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Franklin Public Schools outlines how parentally-placed children can access special education; nonresident services limited
Summary
At a consultation meeting, district staff reviewed how parentally-placed children (including exempt homeschools) may access special education: resident students are served through IEP teams, while the district currently lacks an option to provide services to nonresident students; the session covered child-find outreach, funding calculation via NDE/IDEA, service locations, and the October 1 count.
Franklin Public Schools held a consultation meeting to explain how children who are parentally-placed in non-public settings, including exempt homeschools, can participate in special education services. District representatives said resident students receive services through the individualized education program (IEP) process, while nonresident students currently lack a district placement option that would make special education services available.
The district described child-find outreach plans, saying information will be posted on the school website and social media and that public-school staff are trained to inform parents and nonpublic (exempt homeschool) officials about the district’s willingness to serve children with disabilities. Attendees provided feedback during the discussion, the district said.
On funding, the district explained that the proportionate share of IDEA grant funds available to serve eligible children in nonpublic schools and exempt homeschools is calculated by the state education agency (NDE) based on the number of children with disabilities in nonpublic/exempt settings compared with the number in public schools. The specific dollar amount in the meeting materials was not specified. The district said grant-identified expenses (for example, contracted speech services from ESU 11) should be listed in the grant application; if IDEA funds are insufficient, the district will cover remaining expenses with local funds. Carryover dollars may be applied to the following school year, and any remaining carryover at the end of the second year will be used for public-school special education expenses.
Regarding how services operate during the school year, the district said Special Education and Related Services for resident-eligible students will be provided according to needs identified by IEP teams and that services will be provided per each child’s IEP. Services are to be delivered in the least restrictive environment by qualified personnel; locations may include a public school building or a neutral site as determined by the IEP team. The district also stated that service providers are designated through the IEP process and the district (the school) determines providers — IEP teams do not select providers.
For the annual October 1 count of eligible children parentally-placed in exempt home schools, staff explained they will review the NDE-provided list of homeschooled students who live within district boundaries and compare that list to the district’s records of eligible or served children. The meeting materials noted that the child count described here is not the same as the NSSRS/ADVISER count.
The written-affirmation form included in the consultation packet lists the topics discussed — child find, funding calculation and carryover, service delivery and location, allocation if funds are insufficient or over-sufficient, and the October 1 count — and requires signatures from non-public school representatives, public school officials, and parents in attendance. The form also requires the district to provide a dated, written explanation to non-public school officials if the district disagrees with their views about the provision or types of equitable services.
No formal motions or votes were recorded in the meeting text. The consultation packet and signature lines were presented for completion by attendees.
