School Board Considers Two Policy Changes

By Tanjua Damon

The Newtown School Board reviewed two policies at its regular workshop meeting Tuesday night.

The Non-Discriminatory Policy presented to the board is already a policy with the Newtown School District, but modifications were proposed to the existing policy. The policy was adopted in July 1979 and has since been modified two other times, in October 1995 and August 1999.

There are no major changes being made to Policy 8-602. The language in the policy is being adapted to state and federal regulations according to Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed.

“The world of state and federal regulations is an interesting one,” Dr Reed said. “It changes from time to time.”

The Non-Discriminatory Policy deals with discrimination of employment practices, stating that the Newtown School District “does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, color, age, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, mental or physical disability or any other legal recognized protected status in any of its employment practices, school activities, or educational programs.” The modifications to the policy deal with how the language is written throughout the policy and require a comprehensive report from the district administrator addressing the reported situation.

“I don’t think it changes a lot,” Dr Reed said.

The second policy brought before the school board Tuesday evening is a new policy required by the federal government. It is Section 504, Due Process Policy. The policy states that students who are disabled according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 “are identified, evaluated, and provided with a free and appropriate public education, regardless of the nature and severity of the disability.”

Policy 8.602.1 also allows for parents to request a Section 504 hearing in regards to the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of their child who may have a disability.  If a parent feels their child has been discriminated against, they may file a complaint with the regional civil rights office.

“Section 504 now exists in federal law and now needs to be reflected in ours,” Dr Reed said. “It’s for a more specific complainant. It’s rarely used, according to our lawyer.”

The school board will hear the first reading of the proposed policies January 9 at its regular business meeting at 7:30 pm at Canaan House.