USDA Civil Rights

  • DATA COLLECTION

    The Food Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires all School Meal Program sponsors to collect race and ethnicity data of applicants and participants.  The purpose of this data collection effort is to determine how effectively School Meal Programs are reaching potentially eligible students.  Responses have no effect on eligibility.  

    School Meal Program sponsors must notify applicants and participants that:

    (1) the purpose of collecting race and ethnicity data is to determine how effectively School Meals Programs are reaching potentially eligible students,  

    (2) provision of this data is voluntary, and

    (3) responses are kept confidential, and

    (4) responses have no effect on eligibility.  

    Data collection in Albertville City Schools is conducted through PowerSchool, our student information system.  

  • USDA POLICY

    Federal law and policy prohibits discrimination against you based on the following: race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity* and expression*), sexual orientation*, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, and political beliefs. (Not all bases apply to all programs). USDA will determine if it has jurisdiction under the law to process the complaint on the bases identified in the complaint and in the programs indicated in the complaint. Reprisal that is based on prior civil rights activity is prohibited.

    COMPLAINT PROCEDURES 

    If at any time a parent or staff member feels as though their or their child's Civil Rights have been violated, please immediately contact the cafeteria manager at the school location, Child Nutrition Program Director, or Federal Programs Coordinator.  In addition, the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form can be located here: Discrimination Complaint Form.  

    This form may be used if you believe you have experienced discrimination in any USDA program or activity, and you wish to file a complaint of discrimination. The form can be used to file a complaint of discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity* and expression*), sexual orientation*, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from public assistance program and political beliefs. If you need assistance filling out the form, you may call any of the telephone numbers listed at the bottom of the complaint form. You are not required to use the complaint form. You may write a letter instead. If you write a letter it must contain all of the information requested in the form and be signed by you or your authorized representative.

    *The enclosed “non discrimination” language herein was added pursuant to the May 5, 2022, USDA memorandum. However, although included as currently required for audit compliance by the USDA, the State of Alabama objects to its inclusion, applicability and the application of this language due to currently pending legal challenges in the matter of THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, ET AL. V. USDA, ET AL., Case No. 3:22-cv-00257, and may be subject to change or removal.

     
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