A New Jersey Administrative Law Judge recently ordered a central New Jersey school district to reimburse parents for the tuition costs of a state-approved private school.
The case involves a teenage girl with bipolar disorder classified as “emotionally disturbed.” The district proposed a placement in the school’s resource center for reading, language arts and social studies, as well as continued replacement instruction for mathematics, supplemental reading and in-class support science. Counseling was also to be available once per week as needed.
The girl’s parents disagreed with the proposed placement and requested an out-of-district placement at a school emphasizing programs for students with learning disabilities. The District declined stating that the proposed program offered a “free, appropriate public education FAPE in a less restrictive setting.”
Ruling in favor of the parents, the judge found the girl had not made meaningful progress in the district program, and that the proposed Individualized Education Program IEP was substantially similar to that of the previous year, during which the girl had experienced regression. The judge further concluded that the district did not properly consider the girl’s potential or her educational needs, and failed to give careful consideration to the recommendations of the parents and outside professionals.
To read the decision, click here.
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