NJ Spotlight published the following article on June 6, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
SCHOOLS PREPARE TO COMPLY WITH SPECIAL-NEEDS COURT SETTLEMENT
JOHN MOONEY | JUNE 6, 2014
Total of 76 districts across NJ must take steps to place students in ‘least-restrictive environment’
A landmark court settlement that requires the state to better monitor and enforce laws requiring the “least restrictive environment” for special-education students is starting to filter down into scores of school districts across New Jersey.
The state Department of Education this spring finished up its first meetings with 76 districts affected by the agreement reached this winter.
The agreement applies to districts where rates of special-needs students in separate settings far exceed the state’s averages or show wide gaps between different categories of children.
The affected districts range from large urban districts like Newark and Jersey City to suburban ones such as Montclair, Hillsborough and Randolph. The list of districts is included in the settlement agreement.