Required Notices
Required Notices
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In accordance with H.R. 3797 and H.R. 3801, printed and mailed copies of the 1095-C form will no longer be distributed automatically to district employees (or retirees). This change is being implemented to reduce paperwork and administrative costs to school districts.
Going forward, eligible employees must request their annual 1095-C forms via a Google Form: 1095-C request form
1095-C forms are not required when filing annual tax returns.
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The New York State Dignity For All Students Act (Dignity Act) was signed into law on September 13, 2010. This legislation amended State Education Law by creating a new Article 2 – Dignity for All Students.
The Dignity Act states that NO student shall be subjected to harassment or discrimination by employees or students on school property or at a school function based on their actual or perceivedrace, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexualorientation, gender, or sex.
The Dignity Act amended Section 801-a of New York State Education Law regarding instruction in civility, citizenship and character education by expanding the concepts of tolerance, respect for others, and dignity.
The Dignity Act also amended Section 2801 of the Education Law, instructing Boards of Education toinclude language in the codes of conduct to comply with the Dignity Act.
Cato-Meridian has appointed three DASA coordinators, one at each building level. Please contact any of the DASA coordinators if you have a specific question about an issue related to students’ mistreatment on behalf of another student or staff member.DASA Coordinators:
Jennifer Sabatino
Elementary School
315-626-3439, Extension 2822Robert Wren
Junior-Senior High School
315-626-3439, Extension 3806DASA Administrative Liaison:
Tyler Baker, Director of Pupil Personnel Services
315-626-3439, Extension 3804 -
In accordance with Education Law Section 2-d, the Cato-Meridian Central School District hereby sets forth the following Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security, which is applicable to all students and their parents/legal guardians.
A student's personally identifiable information cannot be sold or released for any commercial purposes;
In accordance with FERPA, Section 2-d and Board Policy 72400 Student Records: Access and Challenge, parents have the right to inspect and review the complete contents of their child's education record;
The District has the following safeguards in place to protect student data, including personally identifiable information stored or transferred by the District.
a. All databases that have student information are protected by a secure password and login. These logins are monitored and kept up to date.
b. Student information is only accessible by those that are deemed warranted of having the information.
The New York State Education Department collects a number of student data elements for authorized uses. A complete list of all student data elements collected by the State is available for public review from the State Education Department. Websites and mailing addresses will be made public when they become available.
Parents have the right to submit complaints about possible breaches of student data or teacher or principal APPR data. Any such complaint must be submitted, in writing, to our Data Privacy Officer:
Mr. Lucas Smith, Data Privacy Officer
2851 State Route 370, Cato NY 13033Cato-Meridian CSD Software Supplemental Information - 2D Compliance List
Cato-Meridian CSD Data Breach Reporting
Privacy & Security Policy
Third Party Information -
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Lead Testing Results At Levels Below Threshold
Initial testing of 65 potable water outlets in the district's schools were analyzed by a New York State certified environmental laboratory. The results showed that lead levels in our buildings' drinking outlets were below 15 micrograms per liter or parts per billion that is the threshold which would have required the district to develop a lead remediation plan.
While no water outlet tested in the district exceeded the permissible limit for lead contamination, further testing/monitoring of outlets will occur in accordance with State Education Department and Department of Health regulations and guidelines.
Follow-Up Testing Update (Fall 2016)
As reported above, testing of water outlets used or potentially used for drinking were well below the threshold which would have required the development of a corrective action plan. An additional 32 outlets in restrooms and closets were tested in late October which resulted in 3 sinks in restrooms at the high school, 20 additional outlets tested with 2 sinks in restrooms at the middle school and 38 additional outlets with 3 sinks in classrooms at the elementary school were found to have levels above the allowed threshold. These sinks have been labeled “Not For Drinking” and the maintenance department will take corrective measures to resolve the issues at these fixtures.
If you have any questions regarding the district’s lead testing protocols, please call Brenda Semeraro, School Business Administrator, at (315) 626-2716, extension 5006.
Latest Testing Results (Spring 2017)
Follow-up testing was done on the eight (8) outlets identified in the fall testing round and found to have levels of lead above the allowed threshold (3 sinks in the high school restrooms, 2 sinks in the middle school restrooms, and 3 sinks in elementary school classrooms - none of these outlets are drinking fountains).
Results from additional testing at the end of march showed lead levels below the acceptable threshold and well within the permissible limits of water quality levels.
The District will continue to monitor water quality at outlets in accordance with State Education Department and Department of Health regulations and guidelines.
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Cato-Meridian Central School District is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website for all students, parents, employees and members of the community, and that is why our staff is working diligently to implement the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) level AA on our website.
Providing equal access to all is extremely important to us, and so we welcome your assistance by providing feedback on any existing barriers you might encounter through our online presence. Your feedback will help us continue to improve our website and foster an inclusive environment. Please fill out the form submission below with your comments.
Adobe Acrobat is required to view and print PDF documents that appear on this website. To download this program for free, visit the Adobe website. To read PDF documents with a screen reader, please refer to the Access Adobe website, which provides useful tools and resources.
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In accordance with New York State Education Law § 926, Cato-Meridian Central School District is sharing information with families about drowning prevention, water safety, and safe and healthy swimming.
Stay Close and Pay Attention- Children should be actively supervised whenever they are in or near water, including pools, bathtubs and natural bodies of water.
- Young children and inexperienced swimmers should remain within arm’s reach of a responsible adult.
- Never allow anyone to swim alone. Choose designated swimming areas supervised by a lifeguard whenever possible.
- Pools should be secured with four-sided fencing and a self-closing, self-latching gate to help prevent unsupervised access.
- Empty buckets, wading pools and other containers immediately after use.
Practice Safe Habits
- Help children develop swimming and water-safety skills. Swimming lessons can reduce risk, but they do not replace adult supervision.
- Wear a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while boating or participating in water activities. Inflatable toys and swimming aids are not substitutes for life jackets.
- Check water and weather conditions before swimming and follow all posted rules and lifeguard instructions.
- Never dive into water that is less than 8 feet deep or when the depth and underwater conditions are unknown.
- Avoid alcohol and drugs while swimming, supervising swimmers or operating a boat.
Protect Your Health
- Do not swallow pool, lake or recreational water.
- Shower before and after swimming.
- Stay out of the water when experiencing diarrhea or when you have an open cut or wound.
- Take young children on frequent bathroom breaks and check swim diapers regularly.
- Do not swim in water that appears cloudy, discolored or otherwise unsafe.
Be Prepared for an Emergency
If someone is struggling in the water, call 911 immediately. Whenever possible, assist the person from a safe location using a reaching pole, rope or flotation device rather than entering the water yourself. CPR with rescue breathing and first aid can save a life. Families are encouraged to learn these lifesaving skills.
New York State Water-Safety Resources
Families are encouraged to review the following information developed by the New York State Department of Health:
Drowning Prevention and Water Safety for Children and Teens
Safe and Healthy Swimming
Safe Swimming Tips for Everyone