The district Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program provides support to parentally-placed private school students through screenings and evaluations, and limited special education services. The District School Board of Collier County consults annually with private school representatives and representatives of parents of parentally-placed private school students with disabilities during the design and development of special education services for the students.  In 2019-2020, services to be provided to eligible parentally-placed private school students with disabilities include Speech-Language Therapy, on-site services at the private school, as documented in the Service Plan. Parentally-placed private school McKay Scholarship students with disabilities may be eligible for the above services. 

The district offers a reevaluation of each student with a disability, including McKay Scholarship students, at least once every three years or more frequently if conditions warrant a reevaluation, or if the student’s parent requests a reevaluation, or prior to the determination that the student is no longer a student with a disability in need of specially designed instruction.   To initiate this process, parents should contact the public school, where the private school student would attend if she/he were enrolled in public school.  For students residing in another district and attending a private school in Collier, parents should contact the district public school in which the private school is located.  On the basis of the review of student records from the private school and input from the student’s parents and the student, a decision is made regarding the need for evaluation.

A private school is defined as an individual, association, co-partnership, or corporation, or department, division, or section of such organizations, that designates itself as an educational center that includes kindergarten or higher grade.  A prekindergarten program that does not include kindergarten or higher grade would not be considered a private school.  [Florida Statute 1002.01(2)]. A Home Education Student Program does not meet the definition of private school. [Florida Statute 1002.41]

District Contact: 
Brittany Mcmillan
(239) 377-0106
Email: mcmilb@collierschools.com