Opinion ID: 77196
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Forms of Reimbursement

Text: 84 There seems to be some dispute among the parties as to what type of expenses C.M.'s parents could be reimbursed for under the IDEA. In particular, could C.M.'s parents be reimbursed for only tuition or also for related services, such as AVT? 11 85 In Burlington, the United States Supreme Court concluded that retroactive reimbursement for private school tuition and related services was authorized under the IDEA. Burlington, 471 U.S. at 369, 105 S.Ct. at 2002; Jenkins v. State of Fla., 815 F.2d 629, 630 (11th Cir.1987) (noting that the Burlington Court concluded that the statute includes reimbursement of private school tuition and related expenses); see Shore Regional High Sch. Bd. of Educ. v. P.S., 381 F.3d 194, 197, 201-02 (3d Cir. 2004) (affirming the ALJ's order that the School Board reimburse P.S. for the out-of-district tuition and related costs); Susquenita Sch. Dist. v. Raelee S., 96 F.3d 78, 85 (3d Cir.1996) (stating that the Burlington Court concluded that the IDEA authorizes reimbursement to parents for private school tuition and related expenses) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted); Babb v. Knox County Sch. Sys., 965 F.2d 104, 107 (6th Cir.1992) (The Supreme Court found that . . . such reimbursement to parents for private school tuition and related expenses was appropriate.) (citing Burlington, 471 U.S. at 369, 105 S.Ct. at 2002); Tice v. Botetourt County Sch. Bd., 908 F.2d 1200, 1206 (4th Cir.1990) (If the Tices can prove these placements [in private school] were proper, then they are entitled to reimbursement of all special education and related services expenses.); Bd. of Educ. of Cabell County v. Dienelt, 843 F.2d 813, 813 (4th Cir.1988) (affirming a judgment [that] ordered the Board to reimburse the Dienelts for $67,838.32 in tuition and related expenses of placing Paul in a private school). 86 What constitutes private school tuition is self-evident. Furthermore, the IDEA expansively defines related services as meaning 87 transportation, and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services (including speech-language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, social work services, school nurse services designed to enable a child with a disability to receive a free appropriate public education as described in the individualized education program of the child, counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility services, and medical services, except that such medical services shall be for diagnostic and evaluation purposes only) as may be required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes the early identification and assessment of disabling conditions in children. 88 20 U.S.C. § 1401(26)(A). 89 Thus, if the Board failed to offer C.M. a FAPE, the parents would be entitled to reimbursement for private school tuition (to the extent the parents actually paid any) and related services. Related services, for the purposes of this case, would include C.M.'s private AVT, transportation to and from AVT, mapping (programming) for C.M.'s cochlear implant, and batteries for C.M.'s implant. In the scenario where parents request a FAPE for their child and the Board fails to offer a FAPE, the parents' placement of their child in private school is not considered voluntary. 90 However, if the School Board offered C.M. a FAPE, then the parents are not entitled to reimbursement under the IDEA for either private school tuition or related services. See Rowley, 458 U.S. at 207, 102 S.Ct. at 3051 (If these requirements are met, the State has complied with the obligations imposed by Congress and the courts can require no more.). Essentially, once the Board offers a FAPE, the parents' decision to place their child in private school is viewed as being voluntary, and the School Board, under the IDEA, is not required to reimburse the parents for any cost associated with the child's voluntary enrollment in private school. See 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(10)(C)(i); 34 C.F.R. § 300.454(a)(1). Furthermore, once voluntarily placed in a private school, the child does not have a right under the IDEA to receive the same level of special education and related services that would be required under the IDEA's requirement of a FAPE. See 34 C.F.R. § 300.454(a)(1) (No private school child with a disability has an individual right to receive some or all of the special education and related services that the child would receive if enrolled in a public school.). 91 In sum, in this case, C.M.'s parents requested a FAPE and claim that the IEPs did not provide a FAPE. Thus, the ALJ and the district court did have jurisdiction to award C.M.'s parents reimbursement for tuition and related services, such as AVT, if C.M. had been denied a FAPE. 92 Having outlined what types of expenses parents are entitled to be reimbursed for under the IDEA, we next address the parents' claim that the two IEPs did not provide C.M. with a FAPE. 12 93