TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) -- Acting New Jersey Attorney General John Hoffman announced Tuesday that the Cape May County Technical School District has agreed to revise admission practices for the Cape May Technical High School to make the process more equitable for students with disabilities.
Under a settlement agreement finalized between the Division on Civil Rights and the school district, the district will revise the high school's admissions practices so that evaluations for admittance will be based solely on a specific set of objective criteria.
All questions concerning whether a student has been classified as being disabled have been removed from the application and the Admissions Committee will have no access to or review of an applicant's Individualized Education Plan as part of the admissions process unless an applicant's parent specifically requests that it does so.
Additionally, parents will be notified of the specific reason if a student's application is rejected and will be given an opportunity to appeal.
The changes made to the admissions process are voluntary under the settlement agreement and the school acknowledged no liability or wrongdoing.
The school also agreed to provide the Division on Civil Rights with statistics pertaining to student admissions for the next three school years.
"When educational opportunities are offered on a competitive basis, or through a selection process, it's important that all applicants be on equal footing, and that they be evaluated solely on their abilities -- not their disabilities," Hoffman said in a statement.
The Cape May Technical High School is a public high school that focuses on preparing students for both higher education and for careers in such fields as automotive repair, allied medical services, computer information and technology, cosmetology, commercial foods production and welding.