Procedures for Staff to Notify Parents of Changes in Certain Student Services or Monitoring

  • Parents possess the fundamental right to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children.  In compliance with Florida Statutes, if there is a change in a student’s services or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being and the school’s ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student, Pinellas County Schools (PCS) staff must notify the student’s parent.  If personal contact cannot be made after using all of the contact information in Focus, staff must document the attempts in writing. 

    PCS already has existing procedures to ensure parent notification, if not actual input, in many instances involving a change in a student’s services or monitoring related to their mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.  The following are examples of this: 

    • Certain related services on a student’s IEP or Section 504 plan 

    • Safety Plans and Stay Away Agreements 

    • Health Care Plans 

    • Positive Behavior Intervention Plans 

    • Student Support Plans 

    • Baker Act  

    In instances involving such a change in services or monitoring where no procedures currently exist, this general procedure will control, and staff will be trained to make the required parental notification. 

    In addition, any time that a student discusses their well-being with a PCS staff member, the staff member must either (i) encourage the student to discuss such issues with their parent or (ii) actually facilitate discussion of the issue with the parent.  Except in the limited circumstances noted in the paragraph below, staff should not discourage students from sharing information with their parent(s).

    Notwithstanding the requirements above, school personnel may, in accordance with Florida law, withhold information from a parent if a reasonably prudent person would believe that disclosure would result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect, as those terms are defined in Section 39.01, F.S. 

    Legal Authorities:  Sections 1001.42(8), 1002.20, 1014.04, and 39.01, F.S.