Policies and Procedures
Nondiscriminatory Policy
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, or disability in violation of state law and federal law or regulation in the administration of its education policies or programs. The information provided with this application will not be used for any unlawful discriminatory purpose.
Title IX
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School adheres to the tenets of Title IX: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Custodial Rights
It is the responsibility of the parents to share any official custodial information decided through the courts. Official custodial agreements will be kept in a confidential file in the office of the principal. In the absence of any court document, the school will view each parent as having full legal custody of his/her child. In the absence of a court order to the contrary, non-custodial parents have the right to receive records about their child’s academic progress or lack thereof. The school reserves the right to charge a shipping and processing fee for extra records sent to more than one home address. It is a great benefit to the child to have both parents involved in his/her education.
Buckley Amendment
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School adheres to the Buckley Amendment (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) in regard to student records and the rights of non-custodial parents. It is the responsibility of the parents to share any official custodial information determined through the courts. Official custodial agreements will be kept in a confidential file in the office of the principal.
Also, in accordance with FERPA, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School will not allow review of security camera footage for any reason. Because other students may appear in the footage, we are required to protect their right to privacy. According to FERPA, the campus security records including security camera footage is not part of a student’s educational record and therefore parents do not have a right to view it.
Child Abuse Laws
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School abides by the Child Abuse laws of the State of Louisiana. This law mandates that all cases of suspected abuse and/or neglect be reported to Child Protective Services. According to Louisiana Children’s Code Article 603 designates teachers and child care providers as mandated reporters. Teachers and childcare works are defined as: “Any person who provides or assists in the teaching, training and supervision of a child, including any public or private school teacher, teacher’s aide, instructional aide, school principal, school staff member, bus driver, coach, professor, technical or vocational instructor, technical or vocational school staff member, college or university administrator, college or university staff member, social worker, probation officer, foster home parent, group home or other child care institution staff member, personnel of a residential home facilities, a licensed or unlicensed day care provider, or any individual who provides such services to a child in a voluntary or professional capacity.” Our Lady of Fatima puts the safety of our students first in all situations and adheres to the Louisiana Children's Code.
Acknowledgement Clause
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School is a private, Catholic school and is not obligated to provide special education and related services to any student. Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School endeavors to the full extent of its capability to provide a quality education for your child. At the same time, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School does not offer special education or related services. Because Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School does not offer special education or related services, the undersigned acknowledges that Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School is not required to make general accommodations for enrolled students, but only what are called “minor adjustments”. The nature and extent of such minor adjustments are within the sole discretion of the Head of School or Principal.
The undersigned acknowledges that, should the Head of the School or Principal determine in his/her sole discretion that the minor adjustments put in place by the school have not resulted in satisfactory service of the needs of the student and that it is in the best interest of both the school and the student that he/she be placed in a more appropriate learning environment, then the Head of School or Principal may disenroll the student, or the undersigned may withdraw the student from Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School. Alternatively, the student may be prohibited from attending Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in future years.