Lincoln Public Schools recognizes that pregnant and parenting students have the right and responsibility to attend school. This attendance right and responsibility applies to students regardless of their marital or parental status. Further, the district will educate pregnant and parenting students and will provide reasonable accommodations to support and encourage all pregnant and parenting students to obtain their high school diploma. No student will be excluded from, denied the benefit of, or discriminated against under any educational program or activity because of pregnancy or parenting responsibilities.
The LPS Student-Parent Program, in partnership with the larger community, is to assist pregnant and/or parenting youth, both male and female, to continue their education and graduate. The program services are delivered by Student-Parent Teams in every middle level and secondary building.
Pregnant and parenting students will be permitted to attend their own health care, their child’s medical care, or other pregnancy- or parenting-related appointments with the benefit of having any such absences or tardiness excused and coded as Medical absences. A student will be permitted to take a leave of absence for pregnancy, childbirth, and any other pre- and post-natal related medical needs, along with recovery therefrom for the duration that is deemed medically necessary by the student’s licensed health care provider. At the conclusion of the leave of absence, a student will be immediately enrolled in the district at the same grade and status as when the leave began. Pregnant and parenting students shall be allowed to participate in all activities including extracurricular activities throughout the student’s pregnancy and thereafter unless the district deems such participation poses a substantial risk of injury to the student or to others. A pregnant and parenting student may be asked to obtain certification from the student’s licensed healthcare provider regarding the student’s safe participation in an extracurricular activity when such certification is required of students for other conditions, which require the attention of a licensed healthcare provider.
Any absences accumulated due to pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, or care for an ill child, should not count towards any district policies in effect under compulsory attendance requirements. Pregnant and parenting students with excused absences or tardiness shall be treated like all other students with excused absences or tardiness for any other medical reasons.
Pregnant and parenting students will be provided with assignments, classwork and any additional support needed to ensure that the student can keep up with class requirements when absent for pregnancy or parenting-related absences.
The Student-Parent Team will help pregnant and parenting students coordinate absences from school and completing make-up work.
The district will provide at least one alternate method, in addition to traditional classroom instruction, to keep pregnant and parenting students in school. Such accommodation(s) may include accessing coursework online, home-based independent study or at-home tutoring. Alternative methods of instruction or other alternative program for pregnant and parenting students are voluntary for the student who may elect whether to engage in an alternative method of instruction or the traditional methods of instruction available to their peers. Pregnant and parenting students shall be allowed to attend their regular classrooms and complete regular coursework.
The district will provide reasonable time and space to accommodate lactating students to express breast milk or breastfeed during the school day. Such accommodations will be in a location, other than a bathroom or closet, which is private, clean has an electrical outlet, a chair and is reasonably accessible. Students shall also be provided a food-safe refrigerator to store breast milk safely.
If in-school childcare is not provided, a list of qualified licensed childcare providers will be provided, upon request, to pregnant or parenting students on the LPS website. Such list will be updated at least annually and include providers that participate in the quality rating and improvement system and meet all of the quality rating criteria for at least a step-three rating pursuant to the Step Up to Quality Child Care Act. Nothing in this policy is intended to prohibit or limit any referral for a student or a student’s child to an early head start program or any other available community resources.
Pregnant and parenting students have the right to have their health and personal information kept confidential in accordance with law. School staff will make every effort to keep personal information and health records confidential and in compliance with Nebraska and federal law.
Information about students’ pregnancies and related conditions will not appear in their cumulative records and will not be used when they are being considered for educational or job opportunities, awards or scholarships.
Pregnant and parent students may request additional reasonable accommodations through their Student-Parent Team to ensure continued participation and enrollment in school. Accommodation requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Such accommodations may include, but are not limited to: additional frequency allowed for bathroom breaks, additional time allowed in between class periods, a larger desk or additional work space and adjustments to requirements for physical education as needed. Students seeking additional reasonable accommodation should make such requests to the building principal.
Pregnant and parenting students have the same rights as other students to be free from discrimination, bullying and harassment. Such school policies are incorporated herein and apply to all students.
This policy will be available at the beginning of each school year on the district’s website and will be incorporated into the online student handbook.