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Jessica Jacobs explains how CPS assigns students with disabilities to schools
Summary
Jessica Jacobs, school assignment manager for the CPS Office for Students with Disabilities, said assignments are based on three factors — ability to implement the student's IEP, proximity to home, and program seat availability — and described steps families can take if they disagree with a placement.
Jessica Jacobs, the school assignment manager for the CPS Office for Students with Disabilities, explained how Chicago Public Schools assigns students with disabilities to specific school sites, saying the district uses the student's individualized education program (IEP), proximity to the student's home and program availability to determine placements.
Jacobs said, "A school assignment is the process where the office for students with disabilities assigns a student with a disability to a specific school site based on the program placement recommended by the IEP team." She listed the three determinative factors as "1, the school's ability to implement the student's IEP; 2, proximity from the home; and 3, availability."
When asked why a child might not be assigned to the closest school, Jacobs said it is usually because "there were no seats available in that specific program." In that case, she said the office assigns the student to "the next closest school that can fully implement your child's IEP." She added that a student's assignment can also change if a school can no longer fully implement the IEP or if the student's program type changes (for example, moving from preschool to elementary school or from eighth grade to high school).
On what families can do if they disagree with an assignment, Jacobs reiterated that assignments "are determined based on your child's IEP, proximity from your home address, and availability of programs." She said assignments are changed only if the student's IEP team meets and determines the IEP can no longer be implemented at the assigned school. She also said assignments may be revised if a family's address has changed and instructed families to contact their child's case manager or to email two proofs of address to osdschoolassignment@cps.edu.
For more information about school assignment, Jacobs directed families to visit cps.edu and encouraged them to reach out to their child's case manager as the primary point of contact. She closed the session by saying, "We will see you on August 24." No formal actions or votes were recorded during this Q&A.
What this means for families: placement decisions hinge first on whether a school can implement the services listed on an IEP. Proximity and seat availability are considered next; families seeking a change should start with the student's case manager and the IEP team.
