Pennsylvania
Special Education Hearing Officer
DECISION
Child’s Name: [REDACTED]
Date of Birth: [REDACTED]
Dates of Hearing: 10/02/08; 11/03/08; 11/18/08; 11/19/08; 12/01/08; 12/05/08
CLOSED HEARING
ODR No. 9084/08-09 AS
Parties to the Hearing: Parents [REDACTED]
School District
Lower Merion
301 Montgomery Avenue Ardmore, PA 19003-3338
Representative: Parent Attorney
Liliana Yazno-Bartle Grove Summit Office Park 607 A North Easton Road Willow Grove, PA 19090
School District Attorney
Lawrence Dodds, Esq. Wisler, Pearlstine, LLP 484 Norristown Road, Suite 100
Blue Bell, PA 19422
Date Record Closed: January 23, 2009
Date of Decision: February 7, 2009
Hearing Officer: Anne L. Carroll, Esq.
INTRODUCTION AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Student has been enrolled in the 5th grade at [ ], a private school, since the beginning of the 2008/2009 school year. From kindergarten through 4th grade, Student attended school in Lower Merion School District, where s/he received special education services as a child with language-based learning disabilities and ADHD. Contending that Student did not made meaningful progress in the District, particularly in learning to read, and that the IEP offered by the District for the current school year was not reasonably calculated to assure that Student would make meaningful progress in 5th grade, Parents withdrew Student from the District, enrolled him in [private school] and sought reimbursement from the District.
The due process hearing was held over six sessions between October 2 and December 5, 2008. For the reasons which follow, I find in favor of Lower Merion School District and will not order tuition reimbursement.
ISSUE
Is the Lower Merion School District required to reimburse Student’s Parents for tuition paid to [private school] for Student for the 2008/2009 school year?
Student-Lower-Merion-ODRNo-9084-08-09-AS