All Tea Area School District policies can be found on the District's website at teaarea@k12.sd.us or can be obtained from any school office or the District Office. Should you have any questions regarding these annual notifications, please contact your school principal or the District Office at 605-498-2700 option 5.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund was established in response to the immense challenges facing students, educators, staff, schools, and districts in preparing for and responding to COVID-19. View the Plan

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act [(AHERA) 40 C.F.R. Part 763)] requires that all public school buildings be inspected or re-inspected for the presence of asbestos every three years after an Asbestos Management Plan is in effect. The same statute also requires initial and annual notifications of the availability of an asbestos management plan which outlines the steps to be taken to eliminate any hazards. The Tea Area School District has a very limited amount of asbestos-containing materials which are located only in the District Education Center and the Legacy Elementary building. On August 10, 2023 an accredited inspector performed the required three-year re-inspection. The inspector concluded that all areas frequented by students and staff throughout the buildings have been properly maintained. These materials are in good condition and we will continue to manage them in place as recommended by the school district's accredited asbestos management planner. A copy of the inspection report which details the locations for those materials and the proper management procedures is available for public inspection during normal working hours at the District Education Center located at 131 N Poplar Avenue.

Federally funded school breakfasts and lunches are available for all students enrolled in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12 in the Tea Area School District. Free or reduced priced meals are available to households directly certified through the Department of Social Services or households meeting the federal income guidelines. Applications are required on a yearly basis. Notifications are mailed to households when the application process is complete or notice of direct certification has been received by the Child Nutrition Office.

Tea Area School District Food & Nutrition Website

In accordance with federal Title regulations, the Tea Area School District must inform students and parents of Policy KLB (Public Complaints About the Curriculum or Instructional Materials), Policy KL (Public Complaints), Policy AC-E (Public Complaints About Federal Programs), Policy KLD (Public Complaints About School Personnel), and Policy KLE (Complaint Against School Employee). The Tea Area School District welcomes constructive criticism of the schools when it is motivated by a sincere desire to improve the quality of the educational program and to help the school personnel in performing their tasks more effectively. The policies provide the specific procedures for contacting district personnel with this feedback. Policies can also be obtained from any school office or the District Office.

The Tea Area School District has developed and implemented policies and procedures on the confidentiality of information consistent with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.

The parents/guardians of a child who is now or was enrolled in the Tea Area School District shall be afforded, in accordance with this policy, an opportunity to inspect and review all education records concerning that child.

Confidentiality procedures are assurances that personally identifiable data shall be used for the purpose for which it is collected and be released only in the manner provided by law.

Policy JO and JOA.
Policies can also be obtained from any school office or the District Office.

FERPA Notifications

Applicants for admission and employment, students, parents, employees, and all unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with the Tea Area School District 41-5 are hereby notified that this school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the schools compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 is directed to contact the following persons designated by the school to coordinate efforts to comply with the regulations regarding nondiscrimination:

Title VII, Title IX: Dr. Samantha Walder, Tea Area Curriculum Director
Section 504 Coordinator: Michael Bullis, Middle School Principal
ADA: Jody Taylor, Special Education Director
Tea Area School District 41-5
PO Box 488
Tea, SD 57064
605-498-2700

Or you may contact:
Regional Director at the Office for Civil Rights, US Department of Education,
8930 Ward Parkway, Suite 2037
Kansas City, MO 64114-3002
Telephone: 816-268-0550
Fax: 816-823-1404
TDD: 877-521-2172
Email: OCR.KansasCity@ed.gov

Individuals with disabilities who require assistance or special arrangements to participate in a program or activity sponsored by the Tea Area School District, please contact the superintendent, principal, or director. We request that you provide 48 hours' notice so that proper arrangements may be made.

Policy AC
Policies can be obtained from any school office or the District Office.

Annual Internal Notice to Students/Parents and Employees

Section 504 is an Act which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in any program receiving federal financial assistance. The Act defines a person with a disability as anyone who

1. has a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, (Major life activities include activities such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working);

2. has a record of such impairment; or

3. is regarded as having such an impairment.

In order to fulfill obligations under Section 504, the Tea Area School District has the responsibility to avoid discrimination in policies and practices regarding its personnel and students. No discrimination against any person with a disability should knowingly be permitted in any of the programs and practices of the school system. Section 504 Coordinator, Michael Bullis, may be contacted at 60-498-2700 for more information.

The school district has responsibilities under Section 504, which include the obligation to identify, evaluate, and if the student is determined to be eligible under Section 504, to provider appropriate educational services. If the parent(s)/guardian(s) disagrees with the determination made by the professional staff of the school district, he/she has a right to a hearing with an impartial hearing officer.

