The Board of Trustees recognizes that animals can be an effective teaching aid and can help support the district's instructional program. In addition, instruction related to the care and treatment of animals teaches students a sense of responsibility and promotes the humane treatment of living creatures.
(cf. 6142.4 - Service Learning/Community Service Classes)
(cf. 6142.5 - Environmental Education)
A teacher may bring an animal to school or arrange for students in his/her class to bring an animal to school for instructional purposes upon written permission from the principal or designee and subject to administrative regulation and other reasonable health, safety, and sanitation precautions. Teachers shall be responsible for ensuring that animals are strictly controlled and for ensuring that all such precautions are observed so as to protect both the students and the animal.
(cf. 5141 - Health Care and Emergencies)
(cf. 5141.22 - Infectious Diseases)
(cf. 5142 - Safety)
(cf. 5145.8 - Refusal to Harm or Destroy Animals)
(cf. 6142.93 - Science Instruction)
(cf. 6145.8 - Assemblies and Special Events)
Individuals with disabilities may be accompanied by specially trained guide dogs, signal dogs, or service dogs on school premises or on school transportation. (Education Code 39839; Civil Code 54.2)
(cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)
(cf. 3541.2 - Transportation for Students with Disabilities)
(cf. 5131.1 - Bus Conduct)
(cf. 6159 - Individualized Education Program)
(cf. 6164.6 - Identification and Education Under Section 504)
The district assumes no liability for the safety of animals voluntarily brought to school.
(cf. 3320 - Claims and Actions Against the District)
(cf. 3530 - Risk Management/Insurance)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
233.5 Instruction in kindness to pets and humane treatment of living creatures
39839 Transportation of guide dogs, signal dogs, service dogs
51202 Instruction in personal and public health and safety
51540 Safe and humane treatment of animals at school
CIVIL CODE
54.1 Access to public places
54.2 Guide, signal, or service dogs, right to accompany
GOVERNMENT CODE
810-996.6 California Tort Claims Act, especially:
815 Liability for injuries generally; immunity of public entity
835 Conditions of liability
VEHICLE CODE
21113 Public grounds
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 13
1216 Transportation of property
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1400-1482 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 29
794 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504
COURT DECISIONS
Sullivan v. Vallejo City USD, 731 F.Supp. 947 (1990)
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Indoor Air Quality: Board of Trustees Actions for Creating Healthy School Environments, Policy Brief, July 2008
Asthma Management in the Schools, Policy Brief, March 2008
WEB SITES:
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: http://www.aspca.org
Humane Society of the United States: http://www.hsus.org
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr
Policy BURLINGAME SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: September 21, 2010 Burlingame, California