Your Rights as a Pregnant Student

All young people in Texas have the right to a public school education. Most young people are required by law to go to school from age six through age seventeen or until high-school graduation.

A student cannot be forced to leave school because she is pregnant, is a parent, or has had an abortion. Under federal law, any school, public or private, that receives federal funds may not discriminate based on pregnancy or because a student is a parent. A student may not be excluded or kept out of any educational program because she is pregnant or a parent. This includes special classes, like Honors or AP, and extracurricular activities, like band, Latin Club, or dance team.

A school may ask a student to provide a doctor's note stating that she is able to participate in school. However, a school must require this of all students, not just pregnant or parenting students. If a school does not require a doctor's note from all students with medical conditions, the school may not require a note from pregnant or parenting students.

Some school districts may get extra money from the State of Texas for pregnancy-related services. This extra money is given to the school district for every pregnant student attending classes to help the school meet the special needs of the student. Pregnancy-related services might be childcare, counseling, transportation, and health care. These school districts are required to provide the pregnant student with home-based instruction, if it is medically necessary, while the student is pregnant and during the recovery period after delivery.

If you are pregnant and your school is trying to force you to leave, blocking you from taking classes you want to take, or not allowing you to participate in certain school activities, this section of the website will help you understand your legal rights. If you feel that you need legal assistance, you can call the Jane's Due Process legal hotline at 1-866-www-jane or 1-866-999-5263.

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