504 Plans

  • An Overview of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

     
    Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Section 504 provides: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
     
    The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Section 504 in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from ED. Recipients of this Federal financial assistance include public school districts, institutions of higher education, and other state and local education agencies. The regulations implementing Section 504 in the context of educational institutions appear at 34 C.F.R. Part 104.
     
    The Section 504 regulations require a school district to provide a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to each qualified student with a disability who is in the school district's jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. Under Section 504, FAPE consists of the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet the student's individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met.
     
    It is the intent of the Menlo Park City School District that parents of students who may have a disability under Section 504 be informed of their rights. A person with a disability is defined as a person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, excepting disabilities that are transitory (6-months duration or less) and minor. Major life activities include functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.
     
    For additional information about 504 Accommodation Plans, please review the following documents which are included below in the "Helpful Information & 504 Documents" section:

     
    Section 504 Accommodation Plan
    Section 504 FAQs
    Section 504 Procedural Safeguards

     
    If you would like further information about 504 Plans, please contact the 504 School Coordinator at your child’s school.
     
    Coordinators The District 504 School Coordinators are:

    Heritage Oak Children’s Center            Lisa Walton, School Psychologist
    Laurel Elementary                              Ellen Kraska, Assistant Principal
    Encinal Elementary                             Jennifer Kollman, Assistant Principal
    Oak Knoll Elementary                         Alicia Payton, Assistant Principal
    Hillview Middle School                       Kellie Raczkowski (6th grade), Christina Johnson (7th grade, and Robyn Watts (8th grade), School Counselors
     
    Compliance The 504 Compliance Officer for the Menlo Park City School District is:

    Stephanie Sheridan, Executive Director of Student Services

Helpful Information & 504 Documents