes a provision mandating the release of student information (names, addresses, and telephone numbers) to military recruiters and institutions of higher learning, upon their request. Additionally, the district must also notify parents/guardians of their right and the right of their child to request that the district not release such information without prior written consent.

If you do not want the school to release the above information to military recruiters and/or institutions of higher learning, please contact the high school office asap.