Lexy: Does anyone know of any instances occurring in the state of Texas that a public school has paid any portion of a special education student’s private school tuition?
Private Placement: TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL PAYING PRIVATE SCHOOL PLACEMENT
Special Education Law and Advocacy
I found this in my search for information. I have avoided the legal route for my son with autism who is completely nonverbal and have tried to provide data to support what I’ve told them and have disagreed with throughout the process. I am now at a point where I really need help. The school keeps wanting to label him as ID and has completely excluding his actual educational progress. He attended a private ABA school which was not allowed to provide academics at all. At the time, this was a better placement due to his behaviors and frustration of being nonverbal. He has only attended public school or been in a “formal education setting” for a combined 17 months. He was initially given goals of a 3 yr old (age 8) based on their first “assessment”, which he mastered prior to stepping foot on campus (virtual instruction during COVID). They have since changed his goals 3+ times because he continues to master every goal that he is given. They just assessed him again and he received a lower score. The diag actually told me over the phone that she did not feel that the assessment was an accurate representation of what he new or his capability. I’m looking into having him enrolled in private school because I’m not sure that they have an appropriate educational setting for him, but it’s very expensive. I really need some advice and help on the next steps to advocate for my son.
I suggest that you contact your state parent training and information project. They can help you understand the district’s responsibility for providing an appropriate education, building a case that they are not doing this, & how to request an independent education evaluation. http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center
Thank you so much for the guidance on next steps.
There are a few cases of schools paying for residential placement. TX approves certain private schools as nonpublic schools, & provides some funding when schools place students there. Information on this can be found on the TEA special ed webpage.
Thank you for that information Chuck. I looked that up and saw the list of approved nonpublic schools. Unfortunately none of the special education schools located in our area are on the list. Every annual ARD meeting the committee recommends continuing private school placement for my daughter. They say how happy and impressed they are with the progress she’s making there. The $20,000 tuition cost I’m having to pay each year is difficult though as a single parent. I wish there was a way of getting some help from the school district. Even just getting the money back I have to pay to them along with my property taxes each year would be nice. These annual Service Plan meetings seem so pointless. They tell me all the help my daughter needs,but don’t have the funding to provide any of it..
The school is responsible for providing appropriate service in the district or paying for the private school placement. Contact me about where you live, & I can get you some help. cnoe59@hotmail.com