Update: A Valley Center student should be back in class on Monday...with her service dog in tow.
Superintendent Dr. Scott Springston tells Eyewitness News, the school was ready to train the paras who would be assisting Alexis and the dog Friday. Alexis' parents called to say that she had some health-related issues and would not be able to come into school.
Springston says the training will still happen Friday afternoon and Alexis should be able to bring her service dog, Finn, to school on Monday.
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They've negotiated, and now it could be over. A Valley Center student's service dog may be allowed in class within days.
When Superintendent Dr. Scott Springston found out about Alexis Blackburn's dog Finn, he also discovered the district had no policies for students with service animals. He says there's a list of 21 requirements that finn needs to be able to go to school. They include a kennel, bathroom breaks and the staff needs to be trained.
The school district says that after the training on Friday. Finn and Alexis can go to school together either the same day or on Monday. School officials say they'll create a formal policy for service dogs at an upcoming board meeting
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Original Story, October 26
Six-year-old Alexis Blackburn is at school. But she's not really in school. For the past two days, Alexis and her service dog "Finn" have been camped out front of a Valley Center school with her mom.
"I got sick of sitting at home with her and watching her be upset when her brother would go to school. So I just decided we're gonna go to school too," says Tiffany Blackburn.
Her daughter has cerebral palsy and is prone to having seizures. "Finn" is specially trained to recognize when a seizure is coming and alert an adult. Blackburn says she informed the school back in August that Alexis would be getting a seizure dog, but says when the family returned from a week of training, the school wasn't ready.
"We were ready to take him to school with her last Monday and they told us 'no.' He was not welcome in here until they had a policy in place," says Blackburn.
Valley Center Schools Superintendent Dr. Scott Springston told FactFinder 12 Investigators the district is working on a resolution. He says there has been some miscommunication and the issue wasn't "formally" raised until October 17. Springston says there are a lot of logistics to work out, including training for staff members at the school. He says the use of a service dog in the classroom in uncharted territory for Valley Center.
FactFinder 12 checked the American with Disabilities Act for guidance on the law. It's clear the service dog must be allowed. But it's unclear if the law allows the district a period of time to come up with a plan.
Springston says he hopeful the issue will be resolved in a matter of days.
"That's all we want is that happy ending that she gets to walk into school with her dog," says Blackburn.
