Section 504

The Lewisville Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Dr. Kathy Talbert
Chief Executive Director of Special Education and Section 504
400A High School Drive 
Lewisville, TX 75057
(469) 713-5203

or

Trisha Works, M.Ed. 
District 504 Administrator
400A High School Drive 
Lewisville, TX 75057
(469) 713-5203

Section 504 Fact Sheet for Families 

Hoja de datos para las familias 

Pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the District has a duty to identify, refer, evaluate and if eligible, provide a free, appropriate public education to disabled students.

For additional information about the rights of parents of eligible children, or for answers to any questions you might have about identification, evaluation and placement into Section 504 programs, please contact the District’s Section 504 Administrator, Trisha Works by phone at 469-713-5203 or by mail at 400A High School Drive, Lewisville, TX 75057

What is Section 504?

Section 504 is a federal statute, (anti-discrimination law), which protects the rights of individuals with disabilities to equal opportunity in programs and activities which receive federal funds.

What are eligibility considerations for Section 504 students?

• Section 504 is intended to level the playing field for individuals with disabilities.
• When the 504 Committee meets to consider eligibility, the committee will determine:
• Does the student have an impairment?
• Does the impairment substantially limit a major life activity?

Section 504 Records Requests

To submit a request for Section 504 records, please visit the LISD Public Information Request page.

NOTICE OF RIGHTS UNDER SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 AND TITLE II OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990.

Click here to download the document: Notice of Rights and Procedural Safeguards 

Notice of Rights: No qualified student with a disability shall, on the basis of the disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any District service, program or activity. 42 U.S.C. 12132; 29 U.S.C. 794; 34CFR 104.4(a)

Aiding Students Who Have Learning Difficulties or Who Need Special Education or Section 504 Services

For those students who are having difficulty in the regular classroom, all school districts and open-enrollment charter schools must consider tutorial, compensatory, and other academic or behavior support services that are available to all students, including a process based on Response to Intervention (RtI). The implementation of RtI has the potential to have a positive impact on the ability of districts and charter schools to meet the needs of all struggling students.

If a student is experiencing learning difficulties, his or her parent may contact the individual(s) listed below to learn about the school’s overall general education referral or screening system for support services. This system links students to a variety of support options, including making a referral for a special education evaluation or for a Section 504 evaluation to determine if the student needs specific aids, accommodations, or services.  A parent may request an evaluation for special education or Section 504 services at any time. 

Section 504 Referrals:

Please contact your campus Principal or Assistant Principal for questions about 504 evaluation and services.

Each school district or charter school must have standards and procedures in place for the evaluation and placement of students in the district’s or charter school’s Section 504 program. Districts and charter schools must also implement a system of procedural safeguards that includes notice, an opportunity for a parent or guardian to examine relevant records, an impartial hearing with an opportunity for participation by the parent or guardian and representation by counsel, and a review procedure.

Additional Contact Person for Section 504 Referrals:

The designated person to contact regarding options for a student experiencing learning difficulties or regarding referral for evaluation for Section 504 services is:

Campus Assistant Principal - 504 Coordinator

or

District 504 Administrator, Trisha Works

Phone Number: 469-713-5203

Special Education Referrals:

If a parent makes a written request for an initial evaluation for special education services to the director of special education services or an administrative employee of the school district or open-enrollment charter school, the district or charter school must respond no later than 15 school-days after receiving the request. At that time, the district or charter school must give the parent a prior written notice of whether it agrees to or refuses to evaluate the student, along with a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards.  If the school district or charter school agrees to evaluate the student, it must also give the parent the opportunity to give written consent for the evaluation. 

Please note that a request for a special education evaluation may be made verbally and does not need to be in writing.  Districts and charter schools must still comply with all federal prior written notice and procedural safeguard requirements and the requirements for identifying, locating, and evaluating children who are suspected of being a child with a disability and in need of special education. However, a verbal request does not require the district or charter school to respond within the 15-school-day timeline.

If the district or charter school decides to evaluate the student, it must complete the student’s initial evaluation and evaluation report no later than 45 school days from the day it receives a parent’s written consent to evaluate the student.  However, if the student is absent from school during the evaluation period for three or more school days, the evaluation period will be extended by the number of school days equal to the number of school days that the student is absent.

There is an exception to the 45-school-day timeline.  If a district or charter school receives a parent’s consent for the initial evaluation at least 35 but less than 45 school days before the last instructional day of the school year, it must complete the written report and provide a copy of the report to the parent by June 30 of that year. However, if the student is absent from school for three or more days during the evaluation period, the June 30th due date no longer applies. Instead, the general timeline of 45 school days plus extensions for absences of three or more days will apply.

Upon completing the evaluation, the district or charter school must give the parent a copy of the evaluation report at no cost.

Additional information regarding special education is available from the district or charter school in a companion document titled Parent’s Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Process. 

Contact Person for Special Education Referrals:

The designated person to contact regarding options for a student experiencing learning difficulties or regarding a referral for evaluation for special education services is:

Contact Person: Campus Principal or Dr. Kathy Talbert
Phone Number: 469-713-5200

General Education Homebound 

The purpose of general education homebound instruction is to provide eligible students with academic instruction at home or hospital bedside, during a temporary period of absence, in order that they can re-engage successfully at their home campus when they return to their home campus. Homebound instruction cannot replicate, and is not intended to replicate, what a student receives in their classroom setting. The goal of the homebound program is to facilitate the student’s return to the classroom as soon as possible. 

A general education student may be eligible for general education homebound services through Section 504  if the student is to be confined for a minimum of four weeks to a hospital or homebound setting for medical reasons specifically documented by a licensed physician. The weeks of confinement need not be consecutive. A Section 504 committee will meet to consider the Homebound Needs Assessment from the physician describing the medical condition of the student, the length of time confined to home or hospital for the 504 committee to make a determination of eligibility/placement. If the 504 committee determines that such instruction is appropriate, the committee shall determine the type and amount of instruction to be provided and, if applicable, the length of the transition period to the school-based setting based on current medical information.  

TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES for Homebound students-

Classroom teachers will coordinate lesson plans, assignments, exams and maintain student's grades.

PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES for Homebound Students -

1. Prepare and have ready an area in the home that is conducive to learning (well-lit, quiet, clean, comfortable, and relatively private).
2. Ensure that a responsible adult is present at all times the homebound teacher is providing instruction.
3. Supervise your child's effort and progress on assignments, and expect that your child will need to put forth significant effort between visits by the homebound teacher.
4. Keep the homebound teacher and the campus informed of any change in medical status that would affect your child's instructional needs.

 
Due to the severity of their medical conditions, Homebound students are typically unable to participate in extracurricular and co-curricular activities, work programs, outside jobs and other activities outside the home. If students are able to participate in these activities outside the home, the ARD committee or 504 committee will likely need to meet to consider this information.

For more information on general education Homebound, please contact:

Dr. Lisa Davison, davisonl@lisd.net, or Carolyn Cade, cadec@lisd.net.

Additional Information:

The following websites provide information and resources for students with disabilities and their families.

• Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Special Education Process
• Partners Resource Network
• Special Education Information Center
• Texas Project First

Cómo ayudar a aquellos estudiantes que tienen dificultades de aprendizaje o precisan servicios de educación especial o de la Sección 504