Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pregnant Parenting Students topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council Rock updates pregnant/parenting student policy to reflect state changes
Summary
The policy committee on Aug. 4 revised district language to remove a "married" reference and to reflect state law that districts must provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant and parenting students without requiring a doctor's note for routine accommodations. The committee placed the item on the consent first-read agenda.
The Council Rock School District policy committee reviewed and revised the district's policy on pregnant and parenting students at its Aug. 4 meeting. Staff said recent changes in state law shifted the burden away from students: schools cannot require a doctor's note before granting reasonable accommodations routinely associated with pregnancy, such as more frequent breaks or schedule adjustments.
Why it matters: the change removes the requirement that a student must provide a medical certification for common, reasonable accommodations and clarifies that it is the district's responsibility to provide accommodations that enable continued participation in school.
Details: staff recommended removing a reference to "married" students so the policy focuses specifically on pregnant and parenting students. Members discussed that statewide teen pregnancy rates have declined and that Council Rock currently has few or no students the board identified as pregnant. Staff said the policy language codifies statutory requirements and that, whether or not the district has current cases, it must be prepared to provide accommodations.
Next steps: the committee placed the revised policy on the consent first-read list for subsequent board consideration. No further substantive changes were proposed at the meeting.
