Stamford 26-0205

Complaint Summary

Date Findings Report Sent:

December 24, 2025

Case Number:

26-0205

Grade Level:

High school

Person filing complaint:

Parent

School District:

Stamford Public Schools

Allegation(s):

  • 34 CFR § 300.327 requires each district to ensure that the parents of each child with a disability are members of any group that makes decisions on the educational placement of their child. 34 CFR § 300.323(a) provides that at the beginning of each school year, each district must have in effect, for each child with a disability within its jurisdiction, an individualized education program (IEP). This IEP must be implemented in the least restrictive environment for the Student according to 34 § 300.114. The Parent alleged that the Student does not have a current placement for the 2025-26 school year.
  • The Parent alleged that the District has failed to provide the Student with the services in his IEP since the start of the 2025-26 school year. 34 CFR §§ 300.323(c)(2) and 300.17, RCSA § 10-76d-1(a)(1) require each board of education to provide in a timely way special education and related services in accordance with the student’s individualized education program.
  • The Parent alleged that the District convened a planning and placement team meeting on October 21, 2025, to conduct an annual review, but did not appropriately update the Student’s IEP. 34 CFR 300.324(b) provides that districts must review the student’s IEP periodically, but not less than annually, to determine whether the annual goals for the student are being achieved and revise the IEP as appropriate.

Conclusion(s):

  • 34 CFR § 300.327 requires each district to ensure that the parents of each child with a disability are members of any group that makes decisions on the educational placement of their child. 34 CFR § 300.323(a) provides that at the beginning of each school year, each district must have in effect, for each child with a disability within its jurisdiction, an individualized education program (IEP). This IEP must be implemented in the least restrictive environment for the Student according to 34 § 300.114. Since the Student had not yet been accepted to an out-of-district program, the District placed the Student at his home high school. At the PPT meeting on September on September 9, 2025, District placed the Student at LINKS Academy. Since the start of the 2025-26 school year, the Student has had an IEP in place for the Student. The Student has had two placements since the start of the 2025-26 school year through October 24, 2025 and therefore, the District did not violate 34 CFR § 300.327 or 34 CFR § 300.323(a). 
  • 34 CFR §§ 300.323(c)(2) and 300.17, RCSA § 10-76d-1(a)(1) require each board of education to provide in a timely way special education and related services in accordance with the student’s individualized education program. At the start of the 2025-26 school year, the District was ready and willing to implement the Student’s IEP at his local high school. However, the Student decided not to attend and was not made available for services. Therefore, the District did not fail to implement the Student’s IEP during this time. Alternatively, once the Student started attending LINKS on September 29, 2025, the District failed to implement the Student’s IEP. From September 29, 2025 through October 24, 2024 approximately four weeks elapsed. Therefore, the District violated 34 CFR §§ 300.323(c)(2) and 300.17, RCSA § 10-76d-1(a)(1) during these four weeks. Corrective action is required, see below. 
  • 34 CFR 300.324(b) provides that districts must review the student’s IEP periodically, but not less than annually, to determine whether the annual goals for the student are being achieved and revise the IEP as appropriate. While the District held the annual review in a timely way on October 10, 2025, the PPT did not fulfill the requirements of an annual review, which is to determine whether the annual goals for the student are being achieved and revise the IEP as appropriate. Therefore, a violation of 34 CFR 300.324(b) is found. Corrective action is required, see below. .

Corrective Action(s):

  • The District must provide the Student with a total of 32 hours of compensatory hours of specialized instruction in the areas of academic skills, reading, math and writing. The District must also provide the Student with four hours of individualized speech and language services and 4 hours of individualized counseling services. These services must be provided by the end of the 2025-26 school year. Documentation of the delivery of services must be sent to this office.
  • The District must provide documentation that it held a proper annual review that meets the requirements of the regulation. Documentation must be sent to this office by January 31, 2025.
  • The District must review the requirements of 34 CFR 300.324(b) with the District staff members who attended the PPT meeting on December 10, 2025. This may be achieved through training or a staff memo. Documentation that this corrective action has been fulfilled, must be sent to this office.