Appeal of special education placement dismissed; no statutory authority to reimburse parents for unilateral private school enrolment.
The parents of a student identified with a learning disability appealed the placement recommended by the school board's Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC).
The parents had unilaterally enrolled the student in a private school in the United States and sought reimbursement for tuition and related expenses, arguing the board could not provide an adequate program.
The Tribunal dismissed the appeal, finding that the board had made an honest attempt to provide a suitable placement and had the qualified staff to do so.
The Tribunal also rejected the claim for reimbursement, noting there was no statutory authority under the Education Act for a school board to purchase education from a private school unless the student was determined to be 'hard to serve', which had not occurred.
