Parent Information

School Fee information is available in the student handbook.

Free Lunch Info

Great news for you and your students! All enrolled students at Northern Local Schools grades K-12 are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2025-2026 school year. No further action is required of you. Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these programs without having to pay a fee or submit an application. This year, the program is funded through the National School Lunch Program called the Community Eligibility Program (CEP).

Your student may qualify to have school fees waived. To apply for the academic fee waiver or the ACT waivers, you must complete the Household Income Survey found in your child's back to school packet. You can also find the survey on our district website under the Forms and Links tab. 

The logistics of a school day require everyone to be on the same page. We appreciate your cooperation with the following procedures for our elementary drop-off and dismissal. For safety reasons, parents are NOT permitted to walk their children to class or pick up their children in the hallway or at the classroom door. Parents who bring their children to school in the morning are requested to drop their children off at the designated area/door.

At the beginning of the year, please notify your child's teacher about the routine your child should follow daily at the dismissal time. Any changes in a student's dismissal routine must be written in a note to the child's teacher: otherwise, students will be dismissed according to their normal dismissal routine. Changes needed for pick up that arise during the school day should be communicated to the office by 3 p.m., if possible. 

Emergency school closings will be communicated to families through local media (television, radio), the Messages XR system and social media. 

See the links below to our local news networks to see the most up to date closings and delays.

WCMH (Channel 4)

WSYX (Channel 6)

WBNS (Channel 10)

Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act authorizes the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program and is the primary piece of federal legislation related to the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness. It was reauthorized in December 2015 by Title IX, Part A, of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Homeless resources are available at the Northern Local School District Office. Your local Homeless Liaison is Kelly Wright, kwright@nlsd.k12.oh.us, (740) 743-1303.

Dear Parent/Guardian:

You have the right to know about the teaching qualifications of your child's classroom teacher in a school receiving Title I funds. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that any school district receiving Title I funds must notify parents of each student attending any school receiving Title I funds that they may request, and the district will provide the parents on request (and in a timely manner), information regarding the professional qualifications of the student's classroom teachers, including at a minimum, the following:

I. Whether the teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;

II. Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and 

III. Whether the teacher is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher;

IV. Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

You may ask for the information by providing your child's full name, parent/guardian full name, your address and the teacher's name and mailing it to: Administrative Offices, 8700 Sheridan Road NW, Thornville, OH 43076. You may also fax the information to (740) 743-3301.

Northern Local School District participates in an effort to identify, locate and evaluate all handicapped children and youth through age 21 who might benefit from services offered at Northern Local. Handicapped individuals are defined as those who are multi-handicapped, hearing, visual, orthopedic, health, sever behavior, developmental, specific-learning, and speech and language handicapped. If you know of a handicapped child not currently attending school and/or not receiving appropriate educational services, please contact Superintendent Angie Gussler, 8700 Sheridan Road, Thornville, OH 43076, (740) 743-1303.

To serve the requirement of a child custody order, a parent should present and official order to be placed on record for the guidance of attendance and administrative offices. Ohio Revised Code 3313.672 states, "The custodial parent of the child shall notify the school of those custodial arrangements." Our district's primary concern is knowing the legal custodian, residential parent, and the answer to the question, "Can your child be dismissed to a non-custodial parent?" Schools are obligated to follow court documentation regarding the rights of a non-custodial parent. 

Any student who moves or changes his/her address or phone number should inform their building secretary as soon as possible. This information is important for school and athletic records, as families will receive information via mail throughout the school year. The Messages XR system is used to notify parents of emergencies or school closings, so it's important to notify the building secretary of any phone number changes. Families moving out of the Northern Local School District are required to notify the school and complete withdraw paperwork. 

For admission to Northern Local Schools, all students must have proof of immunizations against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), rubella, measles, mumps, polio, HEP B series, chickenpox (varicella) and meningococcal (7th and 12th). Failure to meet this requirement may lead to dismissal from school until immunizations are secured. Immunizations are required for students unless the parent/guardian files an objection with the district in accordance with law. For questions, please contact the elementary or secondary office. 

In compliance with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and School Board Policy JO/JO-R, "Student Records," the following information is provided to parents of students in the Northern Local School District. Parents or students 18 years of age or older, or enrolled in a post-secondary school, have the following rights as they pertain to student records:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records. 

2. The right, in accordance with administrative procedures, to seek to correct parts of the student's education record that are believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy rights, including the right to a hearing if the school authority decides not to alter the records according to the parent or eligible student's request. Parents or eligible students should submit a request to amend records to the principal, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed and specifying why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the School District does not amend the record as requested, it will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedure will be provided when the parent or eligible student is notified of a right to a hearing. 

3. The right of any person to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if the district violates relevant federal law, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

4. The right to acquire information concerning the procedure which the parent/guardian or eligible student should follow to obtain copies of this policy, the locations from which these copies may be obtained, as well as any fees to be charged for such copies. A copy of the school district's FERPA policy is available, upon request, from the superintendent's office. 

5. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records except to the extent that FEPA authorizes disclosure without consent. Those desiring to review or inspect student records may present their written request to school officials. A mutually agreeable time will be established for review. Any amendments to the student's records will follow guidelines as established in Board Policy JO/JO-R. Student records will be accessed by school officials with legitimate educational interest. A school official is a person employed by the district as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel): a person serving on the School Board: a person or company with whom the district has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditory, medical consultant or therapist): or a parent or student serving on an official committee such as disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate education interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. This annual notice will be transmitted (upon request) to disabled parents and eligible students in a format designed to accommodate their disability. 

Ohio’s Parent’s Bill of Rights affirms the role of parents as the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives and education. It ensures that parents have access to information about their child’s education, health, and well-being, including curriculum materials, instructional content, and school records. The bill protects the right of parents to be involved in decisions regarding their child’s upbringing, values, and medical care, while also requiring schools to maintain open communication with families and respect parental input. Its goal is to strengthen the partnership between schools and families by prioritizing transparency, accountability, and respect for parental authority.

Parents Bill of Rights - Comprehensive Parent Notice and Consent