Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 16 Sec. 2957

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Federal law: means the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U. See
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Individualized education program: means a program established for an eligible child pursuant to 20 U. See
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • School district: means town school districts, union school districts, interstate school districts, city school districts, unified union districts, and incorporated school districts, each of which is governed by a publicly elected board. See
  • Special education: means , to the extent required by federal law, specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents or guardian, to meet the unique educational needs of a child with a disability, including classroom instruction, instruction in physical education, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions. See
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
  • Supervisory union: means an administrative, planning, and educational service unit created by the State Board under section 261 of this title, that consists of two or more school districts; if the context clearly allows, the term also means a supervisory district. See
  • Unilateral placement: means a placement of a child eligible for special education by a person or persons having legal custody of the child in an educational placement other than one recommended by the child's duly constituted individualized education program team as defined in 20 U. See

§ 2957. Special education administrative and judicial appeals; limitations

(a) An action against a local, intermediate, or State education agency seeking enforcement of special education rights under State or federal law shall be commenced by an administrative due process hearing within two years of the alleged violation or within two years of the date the alleged violation is or reasonably should have been discovered, and not after.

(b) Subsection (a) of this section notwithstanding, an action against a local, intermediate, or State education agency for reimbursement of the costs of a unilateral special education placement shall be commenced by an administrative due process hearing within 90 days of the unilateral placement, and not after.

(c) Where the parent, legal guardian, or surrogate parent has not been given proper notice of special education rights under State and federal law, including notice of the limitations in this section, such limitations shall run from the time notice of those rights is properly given.

(d) An appeal from a final administrative decision in a special education due process hearing to a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1415(i)(2) shall be commenced within 90 days from the notice of the final decision, and not after.

(e) Except as provided in 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(10)(C) or unless a court or hearing officer determines otherwise, where a unilateral placement has been made without offering the supervisory union for the school district of residence a reasonable opportunity to evaluate the child and to develop an individualized education program, reimbursement may not be sought for any costs incurred before the supervisory union is offered such an opportunity. (Added 1989, No. 107, § 4; amended 2001, No. 8, § 12; 2003, No. 36, § 17; 2005, No. 54, § 15; 2015, No. 148 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2017.)