Kerri Ness is a parent of two Richland One students. She works in special education in Richland Two. 

Recently, Mrs. Ness spoke with GROW to share the difficulties she experienced in obtaining an evaluation for potential special education services for her child. Richland One delayed her child’s evaluation for services for more than 5 months, a clear violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) laws. 

IDEA statutes and regulations establish guidelines and procedures for evaluating students for special education services. According to the IDEA regulations, “the initial evaluation must be conducted within 60 days of receiving parental consent for the evaluation.” 

Hear Mrs. Ness’ story.