You could potentially receive payment or reimbursement for the cost of your child’s private school tuition from your public school district, but this happens only in very rare cases. Either the IEP team must have explored all alternative options and concluded that a private school environment is the most suitable placement for your child, or parents may subsequently seek tuition reimbursement through a due process hearing.
Parents must tell their IEP team at an IEP meeting that they are rejecting the proposed IEP, and why, and that they intend to enroll their child in a private school at public expense. Forgetting this step could up the odds of reimbursement being denied, and the district school can deny funding if you don’t share your concerns or intent to pull your child out of public school in advance.
You can then file for due process, and a hearing will be held to decide whether the school district should pay for your child’s private school education. The district may agree to fund a private service in a settlement agreement at mediation or prior to the due process hearing. Or, if the family prevails at the hearing, the judge could order the district to reimburse the parent for a private service.
For more information, see our full article Private School 101.
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