Policies and Procedures
Nondiscriminatory Policy
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
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.