Did you child miss some special education and related services because Hurricane Beryl caused their school to close? If they did, advocate for these services to be made up (called “compensatory education services”) so your child can continue to progress and meet the goals in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Your first step is to request an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting to discuss with school staff what your child missed and how the school plans to make up for it. To request an ARD committee meeting, use the sample letter below. To create your request:
- Copy and paste the sample text below into a document or an email
- Change the information in brackets ([]) to reflect your specific situation
- Send the document or email to the appropriate person with the school district
Sample Text for ARD Meeting Request to Discuss Compensatory Education Services
[Case Manager or Diagnostician]
[School/School District]
[Date]
Dear [Name of Case Manager or Diagnostician]:
I am writing to request an ARD meeting to discuss the provision of compensatory education services to my child, [_____________________], to make up for the missed special education and related services they experienced when schools were closed due to Hurricane Beryl.
Schools must consider the impact of cancelled services on the child’s program and performance and determine how to ensure the continued provision of FAPE [a free, appropriate public education] in order for the child to continue to progress and meet the annual goals in his or her IEP. Whether an interruption in services constitutes a denial of FAPE is an individual determination that must be made on a case-by-case basis.
Due to school closure, my child was not able to attend [Extended School Year Services or Summer Programming] as agreed upon in their IEP from [start date] to [end date]. Please let me know available dates for an ARD meeting to discuss these services.
Sincerely,
[Your name], parent of [your child’s name]
[Your most convenient contact information (phone, email, or mailing address)]
Publication Code: ED47
www.DRTx.org
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Online Intake available 24/7: intake.DRTx.org
Disclaimer: Disability Rights Texas strives to update its materials on an annual basis, and this handout is based upon the law at the time it was written. The law changes frequently and is subject to various interpretations by different courts. Future changes in the law may make some information in this handout inaccurate.
The handout is not intended to and does not replace an attorney’s advice or assistance based on your particular situation.
To request this handout in ASL, Braille, or as an audio file, contact us.
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