• TSBVI Career Fair – March 25, 2026 from 2-6pm in the Outreach Building (Hatlan Room) Now Hiring for: Travel Chaperone Full-time, 50% Travel Chaperone, 50% Residential Instructor, Travel Chaperone Part-time, School Bus Driver
Search
Alerts (1)
/ Administration / Campus Policies / F Policy Index: Students / FNG Student Rights and Responsibilities: Student and Parent Complaints

FNG Student Rights and Responsibilities: Student and Parent Complaints

PHILOSOPHY

Parents are partners with educators, administrators, and the School’s Board of Trustees in their child’s education.  Parents shall be encouraged to actively participate in creating and implementing educational programs for their children.  Education Code 26.001(a)

Unless otherwise provided by law, the Board, a School administrator, or an educator may not limit parental rights.

LEGAL REFERENCES

United States Constitution

The School shall take no action abridging the freedom of speech or the right of the people to petition the Board for redress of grievances.  U.S. Constitution Amend. I, XIV [See FNA]

The Board may confine its meetings to specified subject matter and may hold nonpublic sessions to transact business.  But when the Board sits in public meetings to conduct public business and hear the views of citizens, it may not discriminate between speakers on the basis of the content of their speech or the message it conveys.  Rosenberger v. Rector & Visitors of Univ. of Virginia, 515 U.S. 819, 828 (1995); City of Madison v. Wis. Emp. Rel. Comm’n, 429 U.S. 167, 174 (1976); Pickering v. Bd. of Educ., 391 U.S. 563, 568 (1968)

Texas Constitution

Citizens shall have the right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together for their common good and to apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of grievances or other purposes, by petition, address, or remonstrance.  Texas Constitution Art. I, Sec. 27

There is no requirement that the Board negotiate or even respond to complaints.  However, the Board must stop, look, and listen and must consider the petition, address, or remonstrance.  Prof’l Ass’n of College Educators v. El Paso County Cmty. [College] Dist., 678 S.W.2d 94 (Tex. App.—El Paso 1984, writ ref’d n.r.e.)

Federal Laws

Section 504

A district that receives federal financial assistance, directly or indirectly, and that employs 15 or more persons shall adopt grievance procedures that incorporate appropriate due process standards and that provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  34 CFR 104.7(b)

Americans with Disabilities Act

A district that employs 50 or more persons shall adopt and publish grievance procedures providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action that would be prohibited by the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 28, Part 35 (Americans with Disabilities Act regulations).  28 CFR 35.107

Title IX (Discrimination and Retaliation)

Because TSBVI receives federal financial assistance, directly or indirectly, it shall adopt and publish these grievance procedures providing for prompt investigation and equitable resolution of student complaints alleging any action prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.  34 C.F.R. 106.8(b) [See also FB]

PARENT DEFINED

For purposes of Education Code Chapter 26 (Parental Rights), “parent” includes a person standing in parental relation, but does not include a person as to whom the parent-child relationship has been terminated or a person not entitled to possession of or access to a child under a court order.  Except as provided by federal law, all rights of a parent under Education Code Title 2 and all educational rights under Family Code 151.001(a)(10) shall be exercised by a student who is 18 years of age or older or whose disabilities of minority have been removed for general purposes under Family Code Chapter 31 unless the student has been determined to be incompetent or the student’s rights have been otherwise restricted by a court order.  Education Code 26.002

PARENTAL RIGHTS LISTED IN EDUCATION CODE CHAPTER 26

Parental Rights listed in Education Code Chapter 26 are:

  1. Rights concerning academic programs. Education Code 26.003  [See EHA, EIF, FDB, and FMH]
  2. Access to student records. Education Code 26.004  [See FL]
  3. Access to state assessments. Education Code 26.005  [See EKB]
  4. Access to teaching materials. Education Code 26.006  [See EF and EKB]
  5. Access to Board meetings, other than a closed meeting under the Open Meetings Act. Education Code 26.007 [See BE and BEC]
  6. Right to full information concerning a student. Education Code 26.008 [See DF, FFE, and FM]
  7. Right to information concerning special education and education of students with learning disabilities. Education Code 26.0081 [See FB]
  8. Requests for public information. Education Code 26.0085 [See GBA]
  9. Consent required for certain activities. Education Code 26.009 [See EHA, FFE, FL, FM, and FO]
  10. Refusal of psychiatric or psychological treatment of child as basis for report of neglect. Education Code 26.0091 [See FFG]
  11. Exemption from instruction. Education Code 26.010 [See EMB]

Education Code 26.001(a)(c)

Right to Attend School Activities

Unless limited by court order, a parent appointed as a conservator of a child has at all times the right to attend school activities, including school lunches, performances, and field trips.  Family Code 153.073(a)(5)

COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

The Board establishes the following procedures to consider complaints that a parent’s right has been denied and as a grievance procedure under which the Board shall address each complaint that the Board receives concerning a violation of Education Code Chapter 26 (Parental Rights).  Education Code 26.001(d), 26.011

The purpose of these procedures is to secure at the lowest possible administrative level, prompt and equitable resolution of student or parent complaints. Except as provided below, all student or parent complaints shall be presented in accordance with this policy.

