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Private School Students

The District is responsible for Child Find for students within our geogrphical boundaries and beyond.   Please refer to the chart below to determine which district to contact if your child attends private school. 

Lives in  Attends School In District to Contact
MDUSD MDUSD MDUSD
MDUSD Contra Costa outside of MDUSD Home District
Contra Costa outside of MDUSD MDUSD Home District
Outside of Contra Costa MDUSD MDUSD
MDUSD Outside of Contra Costa MDUSD

 

Students may be referred for special education assessment by either the parent, school member or other referral. 

Once a written referral is received, the parent/guardian should proceed to the Enrollment Center where they will register their child for the purposes of establishing residency.  After online registration is complete, the parent/guardian must take the documents that verify residency to the Enrollment Center for review and completion of registration.  

At that time, the family will be provided with a QR code to a questionnaire that must be completed in order to assist the site team to establish the areas in which the child is suspected to be disabled and how to proceed.  

Once the document is received and registration is complete, the district will have 15 days to respond to the request. During that time, the parent/guardian and school staff of both the private and residence public schools may be invited to attend a Student Study Team meeting in which they will review available data in order to develop a comprehensive response.  

If an assessment plan is developed, the IEP team meeting will be held within 60 days of the return of the signed assessment plan to the public school of residence site.  

Students in Private School are not entitled to a free and appropriate public education by virtue of their enrollment in private school.  Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act "no parentally-placed private school child with a disability has an individual right to receive some or all of the special education and related services that the child would receive if enrolled in a public school.  

  • If the IEP team determines that the child has a disability and needs special education and related services (the student's needs cannot be met in the general education setting even with accommodations and modifications), the district will ask the parent if they intend to enroll the student in the public school system. 
    • If the parent intends to enroll or is considering enrolling the child in public school, the District will develop an IEP offering a free and appropriate public education.   
    • If the parent intends to maintain the child's enrollment in the private school, the District will develop an Individual Service Plan for the child.