The district said it sometimes must litigate against parents because demands for special services at private schools can be so excessive that administrators have to be cautious about establishing costly new precedents. Roughly 10% of the district’s 38,000 students have a learning disability.
The case offers a window into the growing number of high-stakes legal fights around the country to resolve special-education disputes. Nearly 46,500 formal complaints or mediation requests were filed nationwide in 2021-22, according to the most recently available federal data. That is up 27% from the prior year.
Many parents and educators say the system is inaccessible to all but the most savvy and well-resourced families, and that even court wins bring intense emotional and financial tolls.