P1500 Excuses from Participation in Educational Activities - Personal, Religious, and Ethnic Considerations

Students may be excused on a limited basis from a particular preplanned classroom activity or from selected portions of the established curriculum on the basis of personal, religious, or ethnic considerations. 

Administrative Implemental Procedures

1. The school principal shall be responsible for assessing and acting upon parent requests for students to be excused from participation in particular preplanned classroom activities. 
2. Upon the request of parents, the school principal may excuse a student for certain holy day observances and days of significance to particular ethnic groups. A written request should be submitted prior to the absence. 
3. Students will be excused from participation of exercises, such as the flag salute, upon the written request of parents who have conscientious objections to their child’s participation in such exercises. 
4. Upon written request of parents, students may be excused from physical education activities and rhythms where participation would violate religious beliefs. 
5. Student may be admitted to school without required immunizations when the Kansas Certificate of Immunization form is signed by the parent requesting exemption for religious belief or signed on an annual basis by a licensed physician stating that the tests or inoculations would seriously endanger the life or health of the Child [K.S.A. 72-6262]. 

Board counsel has approved this policy as to legal form and content. 

Administrative Responsibility: Elementary and Secondary Education Offices

Latest Revision Date: March 2008 

Previous Revision Date: July 1994 P1500 

Updated administratively for alignment purposes: November 2020

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