The Department is reminding school administrative units (SAUs) that, in addition to the requirement that they provide parents of children receiving special education (or adult students receiving special education) a copy of the procedural safeguards once each year, the following events also trigger a duty to provide the procedural safeguards:
- Initial special education referral or parental request for evaluation;
- First receipt by the SAU from a parent of a request for complaint investigation or request for due process hearing;
- SAU decision to make a disciplinary removal of a student that constitutes a change of placement;
- Request by a parent or adult student to receive the procedural safeguards.
The procedural safeguards (in English and seven other languages) can be found here. A parent-friendly version of the procedural safeguards is also available here, which is provided for guidance only, and does not replace the official version.
The Department is committed to encouraging the full participation of parents of learners with special needs in their children’s education.
For more information or if you have questions about this issue, please contact the Department’s Director of Special Services Janice Breton at janice.breton@maine.gov or 624-6676.