Does the district have to provide gen ed placement in preschool?

Districts are not required to operate preschools for children without disabilities in California. However, LRE requires that children with disabilities be taught alongside their non-disabled peers to the “maximum extent possible.” This means that unless your child’s needs prevent appropriate mainstreaming in a general education classroom, the district must provide general education placement. This can be accomplished in several ways, including working with another district to provide services or reimbursing the cost of a private preschool.

For more information about this topic, check out our article The Preschool Transition: Choosing a School and Preparing for Your First IEP.