The governance board is committed to providing a process by which employees may have a procedure for addressing complaints concerning their employment issues and/or policy implementation issues, excluding an employee not being rehired for the subsequent school year. 

The governance board and superintendent aim to do whatever is practicable to provide the proper environment for the positive resolution of employee concerns. In the event of a dispute involving employment matters and/or the implementation of policies affecting the employee, as stated above, the employee may submit a complaint by following the procedures outlined below. Failure to follow the procedures and timelines below constitutes a waiver of the employee’s right to complain. It is recommended that all parties familiarize themselves with these procedures.  

1. The complaint process shall begin with the affected employee submitting a written statement to the principal stating the nature of their complaint and their position for resolution of the complaint. All pertinent facts and details shall be provided in this statement – including the identification of any witnesses and/or supporting documents – in order to provide full details of the matter and assist the principal in his/her determination. The employee may provide the principal with witness statements, which must be based on the witnesses’ personal knowledge. The complaint shall be signed and dated by the employee. The complaint must be submitted to the principal no later than ten (10) working days of the alleged event. The principal shall provide the employee with a written and dated acknowledgment of receipt of the complaint. This acknowledgement shall include the date and time when the employee is to meet with the principal. The principal shall meet with the employee to discuss the complaint no later than ten (10) working days after the receipt of the complaint. 

2. After discussing the complaint with the employee, reviewing the information provided and conducting an investigation, if any, the principal shall make a determination concerning the complaint and shall submit a written decision, which may contain a plan of action required to resolve the complaint, if appropriate, to the employee no later than ten (10) working days after the meeting between the principal and the employee. The employee shall sign a copy of the decision acknowledging the date of their receipt of such. 

3. If the employee does not agree with the decision of the principal, the employee may appeal that decision to the superintendent by providing a written notice of appeal to the superintendent no later than ten (10) working days from the date the employee received the principal’s decision. The appeal shall contain a copy of the written statements from the original complaint and a copy of the principal’s written decision. The superintendent shall sign a copy of the notice of appeal acknowledging the date of their receipt of such. 

1. Upon receipt of the appeal notice, the superintendent shall schedule a meeting with the principal and the employee to discuss the issues in the appeal. The superintendent’s review shall be limited to the evidence reviewed by the principal, the meeting with the principal and employee and any written statement(s) provided by the principal and/or employee supporting their respective positions. 

2. Upon the superintendent’s review of the evidence, the meeting with the principal and any written statement(s) provided by the principal and/or employee, if submitted, the superintendent shall make a decision concerning the complaint.  

3. The superintendent shall provide their decision, in writing, to the employee and principal no later than ten (10) working days after the employee provides the notice of appeal to the superintendent.  

4. The employee shall sign a copy of the superintendent’s decision, acknowledging the date of their receipt of such. If the employee refuses to sign the acknowledgement, then such shall be noted and dated on the decision in the presence of the principal. The superintendent shall confirm by email to the employee their refusal to sign the acknowledgement. 

5. The superintendent may either uphold or overturn, in whole or in part, the principal’s decision. If the superintendent overturns, in whole or in part, the principal’s decision, they may, in their discretion, determine that an alternate decision is appropriate, in which case the superintendent’s alternate decision shall supersede the decision of the principal. If the superintendent overturns the principal’s decision in part but does not enter an alternate decision, then the remaining part(s) of the principal’s decision which was/were not overturned shall remain in full force and effect. 

4. In a situation involving a complaint regarding the superintendent, the employee may submit a complaint by following the procedures outlined below. 

Failure to follow the procedures and timelines below constitutes a waiver of the employee’s right to complain. It is recommended that all parties familiarize themselves with these procedures.  

1. The complaint process shall begin with the affected employee submitting a written statement to the superintendent stating the nature of their complaint and their position for resolution of the complaint. All pertinent facts and details shall be provided in this statement – including the identification of any witnesses and/or supporting documents – in order to provide full details of the matter and assist the superintendent in his/her determination. The employee may provide the superintendent with witness statements, which must be based on the witnesses’ personal knowledge. The complaint shall be signed and dated by the employee. The complaint must be submitted to the superintendent no later than ten (10) working days of the alleged event. The superintendent shall provide the employee with a written and dated acknowledgment of receipt of the complaint. This acknowledgement shall include the date and time when the employee is to meet with the superintendent. The superintendent shall meet with the employee to discuss the complaint no later than ten (10) working days after the receipt of the complaint. 

2. After discussing the complaint with the employee, reviewing the information provided and conducting an investigation, if any, the superintendent shall make a determination concerning the complaint and shall submit a written decision, which may contain a plan of action required to resolve the complaint, if appropriate, to the employee no later than ten (10) working days after the meeting between the superintendent and the employee. The employee shall sign a copy of the decision acknowledging the date of their receipt of such. 

3. If the employee does not agree with the decision of the superintendent the employee may appeal that decision to the Governance Board by providing a written notice of appeal to the Governance Board President no later than ten (10) working days from the date the employee received the superintendent’s decision. The appeal shall contain a copy of the written statements from the original complaint and a copy of the superintendent’s written decision. The president shall sign a copy of the notice of appeal acknowledging the date of their receipt of such. 

4. The governance board may either uphold or overturn, in whole or in part, the superintendent’s decision. If the governance board overturns, in whole or in part, the superintendent’s decision, the remaining part(s) of the superintendent’s decision which was/were not overturned shall remain in full force and effect. 

5. This procedure shall be followed only when the superintendent is the principal or initial administrator rendering the decision from which the complaint derives. 

