It is the goal of the Jordan School District (District) to provide students with the opportunity to succeed in their academic journey. This goal includes our pregnant and/or parenting students.
As is outlined in Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, students will not be discriminated against on the basis of a disclosed pregnancy. This includes discrimination against a student based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. As a result, pregnant students (a student during a defined postpartum period lasting up to 8 weeks after delivery), may be provided adjustments so they are able to access and participate in their educational program or activity. Adjustments are available through District Title IX Coordinators (or their designees).
What Are My Rights as a Pregnant Student?
Pregnant students have certain rights under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (known as "Title IX"), which is federal legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (including pregnancy and parental status) in educational programs and activities.
What Should I Expect?
Pregnant students should expect to be allowed to remain at their schools during their pregnancy and cannot be required to drop out or shift their attendance to another school placement. They can expect to obtain reasonable adjustments based on their pregnant status in order to maintain access to the educational environment. These students are expected to be proactive in requesting these adjustments and willing to work with the Title IX Coordinator for appropriate adjustments. The District is unable to grant retroactive adjustments, so it is important to reach out early with requests.
Reasonable Adjustments –The district is required to provide reasonable adjustments to provide access for pregnant and parenting students. Some examples of reasonable adjustments may include:
a larger desk
elevator access
breaks during class, as needed
rescheduling tests or exams
excusing absences due to pregnancy or related conditions
submitting work after a deadline missed due to pregnancy or childbirth
providing alternatives to make up missed work
providing private areas for breastfeeding
Make-Up Work – Students returning to class must be allowed to return to the same academic status as before the medical leave or absences began and given the opportunity to make up any work missed during the leave/absences. This includes an opportunity to make up "participation" points that a student missed by virtue of not being in class. Further, any deadlines that were missed during the leave must be extended to allow submission of work.
It is important to note that pregnant students are held to the level of academic standards and must meet the learning objectives that have been set for the course. Students must work with the Title IX Coordinator in order to determine what accommodations are reasonable so as to allow the student to complete all work while also achieving course outcomes.