Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Service Animals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
East Stroudsburg committee updates service-animal policy to clarify requests, 504/IEP process and miniature-horse factors
Summary
The committee reviewed a revised service-animal policy that directs parents or guardians to submit requests to building principals, routes requests to Section 504/IEP teams, and lists considerations for miniature horses; administration said the district may not request documentation of the individual's disability.
The East Stroudsburg Area SD policy committee reviewed revisions to the districtservice-animal policy that clarify how families request a studentservice animal and how the district evaluates requests under Section 504 or an individualized education program (IEP).
Under the draft language, parents, guardians or students with disabilities must submit a request to the building principal, who will forward the request to the appropriate Section 504 or IEP team. The team is then to gather information, evaluate the request and update the studentIEP or 504 service plan if the service animal is approved.
The draft adds that the district may ask only whether the service animal is required because of a disability and what specific work or task the animal is trained to perform; the district may not ask questions about the nature of the individual's disability, nor may it require documentation of the disability. The policy also notes that administrators may exclude a service animal if its presence presents a direct threat to health and safety (for example, when an allergy creates a hazard), the handler cannot control the animal, the animal is not housebroken, or accommodating the animal would require a fundamental alteration to district operations.
The policy text specifically addresses miniature horses. If a miniature horse qualifies as a service animal, the district must consider whether a modification to policies, practices, or procedures would be reasonable. The draft lists factors the team should consider, including the type, size and weight of the horse; whether the handler has sufficient control; whether the horse is housebroken; and whether the horse's presence would compromise safety in particular facilities. A committee member referenced a court case in support of including miniature-horse guidance.
Administration said the policy will not apply to emotional support animals and that legal references will be appended to the posted draft. Committee members asked how allergies and classroom accommodations would be handled; administration pointed to the exclusion criteria and the team-based 504/IEP evaluation process.
The committee authorized posting of this draft for public review as part of the larger package of policy updates.
