Study and Care of Live Animals

It shall be the responsibility of the Principal or his/her designee to develop a plan of care for those animals housed in school in the event of an emergency school closing or in the event the animals remain in the classroom on days when school is not in session.

The Board also recognizes that some students have a moral or religious objection to dissection or otherwise harming or destroying animals.  In accordance with state law, students shall have the right to opt out of dissection activities, provided that the student performs an alternative project approved by the student’s teacher.  The objection must be substantiated in writing by the student’s parent or guardian. Students who perform alternative projects who do not perform or witness the dissection of animals shall not be penalized.

At the start of the school year, teachers of courses that include animal dissection shall give notice to the students in those classes of their opt-out rights and responsibilities under the law and this policy.  Such notice shall be shared with parents of those students, and also be available upon request in the school office.

Ref:      Education Law §809(4)

Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection in the Science Classroom, National Science Teachers Association Position Statement, revised March 2008 (www.nsta.org/about/positions/animals.aspx)