Anyone with a non-public placement switched districts/LEAs?

[Anonymous]

My son currently has a non-public placement in DC. I am considering a move to Fairfax County to get my other son into a better school system and be closer to work. I understand that we'll have to go through the same "process" again, but are these systems inclined towards taking away a non-public placement that is working and that another system approved? Yes, I will float this past my attorney, but wanted to see if anyone here has actually done it or knows what to expect. TIA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son currently has a non-public placement in DC. I am considering a move to Fairfax County to get my other son into a better school system and be closer to work. I understand that we'll have to go through the same "process" again, but are these systems inclined towards taking away a non-public placement that is working and that another system approved? Yes, I will float this past my attorney, but wanted to see if anyone here has actually done it or knows what to expect. TIA!

The new school district is required to provide "comparable services." So if the IEP states private separate day, then you child should most likely be able to stay in that private separate day, especially if it is working. If Fairfax County has a specific program that can meet your child's needs and can provide FAPE they might try to have your child attend school within the county. Does that help?

[Anonymous]

Yes, but if Fairfax doesnt have a contract with your son's special ed school, it might be difficult.

If your son is in a private placement due to behaviors,
they will keep him in a private day school.

Learning disabilities might be more difficult.

[Anonymous]

We did it from PG County to AA County and it wasn't smooth sailing but we made it. It's no guarantee, sadly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but if Fairfax doesnt have a contract with your son's special ed school, it might be difficult.

If your son is in a private placement due to behaviors,
they will keep him in a private day school.

Learning disabilities might be more difficult.

That's what I was thinking. FCPS has a contract with my son's school, but I know they have their own autism programs and might try to shove him into one of theirs instead of keep him where he's thriving.

[Anonymous]

Dc is very different than FCPS. My neighbor tried to get her DS into Ivymount, but FCPS doesn’t put kids in schools that use seclusion. There are new rules about some of that since the big lawsuit from last winter. I think it was in the news?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son currently has a non-public placement in DC. I am considering a move to Fairfax County to get my other son into a better school system and be closer to work. I understand that we'll have to go through the same "process" again, but are these systems inclined towards taking away a non-public placement that is working and that another system approved? Yes, I will float this past my attorney, but wanted to see if anyone here has actually done it or knows what to expect. TIA!

The new school district is required to provide "comparable services." So if the IEP states private separate day, then you child should most likely be able to stay in that private separate day, especially if it is working. If Fairfax County has a specific program that can meet your child's needs and can provide FAPE they might try to have your child attend school within the county. Does that help?

IEPs don't typically have that level of detail. They just say that all hours are outside gen ed, but that doesn't obligate a new district to fund a nonpublic over its self contained program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son currently has a non-public placement in DC. I am considering a move to Fairfax County to get my other son into a better school system and be closer to work. I understand that we'll have to go through the same "process" again, but are these systems inclined towards taking away a non-public placement that is working and that another system approved? Yes, I will float this past my attorney, but wanted to see if anyone here has actually done it or knows what to expect. TIA!

The new school district is required to provide "comparable services." So if the IEP states private separate day, then you child should most likely be able to stay in that private separate day, especially if it is working. If Fairfax County has a specific program that can meet your child's needs and can provide FAPE they might try to have your child attend school within the county. Does that help?

IEPs don't typically have that level of detail. They just say that all hours are outside gen ed, but that doesn't obligate a new district to fund a nonpublic over its self contained program.

DC IEPs do have that level of detail. It’s listed in the LRE section of the iep. It goes from least restrictive (greater than 80% of the time in gen Ed) to separate classroom in public school, separate day program, residential etc. I’m not sure how that would affect the OPs original question, but it is spelled out in dc.

OP, please let us know what you end up finding out.