The School Board establishes the following policy to assure procedural safeguards of students with disabilities with regard to the involvement of their parents.

This policy affects students with disabilities of the Corporation whose parents are unknown, or cannot be identified, or whose parents are unavailable or cannot be located. (A student's parents are considered to be "unavailable" if they cannot be located after a "reasonable effort" on the part of the Corporation). It also affects students with disabilities who are wards of the State and whose parent or guardian has not retained the right to make educational decisions for the student.

Upon determination that a student is in need of a surrogate parent, the Superintendent, in cooperation with the Elkhart County Special Education Cooperative, shall within thirty (30) days, appoint a surrogate parent who will be sent a formal letter of appointment. A copy of the appointment shall be placed in the student's permanent records of the local school as well as the Special Education Cooperative Office.

20 U.S.C. 1415(b)(1)(B)
511 IAC 7-24-1

Adopted 2/24/03