Milford 26-0215

Complaint Summary

Date Findings Report Sent:

December 17, 2025

Case Number:

26-0215

Grade Level:

Middle

Person filing complaint:

Parent

School District:

Milford Public Schools/New Haven Magnet School

Allegation(s):

  • Issue 1: The Parents alleged that the District did not hold the Student’s annual review PPT meeting on or before April 29, 2025. 34 CFR § 300.324 and CGS § 10-264l(h)
  • Issue 2: The Parents alleged that progress reports on IEP goals and objectives were not provided during the 2024-2025 school year. 34 CFR § 300.320(a)(3) and CGS § 10-264l(h)
  • Issue 3: The Parents alleged that the District refused to allow the Student to participate in the extracurricular activities of drama club and chorus at the District based on her enrollment at the Magnet School, violating her right to equal opportunity to participate in nonacademic and extracurricular activities. 34 CFR § 300.107

Conclusion(s):

  • Issue 1: The District was responsible for scheduling and convening the Student’s PPT meetings including the Student’s annual review. Therefore, the District was in violation of 34 CFR § 300.324 for not conducting the Student’s annual review, which was due on or before April 29, 2025, until September 12, 2025. Corrective action is required. In response to this investigation, the District reported shifting the responsibility of tracking and scheduling PPT meetings for students attending interdistrict magnet schools from service providers to a District special education supervisor.
  • Issue 2: The Magnet School did not complete or provide progress reports on IEP goals and objectives for the Student during the 2024-2025 school year and therefore was in violation of 34 CFR § 300.320(a)(3). Corrective action is required. Prior to the filing of this complaint on October 29, 2025, the District in which the Magnet School is located reported providing professional development to its special education staff and related service providers on progress reporting requirements on September 9, 2025. As the District has already provided training on progress reporting to the Magnet School staff, limited corrective action will follow. In response to this investigation, the District reported assigning quarterly deadlines for Magnet School case managers to submit hard copies of progress reports on IEP goals and objectives and confirmation that progress reports on IEP goal and objectives are uploaded to CT-SEDS to their supervisors to ensure compliance.
  • Issue 3: Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) § 10-264l(h) requires that if a student requiring special education attends an interdistrict magnet school on a full-time basis, such interdistrict magnet school shall be responsible for ensuring that such student receives the services mandated by the student's individualized education program whether such services are provided by the interdistrict magnet school or by the school district in which the student resides. The Student’s access to extracurricular activities and the PPT’s planning of any supplemental aids and services required for the Student to be afforded equal opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities in accordance with 34 CFR § 300.107 would be for the Student to participate in the extracurricular clubs offered at the Magnet School, which is where the Student is attending school. Following the District’s refusal for the Student to participate in extracurricular clubs at the District middle school as well as the District’s refusal to draft and implement a goal and objective supporting the Student’s participation in extracurricular clubs at the District middle school in preparation for the Student’s transition to the District high school for the 2026-2027 school year, the District provided the Parents with Prior Written Notice. The District recommended meeting in the Spring of 2026 to plan the Student’s transition to the District high school for the following school year. There is no existing legislation that requires a sending district to allow a student who attends an interdistrict magnet school to participate in extracurricular clubs in their home district. Therefore, it is concluded that the District did not violate 34 CFR § 300.107, as the District did not deny the Student access to necessary supplementary aids or services in order for the Student to be afforded an equal opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities at the Magnet School. No corrective action is required.

Corrective Action(s):

  1. The District must provide training to all special education staff assigned to work with their students attending interdistrict magnet schools on the requirements of 34 CFR § 300.324 and Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) § 10-264l(h). The content of the training and staff signatures and date as well as supporting documentation of the referenced plan for District special education supervisors to coordinate the tracking and scheduling of all PPT meetings for students attending interdistrict magnet schools in accordance with the requirements of 34 CFR § 300.324 and Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) § 10-264l(h) must be sent to this investigator on or before February 2, 2026.
  2. The Magnet School must provide training to their special education case managers on the requirements of 34 CFR § 300.324 and Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) § 10-264l(h). Included in the training must be a plan for case managers at the Magnet School working with sending District staff on satisfying the requirements of 34 CFR § 300.324 and Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) § 10-264l(h). The content of the training and staff signatures and date must be sent to this investigator on or before February 2, 2026.
  3. The Magnet School must provide documentation that their special education staff and related service providers attended the professional development opportunity on September 9, 2025, focused on the requirements of progress reporting in accordance with 34 CFR § 300.320(a)(3). If any staff member was not in attendance, the staff member will need to be provided the training to ensure a clear understanding and compliance for all Magnet School staff. Included in this documentation must be a copy of the referenced plan now in place for Magnet School case managers to submit confirmation of the completion of progress reports on IEP goal and objectives to their supervisors to ensure compliance. Documentation of staff signatures and date confirming completion of the elements of this corrective action item must be sent to this investigator on or before February 2, 2026.
  4. Upon receipt of this letter, the Magnet School must provide the Parents with progress reports on IEP goals and objectives for the 2024-2025 school year. Copies of these reports must be also sent to the CSDE on or before February 2, 2026.