Opinion ID: 771862
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Bexley failed to convene an IEP conference

Text: 33 As discussed supra, regulations enacted pursuant to the IDEA require a school district to convene a meeting to develop an IEP for a child within thirty calendar days of the determination that the child needs special education and related services. See 30 C.F.R. §300.343(c). This time limit ensures that there will not be a significant delay between the time the child is evaluated and the time the child begins to receive special education. See 34 C.F.R. pt. 300, app. C, cmt. 7. In addition, Ohio administrative regulations require school districts to conduct an IEP conference as soon as possible, and, in any event, not more than ninety days after a child's parents consent to a multi-factored evaluation, or one hundred twenty days after school officials initially suspect the child as having a handicap, whichever comes first. See Ohio Admin. Code (O.A.C.) §3301-51-02(E)(1)(c) (2000). 3 34 Inasmuch as the Knables consented to Justin's multi-factored evaluation on September 30, 1993, Bexley was required to conduct an IEP conference for Justin no later than December 29, 1993. Bexley failed to do so. Bexley contends that the December 8, 1993, meeting between Bexley officials and the Knables was an IEP conference for all intents and purposes.The district court found that that meeting was a precursor to an IEP conference but that it did not legally constitute an actual IEP conference. The record indicates that the purpose of the December 8, 1993, meeting was to inform the Knables of the results of Justin's multi-factored evaluation and to discuss Bexley's determination that Justin was suffering from a severe behavior handicap. There is no indication that the parties addressed the additional agenda items that comprise a formal IEP conference under the applicable regulations. See 34 C.F.R. § 300.343; 34 C.F.R. pt. 300, app. C., cmts. 7-35; O.A.C. §3301-51-02(E)(1)(d). Specifically, there was no determination of the nature and degree of special education intervention needed for Justin, and no decision as to an educational placement for Justin. See O.A.C. § 3301-51-02(E)(1)(d). Moreover, the meeting did not result in the production of an IEP document for Justin. See id. Rather, Bexley merely encouraged the Knables to consider the Hannah Neil program as a possible placement for Justin. Thus, the district court did not err in finding that the December 8, 1993, meeting was not an IEP conference. 35 Bexley argues, in the alternative, that even if it failed to convene an IEP conference for Justin within the applicable time period, such failure was due to the Knables' lack of cooperation with school officials. Bexley asserts that it was unable to convene a formal IEP conference until the Knables tentatively agreed to a proposed placement for Justin. Bexley felt that such a tentative agreement on the part of the Knables was required before an IEP conference could be convened because it believed that a representative from the proposed placement had to be present at the IEP conference under the governing administrative regulations. Bexley thus argues that because the Knables refused to agree with school officials even tentatively about any proposed placements for Justin, the Knables effectively prevented Bexley from convening a formal IEP conference. 36 Bexley's argument fails, however. Although it is true that the regulations to which Bexley refers provide for the involvement of a representative from the proposed placement in the development of the IEP, see 34 C.F.R. § 300.348(a)(2); O.A.C. § 3301-51-02(D)(4), nowhere in the regulations is it required that the parents of a disabled child agree with the school district's proposed placement before an IEP conference can be held. To the contrary, the regulations expressly provide for the development of an IEP without parental involvement. See 34 C.F.R. § 300.345(d); 34 C.F.R. pt. 300, app. C., cmt. 29; O.A.C. § 3301-51-02(E)(3); see also Cordrey v. Euckert, 917 F.2d 1460, 1467 (6th Cir. 1990) (discussing proper procedure when school district is unable to convince parents to attend IEP conference). Bexley's position that it could not convene an IEP conference until it obtained the Knables' tentative approval of a proposed placement for Justin was erroneous, therefore, and does not justify Bexley's failure to conduct the IEP conference. 37 Thus, we find that the district court's conclusion that Bexley failed to convene an IEP conference for Justin was correct. 38