Public Notices

Approved Educator Evaluation Plan

In accordance with Regents Rule 30-3.3(a)(2), below is a copy of Questar’s approved educator evaluation plan.

APPR Rating and Scores Request

New York State law allows parents and legal guardians of a student to request the final quality rating and the overall effectiveness score for each teacher and building principal assigned to their student for the current school year. A parent or legal guardian must request this information by completing a request form and mailing it.

Annual Fire Inspection Notice

Notice is hereby given that the annual inspection for 2024-25 of the Donald R Kline Technical School, Pole Barn at Donald R Kline Technical School, Administrative Offices, Instructional Support Center, John E. Sackett Educational Center, Marilyn A. Noonan School at Durham, Storage Container at Marilyn A. Noonan School at Durham, Storage Container at Marilyn A. Noonan School at Durham, Temporary CTE Storage at Marilyn A. Noonan School at Durham, Robert H Gibson Technical School, Pole Barn at Robert H Gibson Technical School, and Warehouse of the Rensselaer-Columbia-Greene (Questar III) BOCES for fire hazards which might endanger the lives of students, teachers, employees therein, has been completed and the report thereof is available at the Administrative Offices at 10 Empire State Blvd., Castleton, NY 12033 for inspection by all interested persons. Annual inspection notices, and information on availability of reports, for fire hazards for spaces that are leased by Questar III will be found on the website of the leasing school district upon completion of the inspections.

Child Abuse Reporting

New York’s Education Law requires each public school to post information about the Child Abuse Hotline number. Do you suspect child abuse or maltreatment? Report it now.

Call the New York State Office of Children and Family Services toll free at 1-800-342-3720
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call TDD/TTY at 1-800-638-5163 or have your Video Relay System provider call 1-800-342-3720
If you believe that a child is in immediate danger, please call 911 or the local police department.

Reporte el abuso infantil Las leyes de educación del estado de Nueva York requieren que las escuelas públicas den a conocer al público el número telefónico para reportar el abuso o maltrato infantil. ¿Cree usted que algún menor de edad es víctima de abuso o maltrato? ¡Repórtelo de inmediato!

Llame a la oficina de servicios para niños y familia del estado de Nueva York (Childen and Family Services – OCFS). La llamada es gratituita: 1-800-342-3720.
Si usted tiene dificultades auditivas, llame a TDD/TTY al número 1-800-638-5163 o utilice su sistema de retransmisión de video hablando al número 1-800-342-3720.
Si usted considera que el menor de edad se encuentra en peligro, por favor llame inmediatamente al 911 o la estación local del departamento de policía.

Code of Conduct

A primary responsibility of Questar III is to create a stimulating educational environment for all students, in an atmosphere that is conducive to teaching, learning and living. This is achieved in part with a focus on the rights and responsibilities of all members of the community. It is the philosophy of the staff, faculty and administration of Questar III that all people be treated with respect. Our students are responsible individuals, each with rights that deserve consideration and deference. Our students also have responsibilities to themselves, each other and to all members of the community. The premise of this code of conduct is that only the consideration and protection of the rights of all persons preserve the rights of individuals. It is the intent of the Board of Education that this code of conduct establishes minimum standards of behavior for students and all others who occupy, use or visit school property or any premises under control of the BOCES.

Dignity for All Students Act

Harassment, Discrimination, Bullying and Cyberbullying Reporting – Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Harassment, discrimination, bullying and cyberbullying can take many forms. It may take the form of bullying, taunting or intimidation, and may or may not include physical contact. It generally is based upon the targeted student’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation, or the student’s associations with others. It may be:

Verbal — Name-calling, teasing, inappropriate sexual comments, taunting, threatening to cause harm.
Social — Spreading rumors about someone, excluding others on purpose, telling other children not to be friends with someone, embarrassing someone in public.
Physical — Hitting, punching, shoving, kicking, pinching, spitting, tripping, pushing, taking or breaking someone’s things, making mean or rude hand gestures.
Social Media — Using Social Media to taunt, threaten, spread rumors, embarrass.

If you have observed or become aware of an incident of discrimination, harassment and bullying, the following form should be submitted using the link on the right-hand side of the page under DASA Links. Questar III staff members are required to report incidents – whether directly observed or reported to them by others – to the principal. Students are expected to report incidents of discrimination, harassment and bullying to a teacher, principal or other staff member. Parents and students also may contact their Dignity Act Coordinator to report incidents. Parents and students may file a DASA Incident form with the Dignity Act Coordinator for the student’s school. The principal of each Questar III BOCES school serves as their school’s Dignity Act Coordinator and can be found by clicking Building Principal link on the right-hand side of the page, under DASA Links. The Coordinators provide the State Education Department with an annual summary of all material incidents of discrimination and/or harassment which occur on school property (including on a school bus) or at a school function. New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (Dignity Act) seeks to provide school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying. It is the goal of Questar III to create school environments which recognize and promote tolerance, respect for others and civility toward people of all kinds. Questar III BOCES’ Code of Conduct also prohibits discrimination, harassment, bullying and cyberbullying of students by other students, employees, or others on school property or at school functions.

