2418 SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 –STUDENTS (M)

The Board will comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the purpose of which is to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
 
Guarantee of Rights
 
The Board will provide a free appropriate public education to each student with a disability regardless of the nature or severity of the disability.
 
The Board will make reasonable accommodations to ensure that no student with a disability, solely on the basis of the disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity sponsored by this Board, including participation in non-academic and extracurricular services and activities. 
 
The administration will undertake to identify and locate all students with disabilities between the ages of three and twenty-two, who are residing within the district, but not receiving a public school education.  The administration will take steps to notify such students and their parents of the district’s duty to provide accommodations for students with disabilities as well as procedures to determine eligibility for such accommodations.  
 
Educational Setting
 
The Board will ensure that a student with a disability participates with nondisabled students in activities and services to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the student with a disability.
 
The school administration will place a student with a disability in the regular educational environment within the district unless the district demonstrates that the education of the student with a disability in the regular environment with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
 
Evaluation and Placement
 
The Board will establish standards and procedures for initial evaluations and periodic re-evaluations of students who need or are believed to need accommodations, special education, and/or related services because of a disability.  Evaluations may include, but are not limited to, a review of work samples, direct observation, interviews, and/or administration of assessment measures. 
Enforcement 
The Director of Guidance is designated by the Board as the District 504 Coordinator for matters dealing with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and can be contacted at the following address or telephone number:
 
Office Address:        299 Pidgeon Hill Road
			Sussex, New Jersey  07461

Telephone:               	973-875-3101, Extension 1223
 
Procedural Safeguards
 
The district will establish and implement a system of procedural safeguards with respect to the identification, evaluation, or provision of services under Section 504.  This system includes notice, an opportunity for the parent to examine relevant records, an impartial hearing with the opportunity for participation by the parent and representation by counsel, and a review procedure.  These procedural safeguards shall be in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:14 et seq., Policy 2460, Regulation 2460.8, and/or the grievance procedures outlined in Regulation 2418.

Notice
 
The Board will notify members of the community that the Board does not discriminate on the basis of a disability in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  Policy and Regulation 2418 may be reprinted in part or in full and distributed to serve as adequate notice.
 
State or Local Law
 
The obligation to comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is not obviated or alleviated by the existence of any State or local law or other requirement that, on the basis of disability, imposes prohibitions or limits upon the eligibility of a student with a disability to receive services.

29 U.S.C. 794 (Section 504 Rehabilitation Act of 1973)
20 U.S.C. 1401 et seq. (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
42 U.S.C. 12101 (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended)

Adopted:	March 16, 2017