FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you decide what my child will learn in school?

Palo Verde School has incorporated the State curriculum for each grade level, K-8. Once your child has satisfactorily completed the requirements and program objectives for his/her grade level as determined by the district, a student will then move into the next higher grade.

What if my child is struggling to keep up at his current grade level?

The Palo Verde School District's professional staff has developed the criteria for determining a student's eligibility for a remedial program. We are prepared to provide instructional programs to meet the needs of any student who may require remedial instruction.

My child has special education needs. Will your district be able to provide for this?

If it were to become evident that your child had some exceptionality that is not permitting maximum performance in the regular class, it will be necessary to evaluate his/her program, and if possible, provide a program that aids in the fullest development of his/her potential. For that reason, special education exists in Palo Verde School. Every child has the right to an education suitable to abilities and needs.

Can your school provide instruction for my gifted child?

We provide gifted services under the guidance of the Gifted Coordinator. Our staff will assess your child to determine areas of giftedness, and we provide an extension program for these students.

Which standardized test does your district use to test the academic development of my child?

We administer the AASA Test in grades 3-8 as measurements of student achievement in Reading, Language, and Mathematics. The AzSCI in grades 5 and 8 as measurements of student achievement in Science.

May I meet with my child's teacher to discuss his/her progress?

Absolutely! It is important that we keep you, as the parent or guardian, informed of your child's progress in school. Our professional staff will make every effort to contact your home in order to report progress or to seek assistance when a learning problem is recognized or unresolved. Your child's teacher will schedule parent conferences as often as is necessary to achieve optimum understanding between the home and the school. We will hold conferences regularly each year for all students K-8. We invite you to schedule conferences with school personnel anytime you feel it necessary in an effort to promote home/school communications.

How much time do you expect my child will spend on homework each day?

Your child's teacher will assign homework only if he/she feels it is necessary to provide additional practice to reinforce skills learned at school, or to help make up assignments not completed in class or missed due to absence. Quantities of daily homework/projects assigned are dependent upon age and grade level with the following suggestions:

Grades 1-2-3 : 15-30 minutes

Grades 4-5: 3 0-60 minutes

Grades 6-7-8: 45-75 minutes

These times may vary according to individual student work habits and the teacher's judgment of student capabilities. Your child will receive After School Study Hall if homework is not regularly completed.

What should I do if my child is absent from school?

There are two types of absences, excused and unexcused. In the case of an excused absence, it is the responsibility of the parents or the guardians to notify the school of excused absences as soon as possible after the absence occurs. You must contact the school within forty-eight hours after the absence, in writing.

An unexcused absence is any absence that the parents or guardians do not report to the office.

Please read the guidelines in the Student Handbook for more detailed information regarding absences.

How do I know if my child is too sick to go to school?

No child can really enjoy his school when he is not physically up to par. Furthermore, the child may spread communicable disease among the other children. Please keep your child at home when he/she has the following symptoms:

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Fever or flushed face

  • Sore throat or severe cough

  • Red or swollen joints

  • Chills

  • Severe Skin rash

  • Runny nose

  • Loss of taste or smell

My child must take medication during school hours. Will your staff be able to give it to him/her?

Under certain circumstances, when it is necessary for a student to take medicine during school hours, the District will cooperate with the family physician and the parents when you meet the following requirements:

  • There must be a written order from the physician stating the name of the medicine, the dosage, and the time the child must take the medication.

  • The parent or guardian must sign a written permission form to allow the school or the student to administer the medicine. Appropriate forms are available from the school office.

  • The medicine must come to the school office in the prescription container or, if it is over the counter medication, in the original container with all warnings and directions intact.

Does my child have to be immunized before attending school?

Yes. It is the law that all students receive the state-required immunizations in order to attend an Arizona public school. Please see details of the immunization requirements on the Registration page.

What is the cost of school lunches and how do we make payment?

Breakfast cost is $1.25 full price, .30 reduced; Lunch cost is $2.75 full price, .40 reduced. The school encourages the purchase of meals by the week or month. Please do not try to charge the cost of your child's meal. If that becomes necessary, a limit of 3 days is set on the number of days we will accept charges. After the 3-day limit, until such a time as all charges are paid, the student will be served a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We will collect meal money before school and during the morning recess. Students will pay for meals in the cafeteria.

Is there a student dress code at Palo Verde?

Yes. The safety dress code states that your child must have footwear at all times. In addition, there are certain things that we have defined as "unacceptable". Unacceptable items include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Immodest clothing

  • Slits and holes in clothing

  • Stocking caps or hairnets

  • Clothing or articles worn other than the way they were intended to be worn.

If anyone in the district staff deems a student's dress inappropriate or distracting to the learning environment, the student must change his/her inappropriate clothing.

Since Palo Verde School District is in close proximity to the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Plant, what will you do to ensure my child's safety?

There are four emergency classifications given to problems which could occur at the nuclear power plant: an Unusual Event, an Alert, a Site Area Emergency, or a General Emergency. Please read the Student Handbook for definitions of these states of emergency and their procedures.