District-Wide School Safety Plan (Project SAVE)

View District-Wide School Safety Plan (Project Save) Emergencies and violent incidents in school districts are critical issues that require comprehensive planning and training. The New York State Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) law requires school districts and BOCES to develop a school safety plan to prevent and/or minimize the effects of serious violent incidents and natural/manmade disasters, and to facilitate the coordination of state, local and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies. Project SAVE is a comprehensive planning effort that addresses prevention, response, and recovery with respect to a variety of emergencies in each school district and BOCES and the related schools. The district-wide plan is responsive to the needs of programs within the BOCES and aligns with the more detailed Building-Level Emergency Response Plans required at the BOCES school building level.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides parents/guardians and students who are 18 years of age or older (known as “eligible students“) with certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. Parents/guardians and eligible students have the right to:

Inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day a request for access is received by the school. These requests should be submitted to the school principal;
Request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent/guardian or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights;
Provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent as outlined below:

File a complaint with the USDOE concerning alleged failures by the district to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA are: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202.

Release of Student Directory Information/Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

From time to time, student directory information is published on the Questar III BOCES website, in school publications, social media and/or released to the media to recognize student achievement or depict educational activities of the Questar III BOCES. Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can be disclosed to outside organizations, by law, without a parent or guardian’s prior consent.

Directory information includes:

Student’s name
Major course of study
Participation in school activities
Dates of attendance
Degrees and awards received
Home school attended
Student’s photograph (examples may include: school yearbooks; school video; honor roll or other recognition lists; graduation programs; photo of students in BOCES publications that depict them at work in a classroom.)

Parents/guardians or eligible students have until September 15 of each school year to notify the BOCES of any objections they have to the release of any of the above listed directory information for that school year. To opt-out, send written notification to the BOCES principal or program supervisor for the program your child attends. Please Note: While the BOCES will honor the request of any parent/guardian who has submitted written notification to opt their child out of publicity efforts, the BOCES is not responsible for media that covers news happenings, graduations or other public events.

Lead Test Results

Water quality testing has been completed at Questar III schools in compliance with New York State legislation enacted in September 2016. Results from individual schools and buildings will be posted below: 2025-26 results

2020-21 results

2016 results

Non-Discrimination Notice for Employees and Applicants for Employment

Questar III does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, creed, sexual orientation, military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, domestic violence victim status, or other characteristic protected by federal or state law in its programs and activities, including but not limited to recruitment and appointment of employees, employee pay and benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. Questar III provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The persons in the sidebar at Questar III have been designated to handle inquiries regarding Questar III’s non-discrimination policies and the application of regulations prohibiting discrimination.

Non-Discrimination Notice for Students and Prospective Students

Questar III does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, weight, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or other characteristic protected by federal or state law in its programs and activities, including but not limited to admission, access to and participation in educational programs, course offerings and student activities. Questar III provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The persons in the sidebar at Questar III have been designated to handle inquiries regarding Questar III’s non-discrimination policies and the application of regulations prohibiting discrimination.

Parents' Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security

State and Federal laws protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information and safeguards associated with industry standards and best practices, including but not limited to, encryption, firewalls and password protection, to be in place when data is stored or transferred. Questar III has adopted various policies to help ensure that personally identifiable information (“PII”) of students and staff is protected, that parents/guardians and eligible students have access to their student records for inspection and review; and processes to identify and correct possible breaches of data security. Questar III Board policies are available at here. Parents are directed to the following particular policies relating to data privacy and security relating to student records and PII. These policies are:

- - 3-106 Student Records Policy
  - 7-120 Data Classification and Management Policy
  - 7-211 Information Security, Breach and Notification Policy
  - 7-214 Data Security and Privacy Policy

Parents/guardians and eligible students have the right to review their student records, including student data maintained by Questar III for the student, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and Policy 3-106. Inquiries regarding access to student records should be made to the building principal or program administrator. A complete list of all student data elements collected by the State is available for public review at the NYS Education Department or by writing to the Chief Privacy Officer at the NYS Education Department. A student’s PII cannot be sold or released by Questar III for any commercial purposes. Parents have the right to have complaints about possible breaches of student data addressed. Complaints should be directed to: Questar III District Superintendent 10 Empire State Boulevard Castleton, New York 12033 518-477-8771 This bill of rights is subject to change based upon regulations of the Commissioner of Education and the NYSED Chief Privacy Officer.

Report Cards

The BOCES Report Card is created by the New York State Education Department each year, and all BOCES are required to post it on their websites.

Student Cell Phone and Personal Electronic Device Policy 3-138

In compliance with the mandates of SED, Questar III adopted a Student Cell Phone and Personal Electronic Device Policy 3-138. This policy can be found here, and on our BoardDocs Policy page.

Web Accessibility

It is the goal of Questar III BOCES that the information on our website be accessible to individuals with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities. Good faith efforts have been made to ensure that our website complies with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, set forth by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to the best of our technical ability. Most pages on our site are available in HTML format that can be deciphered by assistive technologies. Some documents are in Adobe PDF format, which require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can download it for free from Adobe’s website. If you are unable to access any page(s) or documents in our site, please email our helpdesk with detailed information on the location of the page (URL) or document you were attempting to access. Please provide us with your name and contact information so that we may follow-up with you. We will do our best to correct the issue or provide the information in a better format. Please note that some pages on our website contain links to third-party sites, which are not within our control and may not comply with accessibility standards. Questar III is not responsible for the content or accessibility of third-party sites.

Water Safety Information

New York State Education Law §926 requires school districts to provide information to families about:

- - Drowning Prevention
  - Water Safety
  - Safe and healthy swimming

Families are encouraged to review water safety information with their children and take steps to help prevent accidents in and around bodies of water. The New York State Department of Health provides the following resources:

- - Safe Swimming Tips for Everyone
  - Safe and Healthy Swimming

This information is also provided to parents/guardians at the beginning of the school year and to families of new enrollees during the school year. Translation of this information is available upon request into one of the 12 most common non-English languages in New York state.