Service Animals
AR 0411.00
SERVICE ANIMALS
Before any student or employee brings an animal to school for an instructional purpose, he/she shall receive written permission from the principal or designee.
The principal or designee may grant permission after:
- The student provides written consent from the parent/guardian.
- The principal or designee has provided written notification to all parents/guardians of students in the affected class to verify, with a doctor’s note, that his/her child has an allergy, asthma, or other health condition that may be aggravated by the animal. (See Exhibit 0411.)
- The principal or designee shall take appropriate measures to accommodate the students and staff who have allergies that constitute disabilities within the meaning of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the IDEA and/or the Americans With Disabilities Act.
All animals brought to school must be in good physical condition and must be appropriately immunized. The district assumes no liability for the safety of animals allowed on district property.
All animals brought to school shall be adequately fed, effectively controlled, humanely treated, and properly housed in cages or containers suitable for the species. Service animals may be excluded from school sites where the animal is out of control and the student or handler does not take effective action to control it or the animal is not house broken.
The teacher should be familiar with the needs and behaviors of the service animal prior to its introduction in the classroom and shall ensure that students receive instructions regarding the proper handling of and personal hygiene around animals.
Except for service animals, as defined below, all animals are prohibited on school transportation services.
Definitions
- Individual with a Disability: As defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans With Disabilities Act.
- Service Animal: Any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. These tasks include, but are not limited to: guiding individuals with impaired vision; alerting individuals who are hearing impaired to intruders or sound; providing minimal protection or rescue work; pulling a wheelchair; or fetching dropped items. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the handler’s disability. The provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship does not constitute work or tasks for the purpose of this definition.
An individual with a disability has the right to be accompanied in, or on, district property and facilities by a service animal (as defined above) specially trained to perform work or tasks for that person, subject to the following conditions:
- Upon request, the user of the service animal shall inform district staff whether the service animal is required because of a disability and shall provide information about the specific individualized training of the animal, including what task(s) the animal has been trained to perform for the individual.
- The user of the service animal is responsible for the care and conduct of the service animal at all times. The service animal must be under user control at all times and may be ordered removed from the school premises if the animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it. The user of the service animal is responsible for the cleanliness of the service animal, including flea control and other protective measures for health and safety; and for assuring the proper and safe disposal of all waste elimination of the service animal. A service animal may be ordered removed from school premises if it is not house broken. The district is not responsible for the care or supervision of any service animal.
- The service animal shall not exhibit aggressive behavior toward staff, students or any individuals; and may not otherwise pose a direct threat to the health and/or safety of others, and may not be disruptive to the educational environment.
- In addition to the above provisions related to service animals (i.e. dogs), the district will consider, on a case by case basis, whether reasonable accommodations can be made to permit the use of miniature horses by an individual with a disability if such horse has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of the individual with a disability. Among the factors that district site administrators may consider in determining whether such accommodations can be made are the following:
a. The type, size, and weight of the miniature horse and whether the district facility can accommodate these features;
b. Whether the handler has sufficient control of the miniature horse;
c. Whether the miniature horse is house broken; and
d. Whether the miniature horse’s presence in a specific facility compromises legitimate safety requirements that are necessary for safe
operation of the premises.
If any of the above conditions are not met, the user can be required to remove the service animal and not bring the service animal back to district premises, or the school bus, until the user has mitigated the relevant deficiency.
When an individual’s service animal is excluded, he/she shall be given an opportunity to participate in the service, program or activity without having the service animal present.
Liability for Service Animals
The user of a service animal shall keep the service animal properly harnessed, or leashed and under control at all times. The owner/user of the service animal is solely responsible for any damage to persons, premises or facilities caused by that service animal and the district may seek to recover from the owner of a service animal any expenses incurred for repairs owing to damages caused by service animals.
*Contacts
For students with disabilities who use service animals, and for faculty and staff with questions about service animals used by students, contact:
Special Services Director
(907) 247-2115
For employees with disabilities who use service animals, and supervisors or principals with questions about service animals used by employees, contact:
Human Resources Director
(907) 247-2113
For members of the public with disabilities who use service animals who are attending school functions or functions on school premises, contact:
Human Resources Director
(907) 247-2113
KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Adoption Date: 8/24/2011
*Contacts updated when necessary