Parentally Placed Private School Students (PPPSS) are students with disabilities enrolled in non-profit private schools. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school districts must allocate a proportionate share of their IDEA grant to provide services to these students.
Each year, Volusia County Public Schools (VCS) consults with private school representatives and parents of PPPSS to discuss the provision of services, ultimately making a final decision on the services offered to students in private schools.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA 2004) requires that school districts locate, identify and evaluate at public expense students who are parentally placed at private schools and who are suspected of having disabilities and needing special education or related services. This is part of the school districts responsibility, known as Child Find.
Child Find services include:
Assistance in determining if a private school student may need special education services.
Reevaluation of parentally placed private school students with disabilities
Question: Which school district is responsible for Child Find activities (i.e., evaluations) when the district the child resides in differs from the district where the private school is located?
Answer: Districts must conduct Child Find activities for all children attending nonprofit private schools, including religious schools, located in their jurisdiction, to identify students who are in need of special education and related services or may need a reevaluation. Note, if the private school operates as a for-profit school, then the district where the student resides is responsible for Child Find activities.
Question: What is the responsibility of the district regarding Child Find activities for parentally-placed private school students?
Answer: Child Find activities must ensure equitable participation and an accurate count of parentally-placed private school students with disabilities enrolled in nonprofit private schools. In carrying out Child Find for parentally-placed private school children, districts must undertake activities similar to those undertaken for their publicly enrolled students.
If you are the parent or guardian of a child in a private school who may need an initial evaluation or needs a reevaluation, please email pppssoffice@volusia.k12.fl.us.
Volusia County Schools uses a Multi Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to support students struggling in the general education classroom. Students suspected of having a disability are referred to our Individual Problem Solving Team. Our IPST uses a data driven process that assists students, families and teachers in seeking positive solutions for all students.
The primary goal of the MTSS is to support teachers, and parents, by generating effective research- based academic and behavioral strategies for individual targeted students.
Not-for-profit private schools in Volusia County are invited to affirm with VCS for services. Each year a service delivery model is determined through consultation between private schools and VCS Non Public Services .
The current service delivery model provides the following supports and services to private school students with disabilities attending affirmed private schools and to the staff that serves them:
Volusia County Public Schools will provide direct services in the form of speech/language therapy to eligible parentally-placed private school students with disabilities who are identified as Speech Impaired and/or Language Impaired. These services, in the form of speech/language therapy, will be provided at the Private School, during the school day, with a VCS speech/language pathologist. Direct services in the form of speech/language therapy will be delivered in accordance with each eligible student’s services plan.
Volusia County Public Schools will provide indirect services in the form of general, large group training sessions to teachers and guidance counselors who work with parentally-placed private school students with disabilities.
Volusia County Public Schools will provide indirect services in the form of individualized and/or small group customized trainings from an ESE certified teacher to private school personnel who work with identified (IDEA eligible) students with disabilities at private schools.
Volusia County Public Schools will provide indirect services in the form of access to digital licences for reading and math programs to be used with students with disabilities who are having difficulties in the areas of reading and mathematics.
Volusia County Public Schools provides direct services in the form of speech/language therapy to eligible, parentally-placed private school students with disabilities who are identified as Speech Impaired and/or Language Impaired. Requests for speech therapy need to be submitted by the parent. To request speech and language services, and verify your student's eligibility, please contact our office at pppssoffice@volusia.k12.fl.us.
Volusia County Schools provides professional development training, by an ESE certified teacher, to private school personnel who work with parentally placed private school students with disabilities and identified (IDEA eligible) students with disabilities at private schools. Here is a list of some popular workshops VCS provides. Please contact pppssoffice@volusia.k12.fl.us to schedule a workshop or to inquire about trainings.
The District will work cooperatively with approved contracted agencies (when applicable), private school representatives, and parents of parentally-placed private school students (PPPSS) with disabilities to identify students who are eligible to receive services under this IDEA (2004) requirement. Services Plan meetings will be scheduled and held for each eligible student whose parents want their child to receive services. The District encourages the participation of parents and private school representatives in this process. Services Plans describe the special education services that the District will provide to each student who will receive services.
The purpose of monthly consultation meetings with parents of Parentally Placed Private School Students (PPPSS) is to ensure ongoing collaboration between the local education authority (LEA), the private school, and families to support students with identified or potential special educational needs and disabilities.
These meetings aim to:
Ensure the child's needs are regularly reviewed and understood by both school and parents, even if the child is educated outside the state system.
Discuss and monitor support provisions being provided in the private school setting, including any services or accommodations agreed upon by the LEA.
Promote joint problem-solving and information sharing, especially in cases where a student has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or is undergoing assessment.
Support inclusive practices and equitable access to educational opportunities in the private school environment.
Fulfill the local authority's legal obligation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to consult with parents of PPPSS regarding available support and funding considerations.
Establish a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities between parents, the private school, and the LEA.
These monthly consultations provide a consistent forum for tracking progress, discussing concerns, and maintaining transparency in the child’s educational journey.
School Board Policy 203 provides parents with the opportunity to apply for a school other than their assigned-zoned school. Variance applications are available at all Volusia County Schools and may be picked up during regular school hours. Early application is encouraged.
Family Empowerment with Unique Abilities (formerly Gardiner and McKay), Florida Tax Credit, and Hope Scholarship Student FAST/EOC Registration
Students enrolled in private schools through the Hope/Family Empowerment/Tax Credit Scholarships MAYchoose toparticipate in the Spring 2026 administration of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST), End of Course Exam (EOC), and/or the Statewide Science Assessment.
