Roanoke County Public Schools’ Responsibility for Parentally Placed Private School Students with Disabilities

An Overview of the Regulations…  School divisions are required to expend a proportionate share of federal funds on the group of students with disabilities who have been placed in private schools by their parents.  This expenditure is required even though a free appropriate public education is available in Roanoke County Public Schools or the student’s home district.

General Information  Services which are due to private school students are designated in an Individual Service Plan (ISP)  The school division where the private school is located has the responsibility to conduct child find activities.

The Child Find Process  To determine how parentally placed private school students suspected of having a disability can participate equitably in child find activities.  To discuss how parents, teachers, and private school officials will be informed of the child find process.

If a school representative or a parent suspects a child of having a disability, please contact the Roanoke County Public Schools Office of Special Education at (540) x A child study meeting will be set up within 10 days at one of our schools. If Roanoke County Schools is not responsible for conducting the evaluation, we will direct you to the school system who is responsible.

The Determination of the Proportionate Share  The school division must engage in timely and meaningful consultation to determine the proportionate amount of federal funds available to serve parentally placed private school students with disabilities.  This consultation must include how the proportionate amount was calculated.

Set aside funds in Roanoke County Schools:  We begin with the number of students who are privately placed by their parents and who are eligible for special education and/or related services. We then divide that number into the total population of students with disabilities. That amount of federal funds is then set aside to support students with disabilities in private schools.  Set aside funds in Roanoke County Public Schools were calculated based on the number of students identified by private placements, our annual Dec. 1 st child count, and/or our child find activities.

Usage of set aside funds… what does this currently look like?  Direct speech or occupational therapy services- preschool through high school  Consultative speech or occupational therapy services  Extended School Year services, when appropriate  Mileage for travel between schools for therapists.

The Consultation Process  School divisions are required to engage in “timely and meaningful” consultation with private school representatives and representatives of parents of parentally placed private school children with disabilities.

What Consultation looks like in Roanoke County Schools  Roanoke County Public Schools holds annual meetings to obtain information and gather feedback from representatives from private placements and our parents. In addition, ongoing communication is welcome throughout the year.

Special Education and Related Services  The school division must also consult regarding how, when, and by whom special education and related services will be provided…this includes the type of services that will be provided.

Services Provided by Roanoke County Schools  Roanoke County Public Schools currently provides speech/language and occupational therapy services to students who qualify for such. All services are offered through an Individualized Service Plan (ISP).  Roanoke County Public Schools contracts out for many of these services. In addition, we have in house Speech Therapists who oversee case management for some our students in private placements.  Roanoke County Public Schools does not provide equipment or instructional materials to private schools (i.e., FM Systems, reading programs, iPads, laptops, etc.).

If you are a Roanoke County resident, you are entitled to a free appropriate public education in Roanoke County Schools.

Services (Continued)  Once set aside funds are exhausted, services will cease for parentally placed private school students. Services will resume again at the start of the following academic year.  Decisions about services are made on an annual basis and are included in our Annual Plan for Special Education in Roanoke County Public Schools.

Child Find RCPS is responsible for all child find activities, regardless of funding. This includes:  Holding child study meetings  Evaluating students for possible special education services  Conducting re-evaluations  Conducting triennial reviews

Disagreements  The school division has the authority to make the final determination as to the types and services that it will provide.  If the school division and private school and/or parents disagree, the school division must provide a written explanation of why the division chose not to provide services as recommended by the private school or parents.