School placement against parents wishes

[Guest guest]

So the saga continues. We went and visited the partial hospitalization program (PHP) that I had sent this link for.

http://www.prairie-care.com/schools.php

We thought it would be a good fit in finding out if the medications our soon to be 13 year old son are on are truly the best fit for him or really causing him to be more aggressive and have symptoms that we really didn't need (i.e. not sleeping/insomnia.)

He has been essentially kicked out of his "home school" and was on homebound instruction through last Friday. We had the assessment at the PHP and they felt that my son fits the protocol of the students they accept. Great, we thought. Problem is, they don't take medical assistance. My son only has state covered insurance, as my husband has been unemployed for about 18 months, and I work 3 part time jobs that do not have insurance.

We knew this going in but were told they do have a "grant system" and we contacted the financial department last Friday, before our visit. We were told to bring in all of our tax forms, etc. and they would "expedite" our paperwork. GREAT...we thought.

Come to Monday, AFTER the assessment is over, we are told there is a "waiting list" for those entering the program under the "grant system." HELLO....DO YA THINK YOU COULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT IN THE SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WE HAD ABOUT OUR SITUATION LAST WEEK, BEFORE WE BROUGHT OUR SON IN FOR THE ASSESSMENT? At any rate, I was extremely upset and took it out on both the assessment person and the financial aid person who both were told the situation, that our son was on homebound instruction and we needed to get him in ASAP.

I digress...sorry.

So, since he wasn't accepted at the PHP program and homebound schooling ended last Friday, the school is now working on considering my son "truant" because we refuse to send him to the CIP "prison" school. He has been home 3 days this week with no schooling.

And, I was told by our advocate today that the school could do an "emergency placement" into this same "prison" school against our wishes because they state they cannot meet FAPE at the school and may not be able to continue homebound placement until a spot at the PHP program opens up. We were told by the PHP program that there should be an opening in the next week or two. However, according to the advocate, the school could pull this emergency placement thing and we would need to put our son in this school or prove that we are providing his education in another way.

My son just keep saying he wants to go back to G. Middle School. He truly loved it there even though he was only there for 7 days. If we pull him from this district, which we open enrolled in, and put him in an online school just to keep him from the prison environment, this district will most likely not allow him back as an open enrollment again. They don't have to.

This whole mess is taking over every thought, every moment of my days. I don't know what to do. I cry, I get mad, I research online (though I can't find anything about this unilateral placement law) and cry some more.

I just WISH I could talk to someone from MN , or anywhere for that matter, who has lived this ....anyone.... HELP!!!!!!!

Aj