01/26/2006: "SJI School District Awarded $147K Grant"

For Costs of Out of State Student Treatment Only

San Juan Island School District's application for a "Safety Net" grant to help offset the costs of providing special education treatment has been approved for $147,000.00, which is a portion of last years expenses of providing the out of state treatment for students that need 24 hour care. ( Previous Story ).

An additional $85,000 in placement costs and legal fees expended during the previous school year, 2004-05, could not be recovered. Safety Net funds are federal special education funds administered by the state. Members of the Special Education State Oversight Committee considered over 100 applications from Districts seeking relief for high cost special education placements. Safety Net allocations are made for one year only, and an award this year is no guarantee of one next year. The District will need to reapply for funding for the 2006-07 school year if the student continues to be eligible for the placement.

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The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction announced the approval of San Juan Island School District's Safety Net Application for the amount of $147,000. Special Education Director, Kay Jakutis, and Business Manager Lynn Restrepo filed the grant application in December to recover the 2005-06 costs of a student placed in residential treatment out of state.

Federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires districts to provide the special education services necessary for a student to benefit from a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). IDEA also requires that residential services be provided when they are necessary for a student to benefit from a public education. Washington generally lacks public and private residential educational facilities to serve students in need of such services. One of the reasons Washington State lacks adequate residential schools is that our state law does not allow children to be held in residential facilities, unless such a placement is ordered by the court. However states such as Idaho, Utah and Oregon do allow children to be held in residential facilities for educational purposes.

This student was placed in an out of state residential placement by the parents who are residents of San Juan Island. By settlement agreement, the District determined that there was a demonstrable need educationally and legally for the placement requested and that there were no comparable programs available in Washington State. The student is eligible for special education services until IEP goals are met, graduation requirements are met, or age 21, whichever occurs first.