Jerome Joint School District No. 261

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION 2365

Participation of Private School Students in Federally Funded District Programs

It is the policy of the District to ensure, consistent with the number of students who reside within District

boundaries who are enrolled in private elementary schools and secondary schools, who would otherwise be

eligible to receive federally funded educational services, to make such services available to students attending

private schools.

To accomplish this objective, the Superintendent, or his designee, shall:

1. Initiate timely and meaningful consultation with appropriate private school officials to effectuate

provision of services to eligible children, on an equitable basis and individually or in combination, as

requested by the officials, by providing covered special educational services, instructional services

(including evaluations to determine the progress being made in meeting such students' academic needs),

counseling, mentoring, one-on-one tutoring, or other federally funded benefits (such as dual or

concurrent enrollment, educational radio and television, computer equipment and materials, other

technology, and mobile educational services and equipment) that address their needs; and

2. Ensure that teachers and families of the children participate, on an equitable basis, in services and

activities developed pursuant to District Policy 2420 on parent engagement.

3. Ensure that such educational services or other benefits, including materials and equipment, are secular,

neutral, and non-ideological.

4. Ensure that the educational services and other benefits for such private school children are equitable to

the services and other benefits for participating public school children, and are provided in a timely

manner.

5. Assign an employee to help ensure such equity for such private school children, teachers, and other

educational personnel.

6. Ensure the expenditures for educational services and other benefits to eligible private school children are

equal to the proportion of funds allocated to participating school attendance areas based on the number

of children from low-income families who attend private schools. The proportional share of funds is

determined based on the total amount of federal funds received by the District for education services

prior to any allowable expenditures or transfers by the local educational agency. Funds allocated to the

District for educational services and other benefits to eligible private school children shall be obligated in

the fiscal year for which the funds are received by the District.

7. Ensure notice is provided in a timely manner to the appropriate private school officials served by eligible

students of the allocation of funds for educational services and other benefits that the District determines

are available for eligible private school children. Such notice shall be provided at least every two years.

These services may be provided to eligible private school students either directly or through contracts

with public and/or private agencies, organizations, and institutions.

8. Ensure that timely and meaningful coordination with appropriate private school officials during the

development of the District’s programs for the purpose of reaching an agreement on how to provide

equitable and effective services to eligible private school children, the results of which agreement shall be

provided to the employee designated by the Superintendent. The consultation should include

identification of:

A. How the children's needs will be identified;

B. What services will be offered;

C. How, where, and by whom the services will be provided;

D. How the services will be academically assessed and how the results of that assessment will be

used to improve those services;

E. The size and scope of the equitable services to be provided to the eligible private school children,

the proportion of funds allocated for such services, and how that proportion of funds is

determined;

F. The method or sources of data that will be used to determine the number of children from low-

income families in the District’s participating school attendance areas who attend private

schools;

G. How and when the District will make decisions about the delivery of services to such children,

including a thorough consideration and analysis of the views of the private school officials on the

provision of services through a contract with potential third-party providers;

H. How, in the event the District disagrees with the preferences of the private school officials

regarding the provision of services through a contract, the District will provide in writing to the

private school officials an analysis of the reasons why it has chosen to not use a contractor;

I. Whether the District will provide services directly or through a separate government agency,

consortium, entity, or third-party contractor;

J. Whether to provide equitable services to eligible private school children:

I. By creating a pool or pools of funds with all of the eligible federal funds based on all the

children from low-income families in a participating school attendance area who attend

private schools; or

II. In the District's participating school attendance area who attend private schools with

the proportion of funds allocated under eligible federal funds based on the number of

children from low-income families who attend private schools; and

K. When during the day the services will be available.

9. In the event there is any disagreement with the views of private school officials with respect to an issue

described in paragraph (8), above, the Superintendent, or his designee, shall explain in writing to the

private school officials the reasons why the District disagrees. The joint consultation meetings shall occur

before the District makes any decision that affects the opportunities of eligible private school children to

participate in funded programs. These meetings will continue throughout implementation and

assessment of applicable services. The meetings will include discussion of how the District intends to

deliver equitable services to eligible private school children. The District shall maintain in its records and

provide to the State educational agency involved a written affirmation signed by all participating private

school officials that participated in meaningful consultation with the District as set forth above. The

written affirmation shall provide the option for private school officials to indicate the officials' belief that

timely and meaningful consultation had not occurred, or that the program design is not equitable with

respect to eligible private school children. If such officials do not provide such affirmation within a

reasonable period of time, the District shall forward the documentation that such consultation has, or

attempts at such consultation have, taken place to the State Department of Education.

Cross Reference: 4160 Parent Right to Know Notices

Legal Reference: 20 USC § 6320 Participation of Children in Private Schools, Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015

Adopted: 05/22/2018

Revised: