Board reviews multiple policy updates; service-animal definition changed to include miniature horses
Summary
At a workshop the Northwestern Lehigh SD board received first readings of revised policies including controlled substances (Policy 227), service animals (Policy 718), and minor updates to pest management and cell-phone policies; staff noted the service-animal definition now explicitly references miniature horses per federal guidance.
The Northwestern Lehigh School District board received first readings of several policy revisions, including Policy 227 (controlled substances/paraphernalia), Policy 716 (integrated pest management), Policy 717 (cellular telephones) and Policy 718 (service animals in schools).
Staff said Policy 227 was revised to align terminology with statutory definitions and to add a definition for "lookalike drug," and to clarify board authority and incident-reporting responsibilities under school-safety provisions of the school code. Policy 716 had no recommended changes. Policy 717 received minor clarifying edits. Policy 718 was revised to update the definition of service animal to align with federal regulations and to explicitly include miniature horses.
The policy presenter noted the service-animal change came from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association recommendations and federal guidance. At the meeting a staff member cited Section 35.136 and explained that federal rules include a specific section on miniature horses and reasonable-modification requirements.
Board members asked practical questions about accommodation. A presenter said the district would work with families on reasonable accommodations and noted the district may lack facility capacity in some cases. The presenter also said the policies presented are first readings and will be before the board for final consideration in two months.
Why it matters: changes to service-animal and controlled-substance policy affect how the district reviews accommodation requests and incident reporting; adding lookalike-drug language aligns school policy with statutory terminology.
Next steps: the revised policies were presented for two months' review and will return for a second reading and vote at a future meeting.