The Board is not required by the provision above or Education Code 11.1511(b)(13) (requiring adoption of a process to hear complaints) to address a complaint concerning a student’s participation in an extracurricular activity that does not involve a violation of a right guaranteed by Education Code Chapter 26.  This provision does not affect a claim brought by a parent under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 et seq.) or a successor federal statute addressing special education services for a child with a disability.  [See FOF]

Education Code 26.011

CERTAIN COMPLAINTS

Complaints regarding certain topics are also addressed by specific policies that may modify this complaint process or require an alternative process:

  1. Discrimination on the basis of gender [See also FB]
  2. Sexual abuse or sexual harassment of a student [See FFH]
  3. Loss of credit on the basis of attendance [See FEC]
  4. Teacher removal of a student for disciplinary reasons [See FOA]
  5. Removal of a student to a disciplinary alternative education program [See FOA, FOB, FOC and resident local school district policies.]
  6. Expulsion of a student [See FOD]
  7. Identification, evaluation, or educational placement of a student with a disability within the scope of Section 504 [See FB]
  8. Identification, evaluation, or educational placement of a student with a disability within the scope of IDEA: EHBA and the parent’s rights handbook provided to parents of all students enrolled in the School’s regular school year program
  9. Instructional materials [See EF and EFA]
  10. On-campus distribution of non-school materials to students [See FMA]

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Unless otherwise provided by a policy referenced above, students or parents shall be entitled to informal conferences with administrators to resolve their complaints.  If such attempts are unsuccessful, the students or parents may take their complaint to the Board. If a complaint involves a problem with a teacher, the student or parent in most circumstances shall be expected to discuss the matter with the teacher before requesting a conference with the Principal or Program Director at Level One. The student may be represented by an adult at any level of the complaint.

Days

The definition of “day” means calendar day unless otherwise defined in law or Board policy.

In computing any period of time prescribed or allowed by this policy, the day of the aggrieved act, event, or default after which the designated period of time begins to run is not to be included.  The last day of the period is included, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, in which event the period runs until the end of the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday.    The day on which a complaint is filed is not counted in calculating the designated period of time.  If a complaint is received by mail, the date of the filing is the date of the postmark.

Any extension to the stated timelines in this policy shall be considered by the Superintendent on a case by case basis.

LEVELS OF REVIEW

Pursuant to Chapter 26A of the Texas Education Code, TSBVI will provide the following levels of review:

  • Level One – review by the Principal or principal’s designee, or an appropriate administrator
  • Level Two – an appeal to the Superintendent or Superintendent’s designee
  • Level Three – An appeal to the Board of Trustees, or the Board may delegate the authority to hear and decide a grievance to a committee of at least three members of the Board. A decision by a Board committee is considered a Board decision for purposes of an appeal to the Commissioner under Section 7.057.

GENERAL PROVISIONS REGARDING STUDENT/PARENT GRIEVANCES AND APPEALS

Pursuant to Chapter 26A of the Texas Education Code, the following general provisions apply grievances and appeals filed by a student or parent under this policy:

  • Retaliation against a student or parent for filing a grievance or appeal is prohibited by any TSBVI board member or TSBVI staff member;
  • A person who is the subject of the grievance must recuse himself or herself from reviewing the grievance; and the student or parent may request a higher level of review if the person who would otherwise review the grievance is required to recuse himself or herself;
  • TSBVI will create a written record of each hearing on the grievance, including documents submitted by the person who filed the grievance or determined relevant by TSBVI personnel, and the written decision with explanation for the basis of the decision and an indication of which document supports the decision;
  • The person who filed the grievance may supplement the record with additional documents or additional claims; however, the Superintendent or Board may remand to a lower level of review if needed to develop the record;
  • A TSBVI board member may file a grievance, but must recuse himself or herself from voting on matters related to the grievance;
  • Grievances filed with the wrong administrator will be directed to the appropriate administrator, and the grievance will be considered filed as of the date received by the initial administrator;
  • Decisions will be issued on the merits of the concerns raised , notwithstanding procedural errors or the type of relief requested;
  • Unless other required by law, hearings or meetings at which the grievance will be discussed may be open or closed at the request of the person who filed the grievance;
  • For grievances before the Board, the person who filed the grievance will be provided, at least five business days before the date of the meeting to discuss the grievance, a description of the information the Board intends to rely on that is not already contained in the record, and the meeting will be recorded by video or audio recording;
  • TSBVI will annually submit to TEA a report on grievances filed the preceding year, including the resolution of the grievance and any corrective actions taken.

