Complaint Summary
Date Findings Report Sent:
May 6, 2026
Case Number:
26-0494
Grade Level:
Elementary school
Person filing complaint:
Parent
School District:
Bridgeport Public Schools (single student)
Allegation(s):
Issue1: The Parent claims the District has not met this requirement by not ensuring the Student is educated by a special education teacher. (34 CFR § 300.17(d))
Issue 2: The Parent claims the District did not act to ensure the Student’s safety in light of his elopement behavior. (34 CFR § 300.324(a)(2)(1))
Conclusion(s):
Issue 1: It is concluded the District failed to implement the Student’s IEP from March 18, 2025 to the end of the school year by not staffing the Student’s special education classroom with a certified special education teacher as required by the Student’s IEP in violation of 34 CFR Section 300.17(d). Corrective Action is required, see below.
Issue 2: Pursuant to the IDEA, a complaint investigation looks back one year from the date a complaint was filed. In this case, the complaint was filed on March 18, 2026, and so, the look back period of this investigation runs from March 18, 2025, through March 18, 2026. The Parent’s claim that the District failed to provide programming supports to the Student to address unsafe behavior refers to an incident that occurred over one year prior to the filing of the complaint and for this reason was not investigated. No corrective action is required.
Corrective Action(s):
The District must offer the Student compensatory education for the twelve weeks at the end of the 2024-2026 school year when the Student’s classroom was not staffed by a certified special education teacher. In the findings letter regarding Complaint No. 26-0065, corrective action directed the District to “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…” The District is directed to add this complaint’s required corrective action to the staff member’s duties as set forth in Complaint No. 26-0065.