Pennsylvania
Special Education Hearing Officer
DECISION
Child’s Name: K.F.
Date of Birth: [redacted]
Date of Hearing: August 14, 2014
CLOSED HEARING
ODR Cases (consolidated)
15215-1415KE 15221-1415KE
Parties to the Hearing: Parent[s]
Centennial School District 433 Centennial Road Warminster, PA 18974
Representative: Pro Se
Grace Deon, Esquire 60 East Court Street P.O. Box 1389 Doylestown, PA 18901
Date Record Closed: September 12, 2014
Date of Decision: September 12, 2014
Hearing Officer: Jake McElligott, Esquire
INTRODUCTION
[Student] (student) is a [beyond teenaged] student residing in the Centennial School District (District) who has been identified as a student with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA)1. The student has been identified under the terms of IDEA as a student with an emotional disturbance.
The student’s parent filed a special education due process complaint (ODR file #15215-1415KE), seeking an independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense. The parent’s complaint also alleged that the District had inappropriately handled the issuance of the student’s diploma, in addition to other claims related to alleged inappropriate treatment of the student by the District.
The District denied all claims alleged in the parent’s complaint. Because IDEA requires a school district, when presented with a request for an IEE at public expense, to acquiesce in the request or to file a special education due process complaint, the District filed a complaint to defend its evaluation process and report (ODR file #15221-1415KE).
For the reasons set forth below, finding that a regular high school diploma has been issued by the District to the student, the student’s parent’s complaint is dismissed.
1 It is this hearing officer’s preference to cite to the implementing regulation of the IDEIA at 34 C.F.R. §§300.1-300.818. See also 24 PA Code §§14.101-14.162.
ISSUE
Does the issuance of a regular high school diploma to the student impact the special education due process proceedings in this matter?
K-F-Centennial-ODRNo-15215-1415KE-and-15221-1415KE