IS A CHANGE IN THE SCHOOL CALENDAR A CHANGE IN PROGRAMING?
In Hawaii, students will now be getting seventeen Fridays off this year and seventeen next year in an effort to save money through a furlough of teachers. However, several lawyers representing a group of students who qualify for special education have filed a suit trying to stop the plan. The argument is that by taking seventeen days out of the school year, this is a change in programs and services the disabled children receive. Given that the parents of these students were not consulted prior to this change, the suit alleges it violates the rights of the parents under IDEA. The suit seeks a temporary restraining order and the first furlough day is this Friday. Thus, we may know very shortly if in fact such a change in scheduling is a change that requires parental consent under the IDEA.
