School enrollment question and IEP services

[khaoskat]

Ok, we have tried getting our child's school assignment for a few weeks. We have the option to apply for Ed Choice, so we can place him in private school.

I just found out today, that he has not been assigned a school yet (despite what we were told 10 days ago). Rather I was informed that I had to call Special Ed Services about his placement.

He is only on IEP for Speech Therapy...so why would special ed services be involved in placing him in a school? He gets no other accomodations, just 180 mins a quarter of group speech therapy.

If the school district has a "neighborhood" school policy, can they place him at a non-neighborhood school solely because he gets that speech therapy? Or would that be/mean that they are violating least restrictive placement?

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by khaoskat

Ok, we have tried getting our child's school assignment for a few weeks. We have the option to apply for Ed Choice, so we can place him in private school.

I just found out today, that he has not been assigned a school yet (despite what we were told 10 days ago). Rather I was informed that I had to call Special Ed Services about his placement.

He is only on IEP for Speech Therapy...so why would special ed services be involved in placing him in a school? He gets no other accomodations, just 180 mins a quarter of group speech therapy.

If the school district has a "neighborhood" school policy, can they place him at a non-neighborhood school solely because he gets that speech therapy? Or would that be/mean that they are violating least restrictive placement?

ARe you looking at next Fall? I am surprised they are assigning schools already since moving-ins/teacher retirements/etc could change enrollment greatly.

Spec.Ed could be involved since he gets services (speech). They would not be violating LRE (least restrictive environment) if the program at one school was exactly the same as another.

They may only have a Speech teacher available at one school and/or the Speech teacher at your local school may have a maximum caseload (per state law)already and they are shifting kids around so that they all get services that are in the IEP. Or a Spec.Ed case manager (the teacher that manages his IEP) may not be available or may be at maximum caseload-etc.

Also when placing kids in the classroom, often they balance Spec.Ed kids (speech included) balanced so that the same grade level classroom have a fairly equal number of kids (if there are 4 kids in speech and 2 of the same grade---they place 2 in each classroom). and ability levels in order to create balanced classrooms.

In our area, mostly kids go to the home school in order to facilitate transportation and peer relationships- they tend to move Spec.Ed. staff instead (or have them travel between schools).

I dont know what Ed.Option is. Also if you go to a private school---that could change a lot of things depending on how cooperative your local district is.

Call and ask- maybe they are delayed on all placements???

[khaoskat]

Thanks, I have gotten some answers from the school today....but it doesn't help me apply for the Ed Choice Voucher (basically a voucher/scholarship by the State that covers $4,300 worth of private education if you live in a failing school district or will be assigned/going to a failing school).

I was basically told, for the first time, in multiple multiple multiple conversations, phone calls, etc....that if you are on IEP, they will not assign you to a school until the transitional MFE and IEP are done. In our case, they are not required to do that until 5/21/10, which is at least 6 weeks after the application deadline for Ed Choice.

So, because they have taken so long on getting his MFE done (I signed the papers in like September or early October), we wont have the MFE/IEP results until after the Ed Choice deadline.

Which also makes me wonder how they are going to assign him to a school. The place he goes now is pre-k to 8, fills up very fast with students and is wait listed. Also, the only district wide program we would consider putting him fills up fast and is waited listed. They don't reserve spots for special needs kids. So, basically, they are now in open enrollment period, so even though we went through all the early hoops of getting him into the school we wanted, he wont get into it. They have already sent out assignments for students who went through the early enrollment period. They also wont work during the summer, so we will have no clue until about a week or two before school starts where he will be assigned.

Honestly to me, if you are going to go ahead and assign all your non IEP for Kinder once they apply for Kinder, but require your IEP/504 students to wait after their annual IEP meeting, that is discriminatory against those who are on an IEP, they do not have the same chances of getting into one of the few "passing" schools in the district.

Under Idea on Wrightslaw I found this ---- Under IDEA, each disabled student's placement must be determined at least annually, must be based on the student's IEP, and must be in the school or facility as close as possible to the student's home.

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by khaoskat

So, because they have taken so long on getting his MFE done (I signed the papers in like September or early October), we wont have the MFE/IEP results until after the Ed Choice deadline.


Honestly to me, if you are going to go ahead and assign all your non IEP for Kinder once they apply for Kinder, but require your IEP/504 students to wait after their annual IEP meeting, that is discriminatory against those who are on an IEP, they do not have the same chances of getting into one of the few "passing" schools in the district.

Under Idea on Wrightslaw I found this ---- Under IDEA, each disabled student's placement must be determined at least annually, must be based on the student's IEP, and must be in the school or facility as close as possible to the student's home.

If they took more than 30 school days to do the IEP after you requested it/last years expired and/or the paperwork was started they are in possible violation of the law (with the exception if you signed for an extention due to illness, time constraints, etc).

It could be discriminatory, with the exception of certain programs (self-contained, etc) that have eligibility requirements to be part of that program. But for fully included students, they should enroll at the same time as IEP/504 kids. We enrolled on the first day for K enrollment (for all students) and I have one daughter on an IEP and one on a 504. We simply had to bring the IEP/504 with us upon enrolling. BUT we are not notified of a placement until a few weeks before school starts due to rolling enrollment and/or class changes. We requested a different public school (within our district) than our homeschool.

The closest facility possible.....leaves some leeway. If a facility does not have room and/or the right staff/program it may not the be the closest possible school. The word 'possible' leaves some room for argument. They could be required to provide transportation if your local school does not have room/program/staff to the nearest one that does have what the IEP is written for.

I would look for a local advocate or IDEA mediator if you are concerned enough that it may cost your son placement at one of the schools you want. I cant imagine that they can place him later than non-IEP students and still expect spots open if their is a waitlist and NOT violate his rights ( it could be discriminatory if non-IEP kids get opportunity to enroll earlier).

Some private schools do not provide Spec.Ed. services though so make sure you explore that if you go to a private school.

I hope it works out for you and your DS!

[khaoskat]

KC - ours does have state special ed funding available to it (private school that is) and they are contracted with the school district to provide speech services.

Basically enrollment for Kinder began on 2/5, or was supposed to, but the enrollment fair was canceled for snow and rescheduled for 2/27. In the mean time, they did have people do walk in registrations. We went to the enrollment fair on 2/27. I specifically spoke with the director of Student Assignments and explained we needed his information on enrollment so we could apply for ed choice. She told us she would make sure to get his done by the 19th of march and mail it out. They mailed out, per their statements at the fair, school assignments for next year, on March 26, 2010, for those who enrolled prior to and during the enrollment fair.

On March 22, 2010 they started open enrollment. Not sure how that is working, but I think you go in, and will be told when you leave what school your child is assigned to.

I spoke with the people at Special Ed Dept. today - late this afternoon, and everyone involved in DS2's stuff is out of the office till next week. Only top administrators are working this week. She looked DS2 up on the computer, and they don't even show that his transitional MFE was completed yet, nor could she access the communications to us about the meeting on 4/9. The only information she could give is that until the MFE is complete and we have his IEP set up for next year, they cannot send his enrollment stuff back to Student Assignment for being assigned to a school. And that they have until 5/21/10 to hold the IEP meeting.

I know we held a meeting back in late September or early October (would have to go find my calendar from last year to get exact date) where we discussed and made the plan for what he would be tested for in the transitional MFE. We are now apx. 6 months since that meeting. I am sure I also have the paperwork around here somewhere from it as well.