5146 - Married/Pregnant/Parenting Students

For school related purposes, married students under the age of eighteen (18) are emancipated minors and have all the rights and privileges of a student who is 18, even if the marriage has been dissolved.

The County Superintendent of Schools believes that pregnancy and parenting should not be a barrier to education or a reason for dropping out of school. Rather than ending the teenager’s need for education, pregnancy and parenting increase the need to cope with adult responsibilities and to prepare for an economically self sufficient future.

The instructional program provided for pregnant students shall be determined on a case by case basis and shall be appropriate to the student’s individual needs.

Pregnant or lactating students shall qualify for nutrition program supplements as provided under Education Code 49559(b). All applications and eligibility records concerning these supplements shall be confidential.

After the birth of her baby, the student may, at the discretion of the home district:

1. Return to regular high school or junior high classes.
2. Remain in an alternative program, as permitted by law.
3. Attend continuation high school or adult education classes.
4. Request exemption from attendance because of personal services that must be rendered to a dependent.

Pregnant Minors Program

The County Superintendent of Schools recognizes that pregnant minors may derive great benefit from a specialized program that supplements academic courses with practical instruction geared to their specific needs. In addition to providing psychological support, this program may include instruction in health, prenatal and postnatal care, preparation for childbirth and parenting, home economics, consumer education, child development, money management, and employable skills.

The County Superintendent of Schools’ program for pregnant minors shall:

1. Identify program goals, student needs, and community resources.
2. Provide an academic program which gives equal educational opportunities to pregnant minors.
3. Maintain a program advisory council to advise the County Superintendent of Schools in implementation of the program.
4. Provide student referral, placement, and transition procedures for students who have not completed graduation requirements at the end of their program eligibility.
5. Have available a program expenditure budget, approved by the County Board of Education, which justifies its funding request.

The County Superintendent of Schools or designee shall appoint a program plan committee to review individual participation in the program.

Written notice shall be provided to each pregnant minor’s parent/guardian, describing the program plan for the enrolled student. If the student is married or legally emancipated, this notice is not required.

Any student is eligible for participation in the program if she is referred by the local district, has not graduated from high school and has a written pregnancy verification from a licensed physician. A doctor’s statement that the student is receiving prenatal care must be obtained by the County Superintendent of Schools Office within sixty (60) days after placement in the program. All further eligibility considerations shall comply with Title 5, Section 11829.

Wherever possible, program staff shall work closely with the pregnant student’s partner and/or parents/guardians and shall collaborate with local public and private agencies in order to expand the student’s learning opportunities and support system.

Approved May 24, 1994