Bridgeport 26-0065

Complaint Summary

Date Findings Report Sent:

October 14, 2025

Case Number:

26-0065

Grade Level:

Elementary & MS

Person filing complaint:

The Center for Children’s Advocacy

School District:

Bridgeport (systemic)

Allegation(s):

In the complaint, the Complainant alleged that the District had been non-compliant with the rights afforded under IDEA. Specifically, the Complainant alleged that the District had:

1. and 2. Failed to implement students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s) due to staffing shortages in particular self-contained special education classrooms; (these allegations were investigated based on four students submitted as exemplars with the potential for the identification of similarly situated students) [34 CFR § 300.17(d)],

3. Failed to provide timely compensatory education, as required by the 2021 Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) corrective action report; (this allegation was not investigated because monitoring associated with the 2021 Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) corrective action report is ongoing as a result of an earlier complaint investigation and did not require further intervention), and 

4. Performed violations of procedural and substantive rights in Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meetings by predetermining PPT decisions. (this allegation was not investigated as the Bureau determined that such a request was not accompanied by a sufficient factual basis, therefore, the Bureau was unable to move forward with that issue as part of the systemic complaint investigation.

Conclusion(s):

For Issues 1 and 2, the District was found to be out of compliance with regard to implementing the IEPs of each of the four students (and it was determined that the district owed those students compensatory services) as well as additional similarly situated students (for whom it was determined that the district also owed compensatory services). There were a total of ten findings of non-compliance for this complaint.

Issues 3 and 4 are not applicable.

Corrective Action(s):

