Does Redeemer Lutheran School Provide Special Education Services for Students with Disabilities?

Updated

Redeemer Lutheran School in Stuart, Florida does not guarantee special education services for students with disabilities. According to the school's published non-discrimination policy notice, parentally placed private school students attending Redeemer Lutheran Church & School with a disability do not have an individual right to receive some or all of the special education-related services that the student would receive if enrolled in a public school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended. If your child has a disability and you are considering Redeemer Lutheran, contact the school directly at 772-286-0932 to ask what support, if any, it can provide.

What the School's Policy Actually Says

The relevant language appears in the school's non-discrimination policy notice as to students. It states that a parentally placed private school student with a disability does not have an individual right to receive some or all of the special education-related services the student would receive if enrolled in a public school under IDEA.

Two parts of that sentence matter:

  • "Parentally placed private school student" — this is the legal category for a child whose parents have chosen to enroll them in a private school rather than a public one. It is the category Redeemer's students fall into.
  • "Do not have an individual right" — the entitlement to a specific set of IDEA services that exists in public school does not carry over as an individual right in this private school setting.

The policy does not say the school provides no support of any kind. It says the individual IDEA entitlement does not apply. Those are different claims, and the school's page does not go further than the notice itself.

How This Differs From Public School Enrollment

Under IDEA, a student enrolled in public school has an individual right to special education and related services, delivered through an individualized education program (IEP). That right belongs to the student and is enforceable.

For a student whose parents place them in a private school, the framework changes. The individual entitlement does not follow the student into the private setting. This is a general feature of how IDEA treats parentally placed private school students, not something unique to Redeemer.

Public school enrollment Parentally placed at Redeemer Lutheran
Individual right to IDEA services Yes No, per the school's policy notice
Basis of any services received IEP entitlement Not an individual entitlement under IDEA
Where to confirm details Local public school district Redeemer Lutheran School directly

If your child currently has an IEP or a 504 plan in public school, enrolling at Redeemer does not automatically transfer those services. Ask both the school and your local public school district how a private school placement would affect your child's existing plan.

What the School Does State About Admissions

The same policy notice addresses who the school admits. Redeemer Lutheran School admits students of any race, color, national, or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, or ethnic origin in administering its educational policies, admission policies, loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Note that this non-discrimination statement covers race, color, national, and ethnic origin. It does not address disability, and it does not promise special education services.

What to Ask the School

Because the published policy leaves room for the school to offer support beyond what IDEA requires, the practical next step is a direct conversation. Useful questions:

  • Does the school have learning support staff, and what do they provide?
  • Can the school accommodate a specific diagnosis or learning need my child has?
  • If my child needs services the school cannot provide, how is that handled during the school day?
  • How would enrolling here affect services my child currently receives through the public school district?

Contact the school at 772-286-0932, or visit in person at 2450 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, Florida 34996.

The Short Answer

Redeemer Lutheran School's own policy states that parentally placed private school students with a disability do not have an individual right to IDEA special education services — a different situation from public school enrollment. The school does not publish a list of the support services it does offer, so families with a child who has a disability should confirm what is available before enrolling rather than assume services will transfer.