The Valley Central Board of Education recognizes the right of parents or guardians of a student who has or is thought to have a disability, to receive an independent evaluation at public expense if they disagree with the evaluation obtained by the Committee on Special Education (CSE) or the committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE).
The independent examination shall be conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the school district responsible for the child’s education. Upon request, parents will be provided with a list of public and private agencies and professional resources where independent evaluations may be obtained. These publicly-funded independent evaluations shall be confined to the geographic and fiscal limits set forth in the regulations, 4321.3-R.
Parents or guardians are entitled to obtain one independent evaluation at public expense each time the District conducts an initial evaluation or comprehensive reevaluation of a student with a disability or a student suspected of having a disability. The district has the right to initiate an impartial hearing to demonstrate that its evaluation is appropriate and/or to defend its cost-containment criteria if the cost of the proposed independent evaluation exceeds the District’s fee schedule. Following an impartial hearing, if the hearing officer determines that the district’s evaluation was appropriate, a parent or guardian is not entitled to reimbursement at public expense. The parent or guardian may nonetheless obtain the evaluation at their own expense and that evaluation will be reviewed and considered by the CSE or CPSE.
Cross-ref: 4321, Programs for Students with Disabilities Ref: 34 CFR 300.503
8 NYCRR Part 200.5(a)(1)(vi)
A Parent’s Guide to Special Education: Your Child’s Right to an Education in New York State, State Education Department
Adoption date: May 27, 1997
Reviewed: May 22, 2017
Revised: February 10, 2025