Policy ACB
Policies can also be obtained from any school office or the District Office.

The Tea Area School Policy AC outlines the District’s Complaint procedure concerning Federal Programs. This policy is available on the District’s website TeaArea.k12.sd.us or upon request at the District Office (131 N Poplar Ave Tea, SD)

Disputes involving the enrollment, transportation, and other barriers to the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness are also addressed under this procedure. The parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth may initiate the dispute resolution process directly at the school they attend as well as at the District Office. The parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth shall be provided with a written explanation of the District’s decision including the rights of the parent/guardian or youth to appeal the decision.  Students shall be provided all services for which they are eligible while disputes are resolved.  Unresolved complaints may be forwarded by the stakeholder to the South Dakota Department of Education for review.  (Consult SD DOE Complaint Procedure)

Policy JOA
Policies can be obtained from any school office or the District Office.

The School Board shall make reasonable efforts to identify homeless children within the School District, encourage their enrollment, and eliminate barriers to their education which may exist in District policies or practices, in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Homeless students, as defined by federal and state statutes in Policy JLG, residing within the District, are entitled to free school privileges. No child or youth in the School District shall be discriminated against or stigmatized because of homelessness.

Policy JLG
Policies can be obtained from any school office or the District Office.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. South Dakota Codified Law 13-3-51.2 provides greater rights to parents. These include the right to:

Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected areas (“protected information survey”)

1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;

2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;

3. Sex behavior or attitudes;

4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;

5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;

6. Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;

7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student’s parent; or

8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of –

1. Any other protected information survey, regardless of funding;

2. Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under State law; and

Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others. (This does not apply to the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for the exclusive purpose of developing, evaluating, or providing educational products or services for, or to, students or educational institutions.)

·Inspect, upon request and before administration or use –

1. Protected information surveys of students and surveys created by a third party;

2. Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes; and

3. Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

These rights transfer from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State law.

Tea Area School District has developed and adopted policies, in consultation with parents, regarding these rights, as well as arrangements to protect student privacy in the administration of protected information surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes.  Tea Area School District will directly notify parents of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes. Tea Area School District] will also directly notify, such as through U.S. Mail or email, parents of students who are scheduled to participate in the specific activities or surveys noted below and will provide an opportunity for the parent to opt his or her child out of participation of the specific activity or survey.  Tea Area School District will make this notification to parents at the beginning of the school year if the District has identified the specific or approximate dates of the activities or surveys at that time.  For surveys and activities scheduled after the school year starts, parents will be provided reasonable notification of the planned activities and surveys listed below and be provided an opportunity to opt their child out of such activities and surveys.  Parents will also be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys.  Following is a list of the specific activities and surveys covered under this direct notification requirement:

• Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for marketing, sales, or other distribution.

• Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or in part by ED.

• Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described above.

Parents who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:
Student Privacy Policy Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202

Public Notice for Child Find

The Tea Area School District believes in providing an appropriate education for all children enrolled in the district. 

Superintendent Jennifer N. Lowery of the Tea Area School District announces that the district provides Special Education and Section 504 “Child Find” searches to identify and evaluate children within the district boundaries, under the age 21, who may not be receiving an appropriate education. The district principal(s) and special education staff are the designated contact persons for any individual who would like to refer a child within the boundaries of the school district for additional educational services. 

Any person who knows of a child within the district who may be in need of additional educational services or has unmet educational needs may give the child’s name to either the building principal(s), special education staff, or they may call the school district’s administrative office at 605-498-2700 ext. 5 to make a referral.

After obtaining parental consent, the district will conduct an evaluation of the child’s needs, at no cost to the family, and hold a meeting with the child’s parent/guardian to discuss appropriate educational planning for the child.

Please understand that a parent/guardian is not expected to diagnose a child’s educational needs before they ask for help.

Public Notice for Speech/Language and Hearing Screenings

The Tea Area School District will be conducting its annual Speech/Language and Hearing screenings during the first semester of school. The Speech/Language and Hearing screenings will be conducted at the following student grade levels:

KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS - All Kindergarten students will be screened for both Speech/Language and Hearing difficulties.

1st AND 3rd GRADE STUDENTS - All 1st and 3rd grade students will be screened for Hearing difficulties only.

In the event a student has difficulty during the screening, school district staff will contact the student’s parent/guardian to make arrangements to re-test the area of concern.  The screenings are the responsibility of the local school district and will be provided at no cost to all participating students.

For further information please contact:  Kristina Becker, Legacy Elementary Principal; Barb Hansen, Frontier Elementary Principal; Jay Swatek, Venture Elementary Principal;Tea Area School District, Tea, SD  57064; 605-498-2700.

South Dakota Special Education Comprehensive Plan- Link