1. The District says: “We do not have enough money to fund or enough [qualified] staff to offer that service, assistive technology device, or accommodation.” OR “We don’t have enough money to fund that staff.” #
Explanation: It may be true that the District has a tight budget, however, the District is still required to provide your student with a free appropriate, public education (FAPE). If your student requires a particular service, assistive technology device, or other accommodation in order to access their education, then the District must provide that as part of your child’s FAPE. Cost is not a valid reason to deny FAPE.
Your Possible Responses to the District:
- You could say: “My student requires this [service, assistive technology device, or other accommodation] in order to access their education. I understand that budgets may be tight, but state and federal law require that school districts provide educational services based on the educational needs of the student, not based on cost.”
- You could say: “The services that we write into the IEP should be based on what my student needs in order to access and make progress in their education, not on how much they cost.”
- You could also say: “As a parent, I need to advocate for the educational needs of my child. It is the responsibility of the school district to figure out the funding to meet those needs.”