[Approved by the Governance Board on 2/13/2024] 

The governance board believes procedures should be established for student or parent complaints or concerns to be heard in a fair and equitable manner. When registering a complaint or concern, the governance board reminds all concerned that the Codes of Conduct for Parents, Faculty, and Students shall be enforced. This procedure does not include issues involving disciplinary actions. Parties are referred to the Student Handbook on the handling of disciplinary issues.  

In the event of a dispute, the student and/or parent may submit a complaint by following the procedures outlined below. Failure to follow the procedures and timelines below constitutes a waiver of the student’s and/or parent’s right to complain. It is recommended that all parties familiarize themselves with these procedures.   

1. The complaint process shall begin with the affected student and/or parent submitting a written statement to the principal stating the nature of their complaint and their position for resolution of the complaint. All pertinent facts and details shall be provided in this statement – including the identification of any witnesses and/or supporting documents – in order to provide full details of the matter and assist the principal in his/her determination. The student and/or parent may provide the principal with witness statements, which must be based on the witnesses’ personal knowledge. The complaint shall be signed and dated by the student and/or parent. The complaint must be submitted to the principal no later than ten (10) working days of the alleged event. The principal shall provide the student and/or parent with a written and dated acknowledgment of receipt of the complaint. This acknowledgement shall include the date and time when the student and/or parent is to meet with the principal. The principal shall meet with the student and/or parent to discuss the complaint no later than ten (10) working days after the receipt of the complaint.  

2.  After discussing the complaint with the student and/or parent, reviewing the information provided and conducting an investigation, if any, the principal shall make a determination concerning the complaint and shall submit a written decision, which may contain a plan of action required to resolve the complaint, if appropriate, to the student and/or parent no later than ten (10) working days after the meeting between the principal and the student and/or parent.  

3. If the student and/or parent does not agree with the decision of the principal, the student and/or parent may appeal that decision to the superintendent by providing a written notice of appeal to the superintendent no later than ten (10) working days from the date the student and/or parent received the principal’s decision. The appeal shall contain a copy of the written statements from the original complaint and a copy of the principal’s written decision. The superintendent shall sign a copy of the notice of appeal acknowledging the date of their receipt of such.  

4. Upon receipt of the appeal notice, the superintendent shall schedule a meeting with the principal and the student and/or parent to discuss the issues in the appeal. The superintendent’s review shall be limited to the evidence reviewed by the principal, the meeting with the principal and student and/or parent and any written statement(s) provided by the principal and/or student and/or parent supporting their respective positions.  

5. Upon the superintendent’s review of the evidence, the meeting with the principal and any written statement(s) provided by the principal and/or student and/or parent, if submitted, the superintendent shall make a decision concerning the complaint.   

6. The superintendent shall provide their decision, in writing, to the student and/or parent and principal no later than ten (10) working days after the student and/or parent provides the notice of appeal to the superintendent.   

7. The student and/or parent shall acknowledge the receipt of the superintendent’s decision, acknowledging the date of their receipt of such. If the student and/or parent refuses to sign the acknowledgement, then such shall be noted. The superintendent shall confirm by email to the student and/or parent their refusal to sign the acknowledgement.   

8. The superintendent may either uphold or overturn, in whole or in part, the principal’s decision. If the superintendent overturns, in whole or in part, the principal’s decision, they may, in their discretion, determine that an alternate decision is appropriate, in which case the superintendent’s alternate decision shall supersede the decision of the principal. If the superintendent overturns the principal’s decision in part but does not enter an alternate decision, then the remaining part(s) of the principal’s decision which was/were not overturned shall remain in full force and effect.  

NOTE: The only exception to this process is in the case of a complaint regarding the superintendent. In that situation, the same procedures and timelines must be followed but with the following changes to the text: the word “principal” shall be replaced with “superintendent” and the word “superintendent” shall be replaced with “governance board” or “governance board president” as appropriate.    

GOVERNANCE BOARD  

If the parent/guardian and superintendent are not able to reach a resolution of the complaint or grievance, then in that event the parent/guardian shall have the right to present their complaint or grievance to the governance board for its review and decision. The parent/guardian and superintendent shall reduce their inability to resolve the complaint or grievance to writing which they will sign and date.  

In order to effectuate their right to present their complaint or grievance to the governance board, they shall notify the president of the board of their request to do so within ten (10) days of the date of the above signed and dated writing that the complaint or grievance was not resolved. Failure to do so will result in a waiver of their right to present their complaint or grievance to the governance board, in which case the decision of the superintendent shall become final, unless good cause is shown for the failure to comply with the notification requirement.  

Upon the board president’s receipt of the parent’s/guardian’s notification, the board will review all of the information or documentation presented by the parent/guardian to the superintendent during their meeting and any information or documentation relied upon by the superintendent in response to the complaint or grievance. The parent/guardian shall be given the opportunity to address the board and have witnesses testify on their behalf as to the issues contained in the complaint or grievance. The superintendent may testify as to the issues contained in the complaint or grievance and have witnesses testify on their behalf. The governance board may question the parent/guardian, witnesses, and /or superintendent to clarify facts and information.   

Upon the close of all testimony and evidence, the governance board shall excuse the parent, student, witnesses, and superintendent and proceed to discuss the matter and review the information and testimony in executive session, if such need complies with the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act and, if not, such discussion shall be in open session. The board shall vote on the disposition of the issues in open session. The decision of the board shall be final.  

DISPOSITION OF EVIDENCE NOT PRESENTED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT  

The governance board will only review the evidence which was presented to the superintendent, and no new evidence shall be considered unless good cause is shown for the failure to include such during the meeting with the superintendent. If new evidence is accepted for submission by the board, then the other party shall be given a reasonable amount of time to present evidence on their behalf before the board renders its decision.  

[Approved by the Governance Board on 2/13/2024]