• USDA Civil Rights Compliance

    Albertville City Schools ensures compliance with USDA civil rights regulations in our School Meal Programs, promoting non-discrimination and equal access for all students. We collect voluntary race and ethnicity data to help evaluate the effectiveness of our programs while maintaining strict confidentiality. Our commitment is to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for every participant.

    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.  
    5. 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 basis identified in the complaint and in the programs indicated in the complaint. Reprisal that is based on prior civil rights activity is prohibited.

    Complaint Procedure

    In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity* and sexual orientation*), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

    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 is linked below.

    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.

    Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

    To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete Form AD-3027 - USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form. You can also obtain one from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992 or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

    • Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410.
    • Fax: (202) 960-7442
    • Email: program.intake@usda.gov 

    This institution is an equal-opportunity provider.

    *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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