Opinion ID: 2830308
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Tuition Reimbursement Under the IDEA

Text: The IDEA allows parents who believe their children are not receiving a FAPE in state schools an option. Those parents may pull their children from public school, enroll them in private school, and then request reimbursement from the school district. Id. § 1412(a)(10)(C)(ii); see also Florence Cty. Sch. Dist. Four v. Carter, 510 U.S. 7, 12–13 (1993); Burlington, 471 U.S. at 370. 1 Parents who take unilateral action, however, “‘do so at their own financial risk.’” Jefferson Cty., 702 F.3d at 1232 (quoting Florence Cty., 510 U.S. at 15). If a school district denies the parents’ request for reimbursement, a court may order reimbursement only if (1) “‘the public placement violated IDEA’” and (2) “‘the private school placement was proper under the Act.’” Id. (quoting Florence Cnty., 510 U.S. at 15). There is no contention here that Drew’s 1 Section 1412 provides: If the parents of a child with a disability, who previously received special education and related services under the authority of a public agency, enroll the child in a private elementary school or secondary school without the consent of or referral by the public agency, a court or a hearing officer may require the agency to reimburse the parents for the cost of that enrollment if the court or hearing officer finds that the agency had not made a [FAPE] available to the child in a timely manner prior to that enrollment. 20 U.S.C. § 1412(10)(C)(ii); see also 34 C.F.R. § 300.148(c). -5- placement at Firefly is not permissible under the Act. The only issue is whether the District violated the IDEA by failing to provide Drew with a FAPE. 2 In determining whether a school district provided a student with a FAPE, we follow a two-step analysis and ask (1) whether the district complied with the Act’s procedural requirements, and (2) whether the IEP developed by those procedures is substantively adequate such that it is “reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits.” Rowley, 458 U.S. at 207; see also O’Toole ex rel. O’Toole v. Olathe Dist. Schs. Unified Sch. Dist. No. 233, 144 F.3d 692, 701 (10th Cir. 1998). If a district has met both the procedural and substantive requirements, it “has complied with the obligations imposed by Congress and the courts can require no more.” Rowley, 458 U.S. at 207. We review the district court’s judgment de novo, applying the same standard of review as the district court. Jefferson Cty., 702 F.3d at 1232. In reviewing an administrative decision in the IDEA context, we apply a modified de novo standard of review, meaning we give “‘due weight’” to the administrative 2 A school district may also violate the Act by failing to provide a child with an education in the least restrictive environment. See Thompson, 540 F.3d at 1148; see also L.B. ex rel. K.B. v. Nebo Sch. Dist., 379 F.3d 966, 975 n.13 (10th Cir. 2004) (“The IDEA requires both that the child be provided a FAPE and that such a FAPE be provided in an LRE [least restrictive environment] to the maximum extent appropriate.”). Drew and his parents do not raise this type of claim on appeal and we do not consider it. -6- proceedings and consider the ALJ’s factual findings to be prima facie correct. Id. (quoting Garcia v. Bd. of Educ., 520 F.3d 1116, 1125 (10th Cir. 2008)) .