Parentally Placed Private School Students

Responsibility

The Local Education Agency (LEA) in which the student’s private school is located is responsible for child find, child count and provision of services to parentally-placed private school students with disabilities.
The term “parentally-placed private school student” refers to students enrolled by their parents in non-profit private schools that meet the definition of elementary or secondary school.
In Missouri, a “private school” is any nonpublic not for profit private school, home school, or religious/parochial school.

Consultation with Representatives of Private Schools

As a requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Columbia Public Schools consults with local private school representatives and parent representatives of parentally placed private school children with disabilities. Consultation is an ongoing process that includes the following:

The child find process, including:

how children suspected of having a disability can participate equitably; and
how parents, teachers, and private school representatives will be informed of the process.

2. The determination of the proportionate share of federal IDEA funds, including the determination of how that share was calculated.

3. How, where, and by whom special education and related services will be provided including a discussion of:

the types of services, including direct services and alternate service delivery mechanisms;
how special education and related services will be apportioned if funds are insufficient to serve all parentally placed private-school children with disabilities; and
how and when these decisions will be made.

4. The consultation process among the school district, private school representatives, and representatives of parents of parentally placed private school children with disabilities, including how the process will operate throughout the school year to ensure meaningful participation of these children in special education and related services; and

5. How the LEA will provide a written explanation to the private school representatives if the LEA disagrees with their views on the provision of services or the types of services.

Child Find

It is the responsibility of CPS to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities (age 3-21) within the district’s boundaries, including students who are enrolled by their parents in private schools (religious/parochial schools, home schools, and private elementary schools and secondary schools) located in the district’s boundaries.
Columbia Public Schools Child Find activities include:
- Publishing in the newspaper and on the school district website
- Airing on the radio or television
- Placing notices in each school building and the administrative offices of CPS
- Providing written information to parents of students enrolled in CPS.

Funding Proportionate Share

Proportionate share is the amount of federal funds CPS must reserve and spend to provide special education and related services to students (age 5 to 21) who have been evaluated, determined eligible, and are parentally-placed in either a private/parochial or home-school setting in the district’s boundaries.
This calculation is based upon the number of parentally-placed private school students with disabilities attending private schools located in this public agency’s boundaries who were eligible and being served on December 1 and collected as part of the annual December 1 child count.
Each year Columbia Public Schools uses the proportionate share calculation to determine what special education services can be provided to nonpublic school students.
Under IDEA, if a district does not spend its proportionate share of Part B funds in the current year, it has an additional one-year carryover period to obligate and spend these funds.
Information regarding calculation of proportionate share and other funding issues surrounding parentally-placed private school children is posted on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) webpage at http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/IDEA-PPPSCD.html

Determination of Equitable Services

Columbia Public Schools is not required to provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to parentally-placed private school students with disabilities as these students do not have an individual right to receive some or all of the special education and related services the child would receive if enrolled in a public school.
Decisions about the services provided to parentally-placed private school students with disabilities have been made in consultation with officials of private schools and representatives of parents of parentally-placed private school children (see Consultation above).
Columbia Public Schools shall make the final decisions with respect to the services to be provided to eligible parentally placed private school children.

Provision of Equitable Services

The services (including special education and related services) provided to parentally-placed private school students with disabilities:
- must be provided by personnel meeting the same standards as personnel providing services in CPS;
- may be a different amount of services than children with disabilities in public school receive; and
- must be described in a Services Plan developed through a meeting that CPS must initiate and conduct.

Disagreement

Due Process

Referral

Parents may request an evaluation by contacting the special education department chair at the school the student would attend if enrolled in public school with CPS or by contacting the Special Services department at the CPS Aslin Administration Building. When a parent does this, a referral form requesting CPS consider a special education evaluation is completed by CPS staff and a copy of Procedural Safeguards is provided to the parent (within 5 school days).
When making the referral, parents will also be asked to provide demographic information for the purposes of partial enrollment. This step allows us to enter the student in our system for record keeping purposes. This request does not delay the referral process.
- Note: If a student is found eligible, parents will be required to all normal enrollment documents (proof of residence, birth certificate, immunization, etc.) before the student can be fully enrolled in public school with an IEP or begin receiving services through a services plan
Upon receiving the request for an evaluation, CPS special education staff will begin gathering information on the student’s background and functioning and determine within 30 days if there is reason to suspect a disability and need for evaluation based on state guidelines and criteria.
If a disability is not suspected, CPS special education staff will communicate the decision with parents and provide them with documentation of the decision.
If a disability is suspected, the parents and private school (if applicable) will be contacted to review the existing data gathered and discuss a plan for the student’s evaluation. Written parental consent for the initial evaluation is required to proceed.

