School Committee of the Town of Burlington v. Department of Education of Massachusetts (1984)
- Docket
- 84-433
- Decided
- 1984-01-01
Summary
Question: (1) Does the Education of the Handicapped Act allow for reimbursement for private school tuition and transportation? (2) Does parental rejection of an IEP and the placement of the child in a private school without the agreement of local authorities bar such reimbursement? Conclusion: Yes, no. Justice William H. Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the unanimous court. The Supreme Court held that the Education of the Handicapped Act grants the courts broad discretion in overseeing the administrative proceedings of IEP disputes that includes the ability to order reimbursement. Because the courts must ensure appropriate placement for the children in question, there may be situations in which all of the public school options are deemed inappropriate for the needs of a particular child. The Court also held that a reading of the Act that forces parents to waive their right to reimbursement if they place their child in an alternative school from the one recommended in the IEP would defeat the purpose of the Act. Parents who unilaterally change their child’s placement do so at their own financial risk, but they may be reimbursed if the placement is deemed to be the most appropriate available option.