Opinion ID: 2079336
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Education for Children

Text: The Legislature has expressly granted the children at Hunterdon the right to a thorough and efficient education suited to their individual needs and abilities. The Developmentally Disabled Rights Act of 1977, N.J.S.A. 30:6D-1 to -12, L. 1977, c. 82, provides: Every developmentally disabled person between the ages of 5 and 21, inclusive, in residence or full-time attendance at any facility shall be provided a thorough and efficient education suited to such person's age and abilities. [ N.J.S.A. 30:6D-5(c)] N.J.S.A. 30:4-25.7 also requires the Department of Human Services to provide for the educational and social needs of those admitted to residential services for the mentally retarded in accordance with [each] person's individual requirements, as determined by competent professional personnel. Finally, the Legislature has granted all Hunterdon residents a full array of substantive rights including the right to treatment, education, training, rehabilitation, care and protection. N.J.S.A. 30:4-165.2(2). See also N.J.S.A. 30:4-165.1; 30:4-23. We hold that these state statutes grant the children at Hunterdon the legal right to treatment, training, habilitation, care and protection, and a thorough and efficient education suited to each child's individual abilities and needs. [5] See also N.J.A.C. 10:44-1.2. In accord with the Developmentally Disabled Rights Act, these services shall be designed to maximize the developmental potential [of each child] and shall be provided in a humane manner in accordance with generally accepted standards for the delivery of such service[s] ... N.J.S.A. 30:6D-9. Hunterdon is required to establish written individualized plans for each child and to put those plans into effect. N.J.S.A. 30:6D-10. The Public School Education Act of 1975, L. 1975, c. 212, § 39, N.J.S.A. 18A:46-9 classifies retarded children for purposes of education as educable, trainable, or eligible for day training. [6] According to the Director of Education at Hunterdon, almost all of the residents at Hunterdon have been classified as eligible for day training. Whatever doubt may have existed at the time of filing of this complaint as to whether the Public School Education Act of 1975, L. 1975, c. 212 conferred a statutory right to a thorough and efficient education upon children classified as eligible for day training, the subsequent enactment of the State Facilities Education Act of 1979, L. 1979, c. 207, N.J.S.A. 18A:7B-1, has erased that doubt. The stated purpose of this bill is to provide a thorough and efficient education for children in all State facilities. It applies to educational programs in State schools and day training centers for the mentally retarded, State psychiatric hospitals, State residential youth centers, and State correctional facilities. The bill provides a procedure for funding these programs. It also requires the Department of Human Services to operate the classes in each facility and assigns responsibility for educational standards. Pursuant to its statutory obligations to provide education and training to the children in its residential facilities, the Division of Mental Retardation of the Department of Human Services has by regulation adopted the standards promulgated by the State Board of Education regarding class size and minimum hours of instruction. N.J.A.C. 10:44-6.2(j). The State Board of Education has adopted minimum standards on class size and ratio of pupils to staff. N.J.A.C. 6:28-3.2(d)(1) provides that class sizes for each category of handicapped children should not exceed the following: v. Mentally retarded, Educable  15 pupils; vi. Mentally retarded, Eligible for day training  9 pupils per classroom with a pupil/staff ratio of three to one; vii. Mentally retarded, Trainable  10 pupils. This regulation clearly mandates that the pupil/staff ratio for all children eligible for day training shall be three-to-one with no more than 9 pupils per classroom. The regulations of the State Board of Education also mandate that the length of the school day be the same for educationally handicapped pupils as that established for all pupils. N.J.A.C. 6:28-3.3. They further provide that: A school day shall consist of not less than four hours of actual school work, except that in an approved kindergarten one continuous session of 2 1/2 hours may be considered a full day. [ N.J.A.C. 6:20-1.3(b)] The State argues here that in providing the mandated educational services, Hunterdon should be allowed great flexibility in determining the appropriate criteria. This means that educational programs should be developed without reference to the specific criteria in the regulations. We find that the Division of Mental Retardation has adopted the State Board of Education regulations and that they apply to the children at Hunterdon. This holding does not deprive the State of flexibility in administering its educational programs for mentally retarded children. We recognize that the severe mental handicaps of the children at Hunterdon mean that some of them are incapable of enduring four hours of formal classroom education. However, education is a flexible concept in this context since the statutes mandate that it be suited to the individual needs and abilities of each child. Under current law, each child at Hunterdon is entitled to four hours per day of structured programming designed to meet his or her educational needs. These educational programs must be structured in the sense that they include a specific content, teaching method and set of objectives. To whatever extent feasible they should meet in a regular time and place. We also recognize that some of the children may not be capable of handling this level of programming. If that is the case, Hunterdon may make individualized determinations to meet the child's educational needs in another manner. For example, if certain children have attention spans too short to accommodate the standard hours of programming, it may be appropriate to institute training to increase their attention spans. Such decisions will have to be made by competent professional personnel, as mandated by statute. However, we emphasize that a determination to provide less than the mandated four hours per day must be made on an individual basis according to the child's unique needs. We do not propose to deprive the state of flexibility in providing individualized programs. However, the regulations preclude a decision to provide fewer hours of education on the basis of a generalized determination that four hours is excessive for a class of children at Hunterdon. To summarize, we hold that each child at Hunterdon has the legal right to education and training suited to his or her individual needs. The State Board of Education regulations on class size, pupil/staff ratio and hours of class time have been adopted by the Division of Mental Retardation and apply to Hunterdon's educational and training program for children. The State has made great efforts in recent years, through both legislative and administrative changes, to improve the quality of education offered to the children at Hunterdon. Plaintiffs acknowledge this to be the case. We expect that the State will continue to make strides toward meeting the ideals set forth in our statutes and regulations.