Score One for Parents of Special Needs Children…So Far

Parents of special needs students get break

While a few education bloggers speculated last week about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision involving parental rights for special needs education, the affirmed ruling gave parents a big win with a 4-to-4 tie by siding against New York City schools. The ruling upheld the law permitting parents to seek public financing for private schools if they can show that the public schools cannot meet their children’s needs. Mr. Freston’s fight on behalf of his son began a decade ago, and resembles a case like more than 71,000 cases across America where private placements utilize public dollars. The New York Times reported that the justices may take up the issue again. Missouri’s state statute says that “If the board of education of the district finds that no adequate program for handicapped or severely handicapped children is available in nearby districts or through public agencies, it may contract with any organization within the state which has programs meeting the standards established by the state board of education.”