Welcome Back, 25-26 Successes, Focus for 26-27

August is here! The time when back-to-school events begin to take place. August athletic practices are set to officially begin, back-to-school sales are starting, and family vacations are wrapping up. Throughout the summer, our team has been hard at work preparing for the new school year—hiring staff, analyzing data, improving facilities, and ensuring a welcoming environment for all.

Thanks to the 2024 bond, construction has been underway across the district, including a new middle school and a variety of capital improvements. The new central office opened in January, which brought the information technology department and district’s internet infrastructure into the new building. This was done with money the district had in hand. We are excited to start the new school year in the new Platte Valley Middle School. While site construction will continue throughout the fall, the end is in sight, and the revamped campus will provide a safer and more community-oriented learning and working environment for our community. Everything that has been and will be completed is exactly what we said we would do. Promise made, promise delivered with nothing more and nothing less.

As the 2026-2027 school year approaches, we are excited to welcome back our students, families, and staff. Before we look ahead, we would like to take a moment to celebrate some of our 2025-2026 accomplishments.

2025-2026 Highlights and Successes. We had several celebrations last year that highlight the strong work Platte Valley School District does on a daily basis; below are just a few:

• Platte Valley School District maintained its A1 rating by Moody’s during its most recent issuer comment and continues to be recognized for its history of “strong financial performance, prudent financial management, and conservative budgeting practices.”
• Platte Valley School District ranked in the top 20 of Best School Districts in Colorado by Niche Rankings.
• Platte Valley School District juniors once again exceeded the national average in the SAT.
• Platte Valley Middle School FFA Program was named the Colorado Middle School Chapter of the Year at this year’s FFA State Conference.
• Platte Valley High School FFA Conduct of Chapter Management (CCM) won a state championship and Platte Valley Senior Brayden Carpio won in Dairy Production competition. The CCM team will compete at the National FFA Convention in October.
• Platte Valley High School FCCLA student Anyelyin Lozoya was a state champion and qualified for the National FCCLA competition in July.
• Platte Valley Senior Megan Hunt was named All-State Choir.
• Platte Valley Sophomore Lilly Rodriguez won a state championship in Pole Vault.
• Platte Valley Elementary Destination Imagination team finished 5th place at the state competition.
• Platte Valley School District again exceeded a 93% student attendance rate, beating the state average, with Platte Valley Elementary leading the way at 94.8%.

Outside Agencies. Complaints regarding violations of Title VI, (race, national origin), Title IX (sex, gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 

80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.

Notice of Rights under FERPA. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records.  These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day the “School” receives a request for access. 

Parents or eligible students who wish to inspect their child’s or their education records should submit to the school principal a written request that identifies the records 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.

1.  The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the “School” to amend their child’s or their education record should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. 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 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.

1. The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from 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.  The criteria for determining who constitutes a school official and what constitutes a legitimate educational interest must be set forth in the school’s or school district’s annual notification for FERPA rights.  A school official typically includes a person employed by the school or school district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or a person serving on the school board.  A school official also may include a volunteer,  contractor, or consultant who, while not employed by the school, performs an institutional service or function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.  A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Disclosure of Directory Information. Directory information may also be disclosed without written consent of the parent or eligible student. “Directory information” means information contained in a student’s education record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Directory information which may be released may include  the student's name, photograph, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, grade level, enrollment status, degrees, honors and awards received, the most recent previous education agency or institution attended by the student, and other similar information. Directory information also includes a student identification number or other unique personal identifier displayed on a student ID badge or used by the student to access or communicate in electronic systems, but only if the identifier cannot be used to gain access to student education records except when used in conjunction with one or more factors that authenticate the user’s identity, such as a password known only by the authorized user.

Student telephone numbers and addresses will not be disclosed pursuant to this section.

As required by FERPA, the District will specify a reasonable "period of time" for parents/eligible students to tell the district not to disclose directory information. The parent or eligible student has the right to refuse to permit the designation of any or all of the categories of directory information if such refusal is received in writing in the office of the principal of the school where the student is in attendance no later than September 1 or the following Monday if September 1 is a Saturday or Sunday.

Upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to officials of another school or school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer.  

Families wishing to review additional information related to disclosure of information should refer to Policy JRA/JRC.

1. 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:

• Student Privacy Policy Office
• U.S. Department of Education
• 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC  20202

Notification of Rights under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (“PPRA”) affords parents/guardians certain rights regarding the conduct of surveys, collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. 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"), if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the U.S. Department of Education (ED):

1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student's parent/guardian.
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 parents/guardians.
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.
3. Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.

• Inspect, upon request and before administration or use:

1. Protected information surveys of students.
2. Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes.
3. Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.

These rights transfer from the parents/guardians to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor ("eligible student") under state law. 

The district will develop and adopt policies, in consultation with parents/guardians, 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.

The district will directly notify parents/guardians of these policies at least annually at the start of each school year and after any substantive changes. The district will also directly notify, such as through U.S. Mail or electronic mail, parents/guardians of students who are scheduled to participate in the specific activities or surveys noted above and will provide an opportunity for the parent/guardian to opt his or her child out of participation in the specific activity or survey. The district will make this notification to parents/guardians 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/guardians 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/guardians will also be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys.

The following is a list of the specific activities and surveys covered under this requirement:

1. Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales or other distribution.
2. Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or in part by ED.
3. Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described above.

Parents/guardians and eligible students who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:

• Family Policy Compliance Office
• U.S. Department of Education
• 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20202-5901

Notice of Rights Under Section 504. Section 504 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that guarantees specific rights in federally funded programs and activities to people who qualify as disabled. The Act defines a person with a disability as anyone who:

• Has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning or working.

In order to fulfill its obligations under Section 504/ADA, Platte Valley School District recognizes a responsibility to avoid discrimination in policies and practices regarding its personnel and children. No discrimination against any person with a disability will knowingly be permitted in any of the programs and practices of the school district.

The school has specific responsibilities under the Act, which include the responsibility to identify, evaluate and, if the child is determined to be eligible under Section 504/ADA, to afford access to appropriate educational services.

For more information, or if you have questions or concerns about a current 504 plan contact Tiffany Loeffler, Section 504/ADA Coordinator for Platte Valley School District. Tiffany can be contacted at 970.336.8500. 

Sex Offender Registry. District policy JLFF, and C.R.S. 22-1-124 addresses information related to the communication of registered sex offenders. Families and community members may obtain law enforcement agency information pertaining to registered sex offenders by contacting: 

• Kersey Police Department
• Weld County Sherrif’s office
• Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). Platte Valley School District has completed the necessary inspection and management plans as required by the A.H.E.R.A. legislation, the District is also in complete compliance with the Federal Asbestos in School Rule of 1982. The Director of Operations is Stuart Peterson. The Management Plans and Inspection Reports are available for each building at the District Maintenance Office, 131 9^th Street, Kersey CO. 80644. Reports are available for review during normal business hours. A copying fee will be required if copies of reports or sections thereof are requested. Questions regarding this notification may be directed to Justin Decker at 970.336.8500