STATE OF CONNECTICUT
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Student v. Colchester Board of Education - CT SDE Case No. 10-0081
Case No. 10-0081
Student v. Colchester Board of Education
Appearing on behalf of the Parents: Attorney Lawrence W. Berliner Klebanoff & Alfano, P.C. 433 South Main Street, Suite 102 West Hartford, CT 06110
Appearing on behalf of the Board: Attorney Anne H. Littlefield Shipman & Goodwin LLP One Constitution Plaza Hartford, CT 06103-1919
Appearing before: Attorney Patricia M. Strong, Hearing Officer
ISSUES:
1. Should the Board be required to reimburse the Parents for the costs of the speech and language and social skills program for the 2008 Extended School Year (“ESY”)?
2. Should the Board have granted the Parents’ July 2008 request for an educational consultant to review the Student’s 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 programs?
3. Should the Board have granted the Parents’ October 2008 request for a reading evaluation by Dr. Jules Tolis and a reading program evaluation because of the Parents’ concerns that the academic program denied the Student a Free Appropriate Public Education?
4. Did the Student make appropriate progress during the 2008-2009 school year?
5. Should the Board have granted the Parents’ June 2009 request to place the Student in a program with a social skills group operated by Stephanie Bendiske for a portion of the 2009 ESY?
6. If so, should the Board be required to reimburse the Parents for the costs of the 2009 ESY?
7. Should the Board have placed the Student at the Intensive Education Academy for the 2009-2010 school year?
PROCEDURAL HISTORY:
The Parents’ attorney requested this hearing by sending a letter to the Board’s attorney, along with a copy to the State Department of Education. The Board received a copy of the request on August 17, 2009. This Hearing Officer was assigned to the case on August 24, 2009. On September 17, 2009, a prehearing conference was held. The parties’ attorneys reported that a resolution meeting was held and, although the case was not resolved, they were continuing discussions. The mailing date for the final decision was set at November 2, 2009. Hearing dates were agreed on for November 4, 2009 and November 9, 2009. The Parents’ attorney requested an extension of the mailing date for the final decision until 30 days following the close of evidence. The request was granted and the mailing date for the final decision was extended to December 9, 2009. On October 26, 2009, the Parents’ attorney notified the Hearing Officer that the parties had reached an agreement and that pursuant to the agreement, he was withdrawing the hearing request with prejudice.
FINAL DECISION AND ORDER:
It is ordered that this case shall be dismissed with prejudice.