BEST Academy's policy is to comply with applicable federal and state laws and regulations. The Charter School is the local agency primarily responsible for compliance with federal and state laws and regulations governing educational programs. Pursuant to this policy, persons responsible for conducting investigations shall be knowledgeable about the laws and programs, which they are assigned to investigate. This complaint procedure is adopted to provide a uniform system of complaint processing for the following types of complaints:

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• Complaints of unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation or bullying against any protected group, including actual or perceived discrimination, on the basis of the actual or perceived characteristics of age, ancestry, color, mental disability, physical disability, ethnic group identification, gender expression, gender identity, gender, genetic information, immigration status/citizenship, marital status, medical condition, nationality, national origin, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, or sexual orientation, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics in any Charter School program or activity.

• Complaints of violations of state or federal law and regulations governing the following programs including but not limited to:  Education of Pupils in Foster Care, Pupils who are Homeless, former Juvenile Court Pupils, and Pupils from Military Families, Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAP), Migrant Education Programs, Every Student Succeeds Act / No Child Left Behind Act (2001), Programs (Titles I-VII), including improving academic achievement, compensatory education, limited English proficiency, and migrant education, Special Education Programs, State Preschool, Bilingual Education Comprehensive School Safety Plans,

• A complaint may also be filed alleging that a pupil enrolled in a public school was required to pay a pupil fee for participation in an educational activity as those terms are defined below.

  • “Educational activity” means an activity offered by a school, school district, charter school or county office of education that constitutes an integral fundamental part of  elementary and secondary education, including, but not limited to, curricular and extracurricular activities.

  • “Pupil fee” means a fee, deposit or other charge imposed on pupils, or a pupil’s parents or guardians, in violation of Section 49011 of the Education Code and Section 5 of Article IX of the California Constitution, which require educational activities to be provided free of charge to all pupils without regard to their families’ ability or willingness to pay fees or request special waivers, as provided for in Hartzell v. Connell (1984) 35 Cal.3d 899. A pupil fee includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

    • A fee charged to a pupil as a condition for registering for school or classes, or as a condition for participation in a class or an extracurricular activity, regardless of whether the class or activity is elective or compulsory or is for credit.

    • A security deposit, or other payment, that a pupil is required to make to obtain a lock, locker, book, class apparatus, musical instrument, uniform or other materials or equipment.

    • A purchase that a pupil is required to make to obtain materials, supplies, equipment or uniforms associated with an educational activity.

  • A pupil fees complaint may be filed anonymously if the complaint provides evidence or information leading to evidence to support an allegation of noncompliance with laws relating to pupil fees.

  • If the Charter School finds merit in a pupil fees complaint the Charter School shall provide a remedy to all affected pupils, parents, and guardians that, where applicable, includes reasonable efforts by the Charter School to ensure full reimbursement to all affected pupils, parents, and guardians, subject to procedures established through regulations adopted by the state board.

  • Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit solicitation of voluntary donations of funds or property, voluntary participation in fundraising activities, or school districts, school, and other entities from providing pupils prizes or other recognition for voluntarily participating in fundraising activities.

• Complaints of noncompliance with the requirements governing the Local Control Funding Formula, Local Control and Accountability Plans, or Sections 47606.5 and 47607.3 of the Education Code, as applicable.

• Complaints of noncompliance with the requirements of Education Code Section 222 regarding the rights of lactating pupils on a school campus.

• Complaints of noncompliance with the requirements of Education Code Section 48645.7 regarding the rights of juvenile court school pupils when they become entitled to a diploma.

• Complaints of noncompliance with the Charter School’s School Safety Plan.

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Please email asoriano@bestacademycs.com with questions or click the box below to access BEST Academy's Uniform Complaint Form.