Parent Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Souderton Area School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, Souderton Area School District may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Souderton Area School District to include this type of information from your child’s education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

• A playbill, showing your child’s role in a drama production;
• The annual yearbook;
• Honor roll or other recognition lists;
• Graduation programs; and
• Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories – names, addresses and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their child’s information disclosed without their prior written consent.

• If you do not want Souderton Area School District to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing.
• Dates of attendance.
• Grade level.
• The most recent educational agency or institution attended.

Through Education for Children & Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Souderton Area School District works to reduce and remove educational barriers for youth experiencing homelessness in the SASD community.

Visit the District's Homeless Supports site for more information.

FIRE, POLICE, AMBULANCE EMERGENCY ONLY 911

Abuse

• Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-932-0313
• A Women's Place (24 Hours) 1-800-220-8116
• Women's Center Of Montgomery County 215-885-5020
• Laurel House  1-800-642-3150 or text HOPE TO 85511

Drug and Alcohol

• Alcohol Abuse (24 Hours) 1-800-234-0420
• Breakthrough Drug & Alcohol Program (24 Hours) 215-257-9999
• Helpline Center 215-368-4357
• Penn Foundation 215-257-6551

Mental Health

• Helpline Center 215-368-4357
• Montgomery County Emergency Service Clinic 610-279-6100
• NAMI Montgomery County PA Helpline (M-f 9AM TO 3 PM) – 215-361-7784
• Penn Foundation 215-257-6551

Victim Service Center

• Hotline 1-800-734-2020
• Rape 610-277-5200
• Other Serious Crimes 610-277-4781

Outpatient Counseling for Substance Abuse & Other Problems

• Aldersgate - Willow Grove 215-657-4545
• Cope –Lansdale L 215-855-0780
• Helpline- Lansdale 215-368-4357
• Penn Foundation – Sellersville 215-257-6551
• Turning Point - Ambler 215-643-2727
• Valley Center - Lansdale 215-368-2022
• Valley Forge Medical Foundation – Norristown 610-539-8500

Short-term Hospitalization for Substance Abuse & Other Problems

• Eugenia Hospital 215-836-7700
• Fairmount Institute 215-487-4000
• Horsham Clinic 215-643-7800
• Kidspeace 1-800-854-3123
• Light Program 866-887-1764
• Intensive Outpatient Program for LGBTQIA+ in Havertown 215-292-5261
• Northwestern Psychiatric Institute 215-641-5300
• Warminster Psychiatric Institute 215-441-6760
• St. Luke's Hospital 215-536-2400

Long-term Hospitalization for Substance Abuse

• The Bridge – Philadelphia 215-342-5000
• Today, Inc. – Newtown 215-968-4713

Support Groups

• Alcoholics Anonymous 215-348-3393
• Al-Anon 1-800-364-2666
• Al-Anon 215-222-5244
• Al-Ateen 215-222-5244
• Families Anonymous 215-272-1567
• Narcotics Anonymous – Quakertown 215-536-9477
• Toughlove 215-348-7096

See the District's nondiscrimination statements.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232h, requires Souderton Area School District to notify you and obtain consent or allow you to opt your child out of participating in certain school activities. These activities include a student survey, analysis, or evaluation that concerns one or more of the following eight areas (“protected information surveys”):

• Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;
• Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
• Sex behavior or attitudes;
• Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
• Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
• Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
• Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; 
  or
• Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

This requirement also applies to the collection, disclosure or use of student information for marketing purposes (“marketing surveys”), and certain physical examinations and screenings.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. These rights are:

• The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the School receives a written request for access. 
  Parents or eligible students should submit to the School principal a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The School official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
• The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading. 
  Parents or eligible students may ask the School to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the School principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the School decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the School will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
• 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. 
  One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the School as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the School has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); 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 or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities. Upon request, the School discloses education records without consent to officials or another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. The additional disclosures the School may make without parent consent are explained in the School’s Student Records Plan available from your child’s principal.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the School to comply with the requirements of FERPA. 
  The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
440 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605
ACT 2003-48 AMMENDING SECTION 1302 OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE 
“Residence and Right To Free School Privileges”

“…A person who knowingly provides false information in the sworn statement for the purpose of enrolling a child in a school district for which the child is not eligible commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction for such violation, be sentenced to pay a fine of no more than three hundred dollars ($300) for the benefit of the school district in which the person resides, or to perform up to two hundred forty (240) hours of community service, or both. In addition, the person shall pay all court costs and shall be liable to the school district for an amount equal to the cost of tuition calculated in accordance with Section 2561 during the period of enrollment.”

The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is an intervention program staffed by SAP trained teachers, guidance counselors, our school nurse, and members of our administration. The goal of SAP is identification of at-risk students in an effort to connect them and their families with those inside and outside the school building who can help.

As a member of the Souderton Area High School community, your responsibility is to aid in the identification of your peers that may be “at-risk.” A student may be considered at-risk if there is suspicion of depression, an eating disorder, school phobia, substance abuse, physical and/or sexual abuse, suicidal tendencies, truancy, or other behaviors of concern to you as a thoughtful member of our school community. If you suspect someone you care about may be at-risk because they are exhibiting one or more of the behaviors listed above, you should see a member of the SAP Team and report your concerns.

Information reported to the SAP Team is highly confidential and, when not required to do so by the state, maintains the anonymity of those reported and reporting. For more information, please refer to the Student Assistance Program Brochure (PDF)