Alternative Placement

Overview of Private Placement

When students with disabilities are placed for non-educational reasons by a Comprehensive Services Act FAPT team or educational reasons by the IEP team in a licensed private special education school or residential facility, the student maintains all special education rights and protections. 

Richmond Public Schools maintains responsibility for compliance regarding procedural safeguards, IEPs, assessments, reevaluation, and termination of services. 

Cases are managed by the Office of Exceptional Education (OEE). RPS is responsible for: 

• Ensuring that the student’s IEP team develops an IEP appropriate for the student’s needs while in the private day school or residential facility;
• Ensuring compliance with IEP requirements including LRE requirements and participation in state and division-wide assessments; 
• Ensuring compliance with IEP requirements including LRE requirements and participation in state and division-wide assessments; 
• Ensuring that students, parents, RPS, and the private day school: 
  1. Are involved in any decisions affecting the student's IEP.; 
  2. Agree to any proposed changes in the program before changes are implemented; and 
  3. Are involved in any meetings that are held regarding re-evaluations. 
• Ensuring that when students placed in private residential schools under the Comprehensive Services Act transfer into Richmond Public Schools, the IEP team reviews the current placement, adopts or revises the placement and implements an IEP within 30 calendar days of receipt of written notification of the student’s transfer

RPS Process for Private Day School placement

When the school-based team is considering an IEP placement that is outside of the attending school for a student who receives special education services, it is mandatory that the OEE alternative placement specialist participates as a member of the IEP team.  The IEP team shall consider the needs of the individual student, consider all placement options at each IEP meeting, and determine the least restrictive environment the student requires in order to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education.