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New
York State Education Laws state that parents or guardians of children
3-5 years suspected of having a disability or a developmental delay may
contact their school district's Committee on Preschool Special
Education to be considered for Special Educational Programming.
School Districts
are responsible for assuring the provision of Special Education to
eligible three and four year olds or until they are eligible for public
school. To qualify for Special Education, an evaluation by a
state approved preschool program is obtained and reviewed by the school
district's Committee on Preschool Special Education. The
Committee then writes an Individual Educational Program either
recommending a center-based educational program or related services
such as Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy or
Itinerant Special Education. Related services are to be provided
at the child's home or day care center, wherever the child would
normally be found. Each child is deemed a "child with a
disability" for purposes of eligibility for preschool
programming. Recommendations, without the child’s name, are
presented to the school districts' Boards of Education for review.
Counties are
responsible to contract with service providers and transporters.
Tuition rates, multidisciplinary evaluation rates and Itinerant Teacher
rates are determined by the State. The related services' rates
are determined at the County level. The cost of transportation to
services is approved through a bidding process in accordance with
provisions of the general municipal law.
For preschool
services and transportation expenditures, the counties are reimbursed
by the state at 59.5% minus any Medicaid payment on Medicaid eligible
children. The counties receive $75.00 per child for
administrative costs.
School districts
are reimbursed for each child referred to the Committees on Preschool
Special Education (CPSE) in their school district. If their cost
exceeds the federal allocation and is approved by the Commissioner of
Education, the county is responsible for the additional costs incurred
by the school district. The county would then receive 59.5%
reimbursement from the state for CPSE administrative costs.
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