Special education plans for parochial students: Private schools eligible for public school services, 22 September 2007, Waukegan News Sun, Waukegan, Illinois
Students with disabilities attending private schools or being home schooled can receive special education services from their local public school district under federal law.
A number of Lake County districts are holding public meetings to discuss their plans for providing special education services to students with disabilities who attend private schools and home schools within the district.
…
Public school districts are required to spend a portion of their federal special education funds to provide special education services to students with disabilities who attend private schools, under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004.
Private school administrators and the parents who think their home-school child may have a disability are invited to required annual meetings in their local public school district. At the meetings, administrators and parents determine how best to spend the allotted federal funds and evaluate whether a student qualifies.
For homeschooling alternatives, you can read the articles linked at:
- HEM’s Closer Look: Learning Disabilities
- Why Children Are Not for Screening
posted by Valerie


Susan said on September 29, 2007
Thanks for posting that, Valerie. Those same meetings were posted in the media and sent out to some homeschool groups last fall across Illinois. With a “Registration is recommended” suggestion. Not public school registration for special ed services, but “Home School Registration” as shown here:
http://www.isbe.net/research/pdfs/hs_registration.pdf
Here’s another one from this year:
http://mywebtimes.com/ottnews/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=345330
The article(s) differentiate private schools and homeschools as separate entities. They’re not separate per the 1950 Levisen Illinois Supreme Court ruling. That separation is also showing up elsewhere like in the Illinois education tax credit forms.
http://tax.illinois.gov/Publications/Pubs/PUB-119.PDF
I also don’t imagine that private school families other than homeschoolers are asked to fill out registration forms as shown above at these meetings.