TIMELINES FOR STUDENT/PARENT GRIEVANCES AND APPEALS

Pursuant to Chapter 26A of the Texas Education Code, the following timelines apply to grievances and appeals filed by a student or parent under this policy:

  • A parent or person standing in parental relation to a student enrolled at TSBVI may file a grievance within 60 days from the date on which the parent or person knew or had reason to know of facts giving rise to the grievance;
  • If the parent or person engaged in informal attempts to resolve the grievance, the parent or person may file no later than 90 days from the date the parent or person knew or should have known of the facts, or 30 days from the date on which TSBVI provided information regarding how to file the grievance;
  • The Level One and Level Two administrator will hold a hearing no later than the 10th business day after the date on which the grievance or appeal was filed;
  • The Level One and Level Two administrator will issue a written decision no later than the 20th business day after the date of the hearing that includes any relief or redress to be provided, and information regarding filing an appeal;
  • A parent or person standing in parental relation has 20 days to file an appeal from the date of the written decision;
  • For an appeal before the Board, the Board will hold a meeting to discuss the grievance not later than the 60th business day after the date on which the previous decision on the grievance was made, and will issue a decision not later than the 30th business day after the date the meeting was held.

TSBVI will make publicly available in a prominent location on the website, and in the student handbook, the procedures for filing a grievance, standardized forms for filing a grievance, a notice of appeal, or request for hearing, and the method by which the form may be filed electronically.

The Superintendent shall inform the student or parent of the date, time, and place of the meeting. The presiding officer shall establish a reasonable time limit for complaint presentations.

The Board shall hear the complaint and take whatever action it deems appropriate.  The lack of official action by the Board shall upho9ld the administrative decision at Level Two.  The Board President shall provide a written response stating the decision of the Board within ten days from the date of the hearing before the Board.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

A parent is entitled to:

  1. Request from the Superintendent, with the expectation that the request will not be unreasonably denied:
    1. *The addition of a specific academic class in the course of study of the parent’s child in keeping with the required curriculum if sufficient interest is shown in the addition of the class to make it economically practical to offer the class. [See EHA]
    2. *That the parent’s child be permitted to attend a class for credit above the child’s grade level, whether in the child’s school or another school, unless the Board or its designated representative expects that the child cannot perform satisfactorily in the class. The decision of the Board concerning such a request is final and may not be appealed. [See EHA]
    3. Have a child who graduates early participate in graduation ceremonies at the time the child graduates. [See EIF]

*The decision of the Board concerning these requests is final and may not be appealed. Education Code 26.003(a)(3)(A), (B), (b)

STUDENT RECORDS AND INFORMATION

A parent is entitled to full information regarding the school activities of a parent’s child except as provided by state child abuse laws.  A parent is entitled to access to all written records of the School concerning the parent’s child, including:

  1. Attendance records;
  2. Test scores;
  3. Grades;
  4. Disciplinary records;
  5. Counseling records;
  6. Psychological records;
  7. Applications for admission;
  8. Health and immunization information;
  9. Teacher and counselor evaluations; and
  10. Reports of behavioral patterns.

Education Code 26.004, 26.008(a) [See FL, FM]

CHALLENGE TO EDUCATION RECORDS

The School shall give a parent or eligible student, on request, an opportunity for a hearing to challenge the content of the student’s education records on the grounds that the information contained in the records is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the privacy rights of the student.  34 C.F.R. 99.21 [See FL]

OBJECTION TO CLASS ASSIGNMENT

The parent or person standing in parental relation to any student may object to the student’s class assignment.  Upon receiving a written petition to request or object to a student’s assignment, the parent should confer with the student’s teacher. If the outcome is not satisfactory, the parent shall present a written complaint according to the procedure described above in this policy and to the ARD Committee. If the complaint reaches the Board for resolution, the Board shall follow the procedures set forth at Education Code 25.034.  Education Code 25.033(2), .034  [See FDB]

COMPLAINTS AGAINST PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES

A person may not file suit against a professional employee of the School unless the person has exhausted the School’s remedies for resolving the complaint.  Education Code 22.0514

“Professional employee’ includes:

  1. A superintendent, principal, teacher, including a substitute teacher, supervisor, social worker, therapist, school counselor, nurse, and teacher’s aide employed by TSBVI;
  2. A teacher employed by a company that contracts with TSBVI to provide the teacher’s services to the School;
  3. A student in an education preparation program participating in a field experience or internship;
  4. A DPS-certified school bus driver;
  5. A member of the Board; and
  6. Any other person whose employment by the School requires certification or license and the exercise of discretion.

