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Duties of the Responsible Local Education Agency (LEA) for Children in RCCs

The responsible LEA must:

  • conduct an individualized education program (IEP) team meeting, as soon as possible, to revise the child's IEP to describe the appropriate special education services the child will receive while residing in the RCC and to develop an educational placement.
  • appoint an IEP team to conduct a reevaluation, as needed.
  • for a child who is not a child with a disability, review education records, develop a status report, and send a copy to the county or state agency within 30 days after the LEA is informed that the child will be placed in an RCC. If the LEA has reasonable cause to believe the child is a child with a disability, the LEA must appoint an IEP team to evaluate the child. The IEP team may include appropriately licensed staff of the RCC, if that staff is available. If the child is found to be a child with a disability, the LEA must develop an IEP and educational placement in consultation with the county or state agency.
  • ensure each child with a disability receives a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. The county or state agency funding the child's RCC placement is responsible to pay for the RCC-related education costs.
  • include RCC residents in its special education student data (child count) report to the DPI. The responsible LEA may not include RCC residents in its membership count for equalization aid, unless they attend school in the responsible LEA.
  • ensure that a child's treatment and security needs are considered when the child's IEP team determines the least restrictive environment.
  • contact another LEA to arrange for an educational placement, if a child's IEP team determines the child may be appropriately served off the grounds of the RCC. The other LEA must assign staff to determine whether the child can appropriately receive required special education services in its schools. If they determine the child can appropriately receive special education services in the LEA, the LEA must provide the services and is eligible for state tuition categorical aid. If the assigned staff determine the child cannot appropriately receive special education services in the LEA, the LEA must keep a written record of the reasons. A dispute between LEAs about the educational placement of a child will be resolved by the DPI.
  • assign staff or an IEP team to develop a reintegration plan for a child in cooperation with the county and RCC staff, if the child is leaving the RCC.