Complaint Procedures Homepage

The Board of Trustees recognizes that the district has the primary responsibility for ensuring that it complies with applicable state and federal laws and regulations governing educational programs. The district shall investigate and seek to resolve complaints at the local level.

Grenada Elementary School District (GESD) has established procedures to address allegations of unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying, and complaints alleging violation of state or federal laws governing educational programs and the charging of unlawful pupil fees.

GESD shall investigate and seek to resolve complaints using policies and procedures known as the Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP) adopted by our local board. Unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying complaints may be based on actual or perceived age, ancestry, color, ethnic group identification, gender expression, gender identity, gender, disability, nationality, national origin, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or on a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, in any program or activity that receives or benefits from state financial assistance.

The UCP shall also be used when addressing complaints alleging failure to comply with state and/or federal laws in Consolidated Categorical Aid Programs, Migrant Education, Career Technical and Technical Education and Training Programs, Child Care and Developmental Programs, Child Nutrition Programs, Special Education Programs, and Safety Planning Requirements.

For more information about how to file a complaint, please review the related documents at the bottom of this page .

Contact information for information :

UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES

What is a Uniform Complaints Procedures or UCP complaint?

A Uniform Complaint Procedures or UCP complaint is a written statement alleging discrimination, harassment, or a violation of a federal or state law or regulation. A UCP complaint must be filed by way of the Uniform Complaint Procedures as written in the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, sections 4600-4687. Issues that may involve filing a complaint using the UCP are under various state and federal programs that use categorical funds such as Adult Education, Career Technical And Technical Education And Training Programs, Child Care And Developmental Programs, Child Nutrition Programs, Consolidated Categorical Aid Programs, Federal Safety Planning Requirements, Migrant Education, and Special Education Programs.

A Williams Complaint, another type of UCP complaint, regards instructional materials, emergency or urgent facilities conditions that pose a threat to the health and safety of pupils, and teacher vacancy or misassignment and may be filed anonymously. Local educational agencies (LEAs) shall have a complaint form available for these types of complaints, but will not reject a complaint if the form is not used as long as the complaint is submitted in writing.

A Valenzuela complaint (Assembly Bill 347) is a type of Williams Complaint and requires LEAs that receive intensive instruction funds to post a notice in Grades 10 to 12 classrooms and provide an area on the Williams Complaint form for alleging a lack of opportunity to receive intensive instruction and services for pupils who have not passed one or both parts of the high school exit exam by the end of 12th grade. This requirement is subject to SBX3 4 (Ch. 12, Third Extraordinary Session, Statutes of 2009), ABX4 2 (Ch. 2, Fourth Extraordinary Session, Statutes of 2009), Education Code Section 42605, and/or existing contract or bargaining agreements that the LEA may have in place.

Not all complaints fall under the scope of the UCP. Many concerns are the responsibilities of the LEAs, including, hiring and evaluation of staff, classroom assignments, student advancement and retention, selection/provision of textbooks and materials, student discipline, provision of core curricula subjects, facilities, graduation requirements, homework policies and practices, use of general education funds and dress codes and school uniforms.

The following documents describe the process in filing a complaint. Topics include referring complaint issues, LEA responsibilities, LEA policies and procedures, filing a local complaint, time lines, appealing LEA Decisions, department resolution procedures, the on-site investigation process, and the investigation and final report procedures of the California Department of Education (CDE).

Uniform Complaint Procedures

Williams Act Complaints

The Williams, et al., vs. State of California, et al. (Williams) case was filed as a class action in 2000. The basis of the lawsuit was that the agencies failed to provide public school students with equal access to instructional materials, safe and decent school facilities, and qualified teachers.

The case was settled in 2004, resulting in laws that ensure that all students have equal access to the basics of a quality education, including textbooks and instructional materials, safe and decent school facilities, qualified teachers, accurate reporting on the School Accountability Report Card, and a Uniform Complaint for alleged violations.

Education Code 35186 creates the Williams uniform complaint procedures for the filing of complaints concerning deficiencies in textbooks or instructional materials, conditions of facilities that are not maintained in a clean or safe manner or in good repair, or teacher vacancy or misassignment. The following form contains elements required by Education Code 35186 and 5 CCR 4681-4683. During the Federal Program Monitoring process, California Department of Education staff will check to ensure that the complaint form includes all of the elements specified below. The complaint and response are public documents as provided by law. Complaints may be filed anonymously. However, if you wish to receive a response to your complaint, you must provide the contact information requested in the form below.

All schools in California must comply with requirements and accountability measures contained in the Williams legislation.  The Williams legislation requires the county superintendent of schools to monitor schools eligible for monitoring under the Williams settlement legislation.  As outlined in AB 599, schools that meet the criteria listed below are eligible for monitoring under the Williams settlement legislation:

  • Schools eligible for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); or

  • Schools eligible for Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) under ESSA; or

  • Schools with fifteen percent or more of the school’s teachers that do not possess a valid and clear or preliminary teaching credential.

Schools that have Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) are excluded from the Williams list.

The resources below provide complete details about the Williams Lawsuit Settlement and resources for implementation. (Resource websites and documents will open in a new browser window and may open behind the current window.)

Williams Lawsuit Settlement Resources

Complaints Concerning District Employees

This type of complaint may be filed by a member of the public against an employees of the District. This type of complaint should be used to address general concerns with employees conduct or performance. This is not for complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Before using this form, please review the specific types of complaints identified below to determine whether another form of process is more appropriate.