The United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), has provided guidance on the obligations of States and local educational agencies to parentally-placed private school children with disabilities. The attached OSEP memorandum discusses provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) that took effect July 1, 2005.
For purposes of implementing this requirement of IDEA, children with disabilities in Arkansas who participate in an approved home school program are to be treated in the same manner as private school students. While there is no individual entitlement to special education for parentally-placed private school or home schooled students with disabilities, they must be considered for receipt of such services as part of a “pool” of potentially eligible children with disabilities.
Local special education supervisors received guidance on the IDEA requirements during training conducted June 22-23, 2005, including the requirements pertaining to parentally-placed private school children with disabilities.
The ADE, Special Education Unit has provided each district that has a private school located within its boundaries with its “proportionate share” expenditure calculation based on the census taken during the previous year of students in private schools and home school programs. This calculation can be found on each district’s demographic profile posted on the Special Education website, http://arksped.k12.ar.us , in the Data & Research, Profiles, School Age Profiles 2004/05.
For additional information or questions, please contact George Elliott as indicated above.