Parents have the right to obtain an independent educational evaluation of their child. An independent educational evaluation is an evaluation conducted by a qualified professional who is not an employee of the Freeport Area School District.

The parents may request an independent educational evaluation at public expense if they disagree with an educational evaluation completed by the school district. The parents may provide a reason as to why he or she objects to the public evaluation. However, the school district may not require the parent to provide an explanation and may not unreasonably delay in either providing the independent educational evaluation at public expense or filing a due process complaint to request a due process hearing to defend the public evaluation.

All requests for an independent educational evaluation shall be submitted to the Special Services Coordinator. If the school district denies the parent’s request for an independent educational evaluation, the district will provide to the parent a written response as to the reason for the denial via a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement/Prior Written Notice.

If the parents obtain an independent educational evaluation at public expense and shares with the school district an evaluation obtained at private expense, the results of the evaluation must be considered by the school district in any decision made with respect to the provision of a free appropriate public education to the child, and may be presented as evidence at a due process hearing regarding the child.

If a hearing officer requests an independent educational evaluation as part of a hearing on a due process complaint, the cost of the evaluation must be at public expense.

The Freeport Area School District will provide, upon request, information as to where an independent educational evaluation may be obtained.

Whenever an independent evaluation is conducted at public expense, the criteria under which the evaluation is obtained, including the location of the evaluation and the qualifications of the examiner, must be the same as the criteria that the school district uses when it initiates an evaluation, to the extent those criteria are consistent with the parent’s right to an independent educational evaluation.

For questions, please contact Don Dell, Special Services Coordinator, at 724-295-9510 ext 3050.