Students Unilaterally Enrolled in Private Nonprofit Schools by Parents

File: IGB-R: Special Education, Cont.

On or before December 1st of each year, the district shall conduct an annual count of the number of private elementary and secondary school students eligible for special education who are unilaterally enrolled by their parents in a private school located within district boundaries and who do not wish to enroll in a public school to receive special education and related services. The district special education director shall have timely and meaningful consultation with appropriate representatives and parents of private school students. The purpose of the child count is to determine the proportionate amount that the district must spend on providing special education and related services, including transportation, to private elementary or secondary school students in the next fiscal year.

The district is required to spend a proportionate amount of federal special education funds to provide special education and related services to private elementary school students. In order to determine which students will receive services, what services will be provided, how and where the services will be provided, and how services provided will be evaluated, the district shall consult with appropriate representatives and parents of private school students. The district shall make the final decision with respect to services to be provided to eligible private school students.

The special services office will notify each approved nonprofit private school or preschool operating in the district seeking recommendations of persons to serve as representatives of special education private school students in consultation with the district. An initial meeting will be called by the district to establish a work plan and schedule with the private school representatives and representatives of private school parents to discuss how to identify students, the amount of proportionate share, how the proportionate share was calculated, which students will receive services, what services will be provided, how and where services will be provided, and how services can be evaluated.

The district special education staff (nearest to the private school and of similar grade level configuration) and a special education administrator will meet with the parents, student as appropriate, and nonprofit private school representative, to develop an Individual Service Plan for eligible students. A private school student has no individual entitlement to any service or amount of service (s)he would have received if enrolled in a public school to receive FAPE. However, for each private school student receiving special education or related services, the district will initiate and conduct meetings to develop, review, and revise a services plan describing the special education and related services that the district will provide. The services plan must: (1) meet IEP content requirements as appropriate; and (2) be developed, reviewed, implemented, and revised annually consistent with the requirements for IEP review. The district will make every effort to include a representative from the private school at each meeting. If the private school representative is not able to attend, the district will use other methods, including individual or conference telephone calls, to assure the representative’s participation.

Private school students may receive a different amount of services than special education students in public schools. However, the services provided to special education private school students will be provided by personnel meeting the same standards as personnel providing the services in the district.

Services to students in private schools including private sectarian schools may be provided on-site. District personnel may be made available to private schools only to the extent necessary to provide the services required, if those services are not normally provided by the private school. Services shall not include payment of private school teachers’ or other employees’ salaries, except for services performed outside regular private school hours and under public supervision and control.

Equipment and / or supplies may be placed on private school premises for the period of time necessary to implement services plan, but the district shall retain and exercise title and administrative control of said equipment / supplies. The district shall keep records and make an accounting assuring that equipment and supplies are used solely for the services plans. Equipment / supplies shall be removed if necessary to avoid their use for other purposes or if no longer needed for the individual student services plan. No district funds shall be used for repairs, minor remodeling or construction of private school facilities.

The district shall provide services to students in private schools in a manner that: (1) administrative separation between the private and public school programs; and (2) does not benefit the private school at public expense.

*See the Special Education Terms & Definitions page for more information.

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