Syracuse City School District ESSA-Funded Complaint Procedure
Every effort is made to answer inquiries and resolve issues at the most direct and immediate level. If an issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved through communication with the child’s school, a formal complaint procedure may be implemented. The first point of contact for all such complaints is the Chief Ombuds Officer, serving as the Superintendent’s designee, at (315) 435-4144. A log of such calls will be maintained on file in the Chief Ombuds’ Office.
In the event that the complaint alleges that the SCSD has violated a law, rule or regulation in the administration of any covered Federal Program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the complainant will be referred to Michael Puntschenko, Chief Financial Officer, at (315) 435-4826. A log of such complaints—to include such information as the originating school building, the principal’s name, the person making the complaint, the nature of the complaint, and how the complaint was resolved—will be maintained on file in the Office of Special Programs.
If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved, the complainant will be asked to submit a formal complaint in writing. The complainant will be informed that if the issue is not satisfactorily resolved at the District level within 28 business days, he/she is entitled to initiate a complaint with the New York State Education Department.
To initiate such complaint with NYSED, a complainant must submit a written, signed letter including the following:
- A statement that the State, LEA, or neglected and/or delinquent facility has violated a requirement of a federal statute or regulation that applies to an applicable program under ESEA, including:
- Title I, Part A: Grants to Local Educational Agencies
- Title I, Part D: Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk
- Title II, Part A: Supporting Effective Instruction
- Title III, Part A: Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students
- Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enhancement Grants
- Title IV, Part B: 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
- The facts on which the statement is based, including sufficient information as to when, where and the nature of activity that is perceived to be in violation of law and/or regulation.
- Documentation of attempts to resolve the issue with appropriate personnel at the local level where the child, subject to the complaint, attends (e.g. school building, school district, neglected and/or delinquent facility, METS Program Center, or grantee administrators). Appropriate personnel could include the child’s teacher, building principal, pupil personnel director, METS Director, Director of the Facility, the superintendent and/or local board of education.
- The complainant’s recommendation for resolving the complaint.
Make a Complaint
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Complaints may be emailed to: CONAPPTA@nysed.gov with “COMPLAINT” in the subject line of the email. |
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Alternately, a complaint may be mailed to NYSED at the following address: |
NYSED’s procedure for review, resolution, and right to appeal may be found here.