  1. The District shall identify and appoint a dedicated lead staff member to manage the complaint’s required corrective actions, track the progress of the provision of the compensatory services, and meet with/report to the complaint investigator (or designee) to first establish a monitoring plan approved by the Bureau and, subsequently, provide a monthly update of the progress of the complaint corrective actions toward close out. The name and contact information for the lead staff member shall be forwarded to the Bureau.
  1. The District shall determine the number of missed service hours owed to [Student A], develop a proposal for provision of those service hours to that student (compensatory service plan), and present those hours and that plan to the Bureau for review and approval. The District should be prepared to explain the manner in which the number of hours was determined.
    1. Upon review, the District shall make any adjustments as advised by the Bureau.
    2. Upon approval, the District shall contact the student’s parent(s) to determine if consent is granted to provide such services, to provide such services in the stated amount and format, in an alternate amount and format, or if such services are declined.
    3. Upon consent of the parent for provision of the compensatory services, the District shall immediately begin implementing the plan and tracking the provision of missed service hours. If consent is declined, the District shall make record of that on the tracking log to report to the Bureau.
  1. The District shall determine the number of missed service hours owed to each of the similarly situated students represented in Findings of Fact 1a of the original report, develop a proposal for provision of those service hours to each of those students (compensatory service plan), and present those hours and those plans to the Bureau for review and approval. The District should be prepared to explain the manner in which the number of hours was determined.
    1. Upon review, the District shall make any adjustments as advised by the Bureau.
    2. Upon approval, the District shall contact the parent(s) of each of the student’s to determine if consent is granted to provide such services, to provide such services in the stated amount and format, in an alternate amount and format, or if such services are declined.
    3. For each individual student, upon consent of the parent for provision of the compensatory services, the District shall immediately begin implementing the plan and tracking the provision of missed service hours. For any student for whom consent is decline, the District shall make record of that on the tracking log to report to the Bureau.
  1. The District shall develop a proposal for provision of 330 compensatory service hours to [Student B] (compensatory service plan), and present that plan to the Bureau for review and approval.
    1. Upon review, the District shall make any adjustments as advised by the Bureau.
    2. Upon approval, the District shall contact the student’s parent(s) to determine if consent is granted to provide such services, to provide such services in the stated amount and format, in an alternate amount and format, or if such services are declined.
    3. Upon consent of the parent for provision of the compensatory services, the District shall immediately begin implementing the plan and tracking the provision of missed service hours. If consent is declined, the District shall make record of that on the tracking log to report to the Bureau.
  1. The District shall determine the number of missed service hours owed to each of the students represented in Findings of Fact 2a of the original report, develop a proposal for provision of those service hours to each of those students (compensatory service plan), and present those hours and those plans to the Bureau for review and approval. The District should be prepared to explain the manner in which the number of hours was determined.
    1. Upon review, the District shall make any adjustments as advised by the Bureau.
    2. Upon approval, the District shall contact the parent(s) of each of the student’s to determine if consent is granted to provide such services, to provide such services in the stated amount and format, in an alternate amount and format, or if such services are declined.
    3. For each individual student, upon consent of the parent for provision of the compensatory services, the District shall immediately begin implementing the plan and tracking the provision of missed service hours. For any student for whom consent is decline, the District shall make record of that on the tracking log to report to the Bureau.
  1. The District shall develop a proposal for provision 32.75 hours of IEP-required speech and language service hours to [Student B] (compensatory service plan), and present that plan to the Bureau for review and approval.
    1. Upon review, the District shall make any adjustments as advised by the Bureau.
    2. Upon approval, the District shall contact the student’s parent(s) to determine if consent is granted to provide such services, to provide such services in the stated amount and format, in an alternate amount and format, or if such services are declined.
    3. Upon consent of the parent for provision of the compensatory services, the District shall immediately begin implementing the plan and tracking the provision of missed service hours. If consent is declined, the District shall make record of that on the tracking log to report to the Bureau.
  1. The District shall determine, for each of the students represented in Findings of Fact 4 of the original report, if any of those students were not provided with IEP-required speech and language services hours based on the provider’s service logs. For each student for whom it is determined that such service hours were not provided, the District shall develop a proposal for provision of those missed service hours (compensatory service plan), and present those hours and those plans to the Bureau for review and approval. The District should be prepared to explain the manner in which the number of hours was determined.
    1. Upon review, the District shall make any adjustments as advised by the Bureau.
    2. Upon approval, the District shall contact the parent(s) of each of the student’s to determine if consent is granted to provide such services, to provide such services in the stated amount and format, in an alternate amount and format, or if such services are declined.
    3. For each individual student, upon consent of the parent for provision of the compensatory services, the District shall immediately begin implementing the plan and tracking the provision of missed service hours. For any student for whom consent is decline, the District shall make record of that on the tracking log to report to the Bureau.
    4. For any student who the District has indicated has transferred, if the transfer is within Connecticut, the District shall attempt to contact the parent(s) of the student with an offer to make arrangements for the provision of the missed services. At that time the District shall either gain consent for the provision of services or confirm that the parent(s) decline services. Any declination shall be reported to the Bureau. If unable to reach such parent(s), the District should be prepared to describe the efforts made to contact the parent(s).
  1. The District shall determine the number of missed service hours owed to [Student C], develop a proposal for provision of those service hours to the student (compensatory service plan), and present those hours and that plan to the Bureau for review and approval. The District should be prepared to explain the manner in which the number of hours was determined.
    1. Upon review, the District shall make any adjustments as advised by the Bureau.
    2. Upon approval, the District shall contact the student’s parent(s) to determine if consent is granted to provide such services, to provide such services in the stated amount and format, in an alternate amount and format, or if such services are declined.
    3. Upon consent of the parent for provision of the compensatory services, the District shall immediately begin implementing the plan and tracking the provision of missed service hours. If consent is declined, the District shall make record of that on the tracking log to report to the Bureau.
  1. The District shall determine the number of missed service hours owed to each of the students represented in Findings of Fact 5a of the original report, develop a proposal for provision of those service hours to each of those students (compensatory service plan), and present those hours and those plans to the Bureau for review and approval. The District should be prepared to explain the manner in which the number of hours was determined.
    1. Upon review, the District shall make any adjustments as advised by the Bureau.
    2. Upon approval, the District shall contact the parent(s) of each of the student’s to determine if consent is granted to provide such services, to provide such services in the stated amount and format, in an alternate amount and format, or if such services are declined.
    3. For each individual student, upon consent of the parent for provision of the compensatory services, the District shall immediately begin implementing the plan and tracking the provision of missed service hours. For any student for whom consent is decline, the District shall make record of that on the tracking log to report to the Bureau.
  1. The District shall provide the full measure of 4 speech and language compensatory service hours to [Student D] When the full measure of service hours have been provided to the student, the District shall report that to the Bureau.
  1. For the students represented in Findings of Fact item 8 of the original report, the District shall provide the full measure of speech and language compensatory service hours shown in the table (also in Findings of Fact item 8). For each individual student, as the full measure of services are provided, the District shall report that to the Bureau.
    1. For any student who the District has indicated has transferred, if the transfer is within Connecticut, the District shall attempt to contact the parent(s) of the student with an offer to make arrangements for the provision of the missed services. At that time the District shall either gain consent for the provision of services or confirm that the parent(s) decline services. Any declination shall be reported to the Bureau. If unable to reach such parent(s), the District should be prepared to describe the efforts made to contact the parent(s).