Trinity Area School Board members allowed a family with a service dog to attend their meeting Thursday but said that doesn't automatically mean the dog can come to school.
Robert and Linda Dallatore want to bring their autistic son's service dog to Trinity West Elementary when they pick up the first-grader at 1 p.m. They say the Lab mix, Jiffy, has a calming effect on their son, Bradley.
The school district has said they can't bring the dog into the foyer, at least until the family goes through a process to determine whether the dog is necessary.
For now, they just want access to the administrative offices, Robert Dallatore said.
"We are not asking to go into the classroom yet," he said.
He said having a service dog in a common area, like the lobby, is a right for any person with a disability. He suggested that the district should have a policy about service animals.
Jiffy also is trained in search and rescue. It's necessary for him to be familiar with the school in case Bradley gets lost at the school like he did last year, Robert Dallatore said.
However, some parents don't want the dog in school. If Jiffy goes to the school, Misty Plants of North Franklin said her son can't because of his dog allergy and asthma.
"My kid could be dead in five minutes, he's so allergic," she told the school board.
The board did not make a decision at the meeting, but district solicitor Mike Brungo did give a statement.
He said the need for the service dog must be analyzed to determine whether it would have a significant detrimental effect on others in the school or pose a threat to the safety or welfare of others. The district also needs to determine whether those problems can be adequately addressed so the use of the dog is appropriate, Brungo said.
He said Trinity is working with the parents but would be remiss in its obligations to other students and staff if it ignored its responsibility to determine whether the dog would harm other students' ability to learn.
"That decision requires the gathering of critical information regarding the nature of the accommodation," Brungo said, adding that if the district and parents cannot reach a consensus, they can go through mediation or a hearing with a neutral hearing officer.
Robert Dallatore said that if the issue isn't soon resolved, he will file a complaint with the office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education.