Education Code 22.051(a)

DENIAL OF CLASS CREDIT OR FINAL GRADE

If a student is denied credit or a final grade for a class by an attendance committee, the student may appeal the decision to the Board.  Education Code 25.092(d)  [See FEC]

FINALITY OF GRADES

An examination or course grade issued by a classroom teacher is final and may not be changed unless the grade is arbitrary, erroneous, or not consistent with the School’s grading policy applicable to the grade, as determined by the Board.

The Board’s determination is not subject to appeal.  This provision does not prohibit an appeal related to a student’s eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities under Education Code 33.081.  [See FM]  Education Code 28.0214

PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS

When the School receives a request from a parent for public information relating to the parent’s child, the School shall comply with Government Code Chapter 552 (Public Information Act).  The School shall also comply with the deadlines and provisions set forth at Education Code 26.0085.  Gov’t Code Ch. 552; Education Code 26.0085

If the parent’s request is for the educational records of their child, the procedure and applicable laws can be found in TSBVI Board Policy FL.

Fees

TEA or the School may charge a reasonable fee in accordance with the public information laws, for copies of materials described above provided to a parent.  Education Code 26.012 [See GBA]

ASSESSMENTS

A parent is entitled to access to a copy of each state assessment instrument administered to the parent’s child, but a parent is not entitled to access to copies of questions that are being field-tested by TEA and were not used to compute a student’s score.  Education Code 26.005 [See EKB]

PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION

If a group of teachers and parents organize a bona fide Parent-Teacher Organization, the Board shall cooperate in the establishment of ongoing operations of at least one parent-teacher organization at the School to promote parental involvement in school activities.  Education Code 26.001(e) [See GE]

BOARD MEETINGS

A parent is entitled to complete access to any meeting of the Board, other than a closed meeting held in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.  The Board must hold each public meeting in compliance with the Open Meetings Act. [See BE]  Education Code 26.007

LIMITATIONS ON SCHOOL EMPLOYEES

An attempt by any School employee to encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from the child’s parent is grounds for discharge or suspension without pay.  Education Code 26.008(b) [See DF]

Parental Consent

A School employee must obtain the written consent of a child’s parent before the employee may:

  1. Conduct a psychological examination, test, or treatment, unless the examination, test, or treatment is required by state child abuse laws. [See FFE]
  2. Make or authorize the making of a videotape of a child or record or authorize the recording of a child’s voice. [See EHA, FM]

Consent Not Required

A School employee is not required to obtain the consent of a child’s parent before the employee makes a videotape or authorizes the recording of a child’s voice if the videotape or voice recording is to be used only for:

  1. Purposes of safety, including the maintenance of order and discipline in common areas of the school or on school buses. [See FO]
  2. A purpose related to a co-curricular or extracurricular activity. [See FM]
  3. A purpose related to a regular classroom instruction. [See EHA]
  4. Media coverage of the school.

Education Code 26.009

Exemption from Instruction

A parent is entitled to remove the parent’s child temporarily from a class or other school activity that conflicts with the parent’s religious or moral beliefs if the parent presents or delivers to the teacher of the parent’s child a written statement authorizing the removal of the child from the class or other school activity.  A parent is not entitled to remove the parent’s child from a class or other school activity to avoid a test or to prevent the child from taking a subject for an entire semester, nor is the child exempt from satisfying grade level or graduation requirements in a manner acceptable to TSBVI and TEA.

Education Code 26.010 [See EMB]

Note:        See EHBAB for provisions concerning students with disabilities; see the FO series for provisions concerning student discipline; see FL for provisions concerning student records.

Adopted:         10/13/78

Amended:       1/14/88, 6/1/89, 9/27/91, 9/25/92, 1/29/93, 11/18/94, 11/14/97, 5/28/03, 10/3/14, 11/21/14, 8/9/19, 5/28/20, 2/6/26

Reviewed: