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Section 504 is the federal civil-rights law that makes sure students with a disability get the same shot at school as everyone else. If your child needs an accommodation — extra time, a medical plan, an EpiPen on hand, a quiet space — that's exactly what this is for. Free, family-led, and you can start the conversation today.
Student Services / Section 504 · Disability Access · Always Free
Section 504 is the federal civil-rights law that makes sure students with a disability get the same shot at school as everyone else. If your child needs an accommodation — extra time, a medical plan, an EpiPen on hand, a quiet space — that's exactly what this is for. Free, family-led, and you can start the conversation today.
Section 504 is part of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In plain terms: any school that gets federal money — which is every public school — can't treat a student worse because of a disability, and has to provide whatever accommodations a student needs to access their education on equal footing with peers. Protection runs from age 3 through 21.
The Office of Civil Rights enforces it. The state agency that monitors it for Washington schools is OSPI. In Montesano, the district-level coordinator is our 504/ADA Compliance Officer, Shawn Brown (sbrown@monteschools.org). Day-to-day, your child's school counselor is usually the person who runs 504 meetings and helps coordinate with teachers — Shawn supports them and steps in where needed.
A student qualifies for Section 504 protection if they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. "Major life activity" is read broadly — learning, reading, concentrating, walking, breathing, eating, seeing, hearing, sleeping, and the day-to-day function of body systems all count.
Examples of conditions that often qualify:
Two things to know. First: a student doesn't need to fail to qualify — the question is whether the disability substantially limits a major life activity, not whether the student is still managing. Second: episodic conditions (like seizures or migraines) count even during the periods when symptoms aren't active.
An IEP (Individualized Education Plan, under IDEA) is for students who need specially designed instruction — the curriculum itself is modified, with goals and services built around the child. An IEP is more comprehensive and more involved.
A 504 Plan is for students who can access the regular curriculum but need accommodations to do so on equal footing — extra time on tests, blood-sugar checks, an alternate test setting, an EpiPen on hand. The instruction itself is the same as everyone else's; the accommodations remove the barrier.
Many students who don't qualify for an IEP do qualify for a 504. If you're not sure which is right, the team will help you sort it out — sometimes that means starting with a 504 and re-evaluating later, or going through both processes.
Anyone can ask for a 504 evaluation — a parent, a teacher, a school nurse, a doctor, a counselor. There's no form to fill out before you call us; an email or a phone call is enough.
The 504 evaluation isn't a single test or a long battery — it's a team review of everything that's relevant. That usually includes:
The team weighs all of it together. There's no specific cutoff or magic threshold; eligibility is a judgment based on the whole picture.
A 504 Plan — sometimes called a Student Accommodation Plan on district paperwork — is a short written document. It typically includes:
Common accommodations our families use:
Accommodations are tailored to the student. We don't use a fixed menu; if your child needs something that isn't on a typical list, that's exactly the kind of conversation 504 meetings are for.
This is the part of 504 conversations that confuses families the most, partly because the words sound similar and partly because neither term is actually defined in the federal Section 504 regulations (34 CFR Part 104). The accommodation/modification distinction is a working convention educators use, not a legal line drawn in statute — but the practical consequences for your student are real, and they're worth slowing down on.
Accommodations are usually understood to change how a student learns or shows what they know, while keeping the standard, the content, and the mastery bar the same as everyone else. Extra time on a test is the textbook example: same test, same passing bar, your student just has the time their disability requires to demonstrate what they know.
Modifications are usually understood to change what a student is expected to learn or do — lowering the standard itself. A shorter spelling list, fewer math problems with reduced complexity, partial credit for partial work, a different reading level for the novel.
Section 504 itself does not draw a hard line between the two. Federal regulations require us to provide whatever aids and services a student needs to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) — limited only by what would be a fundamental alteration of the program or an undue financial and administrative burden on the district. So in principle, a 504 Plan can include accommodations, modifications, or both. The question the team has to answer is always the same: what does this student need to access their education on equal footing with peers?
In practice, most of our 504 Plans use accommodations only. Modifications under 504 are unusual because they typically signal that a student needs more than equal access — they need specially designed instruction, which is the territory of an IEP under IDEA. But this is a determination for the team, not a categorical rule the district can apply on its own. The federal Office for Civil Rights has been explicit that schools can't avoid 504 obligations by saying the 504 process "doesn't do modifications." If a student genuinely needs them to receive FAPE, the team has to seriously consider them.
That said, the downstream effects of modifications matter, and we owe families an honest preview of them. Specific outcomes depend on the course, the nature of the modification, and the destination — but the categories of risk are real:
None of this means modifications are wrong. Sometimes they are exactly what a student needs, and the trade-offs are worth it; many graduates of modified programs go on to college, technical programs, and meaningful work. The point is that the conversation should be deliberate. We owe you a clear explanation of what each choice means down the line, not just for this semester — and we'll put any of it in writing when you ask.
If a 504 evaluation suggests your student would benefit from modifications across most of their subjects — or if accommodations alone aren't producing meaningful access to the curriculum — that's often the team's signal to also consider an IEP evaluation. The two processes can run alongside each other; the question is what mix of supports gives your student real access to FAPE. Ask Shawn to walk you through the comparison and, if it makes sense, the IEP referral.
If you disagree with the team about what should be in your student's plan, Section 504 gives you the right to an impartial hearing, and you can file a complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. We'd much rather work it out together — but the options exist, they're free, and we'll tell you exactly how to use them.
504 Plans are reviewed at least once a year, and re-evaluated for eligibility every three years or whenever something changes meaningfully — a new diagnosis, recovery from a temporary condition, a new building (especially the move from elementary to MJSHS). Either you or the school can ask for a review at any time. Just call us.
504 records are part of your child's education record under FERPA. Teachers and staff who'd need to act on the plan are told what they need to know to do their job — no more. Other parents don't see the plan. You can review the file at any time.
504 protection follows your child through MJSHS and graduation. Section 504 also applies to any college, technical school, or employer that receives federal funds — though the way it works in college (request accommodations through the disability services office) and in employment (workplace accommodations under the ADA) is different from K-12. Ask Shawn for the transition planning conversation as your student approaches graduation; we'll point you in the right direction.
Do I need a doctor's diagnosis first? A diagnosis helps but isn't required. The team can also rely on observations, records, and outside professional input. If you don't have a doctor's note, call us anyway — we'll figure it out together.
Will having a 504 affect my child's grades or college admissions? No. Accommodations level the playing field — they don't change what your child has to know. The 504 record itself is part of the school file under FERPA, and is not shared with colleges.
Can the school just say no? A district can find a student isn't eligible, but it has to base the decision on evidence and explain its reasoning in writing. If you disagree, you have the right to an impartial review. We'd much rather have the conversation with you than have you take it elsewhere — but the option exists, and we'll tell you how to use it.
Is this the same as ADA? Section 504 and ADA Title II overlap heavily for K-12 schools. Both prohibit disability discrimination; ADA is broader and applies to more entities. Our 504/ADA Compliance Officer handles both.
What if my child already has an IEP? If your child has an IEP, the IEP's services and accommodations also satisfy Section 504 — you don't need a separate 504 Plan. The 504 protections still apply automatically.
Shawn Brown, Director · Student Services sbrown@monteschools.org (360) 249-1233
For complaints related to civil rights, discrimination, or harassment that aren't strictly disability-based, contact our Title IX Coordinator.
Dan Winter, Title IX & Compliance Coordinator dwinter@monteschools.org