Parentally Placed Private School Students

Parentally Placed Private School Students are school-aged students (K-12) with disabilities enrolled in not-for-profit private schools. IDEA states that the school district in which a private school is located is responsible for locating and assessing students with disabilities that have been parentally placed in non-profit private schools.

 The California Education Code states that, "a pupil shall be referred for special educational instruction and services only after the resources of the regular education program have been considered and, where appropriate, utilized." (E.C. 56303) Therefore, when a disability is suspected, the private school and/or the local school district may recommend a student be assessed for special education or recommend that the child be referred to a school student study team for consideration of regular education interventions before an assessment for special education is initiated. Parents of private school children are encouraged to work with the staff at their private school to assure that specialized regular education instruction is attempted prior to a decision that a child should be referred for a special education assessment.