Evaluation

Upon receiving written parental consent to evaluate, CPS has 60 days to complete the evaluation, convene a meeting to consider the evaluation results, and make an eligibility determination based on state criteria. Written parental consent is required to proceed with special education services.
A reevaluation must occur at least once every three years, unless the parent and the public agency agree that a reevaluation is unnecessary. A formal reevaluation or if agreed upon, a waiver of the evaluation, will be completed in consultation with the parent.

Services

CPS is responsible for ensuring that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is made available to each eligible child/student residing within the district. Therefore, if a parent chooses to enroll the student full-time in public school, an IEP will be written. However, if the parent elects to continue with private school or home schooling and wants to access services, a Services Plan will be developed.

Services Plan

A Services Plan will be developed for each parentally-placed private school student receiving special education and related services offered through Columbia Public Schools.
If the parent elects to access services, the initial Services Plan will be developed within 30 days of a child being determined eligible for special education and related services.
For those students receiving services, the Services Plan will be reviewed and revised at least annually unless a request is made sooner by the parent or the district.
CPS must ensure a representative of the private school attends the meetings to develop the initial Services Plan or review the annual Services Plan. If the private school representative cannot attend, other methods to ensure participation of these individuals and communication about the child’s needs will be used.
The Services Plan describes only the specific special education and related services CPS will provide to the student considering the services that have been determined to be made available to parentally-placed private school students with disabilities.
Parents of students requiring more intensive services and support than can be provided through a Services Plan are encouraged to consider enrolling the student full-time as a public school student with a special education IEP.

Services Provided

For the 24-25 school year, Columbia Public Schools and the Special Services department have determined that special education services will continue to be available to eligible private school and home-schooled students in grades K-12.
CPS will provide special education services based on student eligibility and needs as identified through the special education evaluation.
Special Education and Related Services provided by Columbia Public Schools will be identified in the Services Plan and may include the following
- Specially Designed Instruction in Basic Reading, Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency, Written Expression, Mathematics Calculation, Mathematics Problem Solving, Oral Expression, Listening Comprehension, Behavior, Executive Functioning, Adaptive Behavior, Functional Academics, Braille, and/or Adapted Physical Education
- Language Therapy, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and/or Orientation & Mobility
Parents of parentally-placed private school, including home schooled, students have choices in accessing services through Columbia Public Schools. On a Services Plan, a parent may choose to access only some of the services offered, even if the student is eligible for services in other areas.
CPS must make the final decisions with respect to the services to be provided to eligible parentally-placed private school students.

Location of Services

Services will be provided in person during the school day at either the school the student would attend if enrolled in the public school based on their home address or at the public school serving the neighborhood/attendance area where their private school is located. In certain circumstances, it may be necessary for services to be provided in an alternate school/location as determined by the CPS Special Services office.
Parents may only choose one school location for the services plan each year. For example, if the parent wants to pursue the development of a services plan at the school that services the neighborhood where the private school is located, the team at this school will be contacted to develop the services plan. If the timing of the services offered is not preferable, the parent may not turn around and ask that a services plan be created at the school serving the neighborhood based on their home address.
The timing of services provided will be based on the availability and schedule of qualified personnel of the Columbia Public Schools building providing the services.

Attendance

To appropriately develop, provide services, and measure progress related to a Services Plan, the student must regularly attend the services outlined.
Regular attendance is defined as weekly in conjunction with the services outlined on the Services Plan, with the exception of illness and/or special circumstances. Services for students who miss scheduled sessions for three (3) consecutive weeks without communicating with the service provider/case manager will be discontinued. The parent will be notified and must contact the service provider/case manager to begin the process of resuming services.
If parents choose to discontinue services or wish to revoke their initial consent for services, they must notify the district of their intent in writing.

Contact Information

For parents of already eligible students, please contact the special education department at the school your child would attend beginning the week prior to the first day of school to discuss options for services during the school year. If you decide to access special education services, all enrollment paperwork must be completed with your public school of attendance before services can begin.