Private School Information

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and the San Francisco Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) are committed to locating and supporting students with disabilities who:

• live in the City and County of San Francisco, and/or
• attend private (including religious and homeschool) elementary or secondary schools located in San Francisco.

Note: Students attending for-profit schools do not qualify for equitable services under IDEA. However, SFUSD still has a Child Find obligation to locate, identify, and evaluate students who may have disabilities, and their public school district of residence remains responsible for offering FAPE.

If you have questions about whether your child may have a disability that affects learning, behavior, or access at school, we are here to help.

What does SFUSD do for private school students?

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and California law, SFUSD must:

• Locate and identify children with suspected disabilities, including those enrolled by their parents in private schools or homeschools that meet the definition of a private school.
• Accept and consider referrals for assessment from parents/guardians and private schools.
• Evaluate students (with parent consent) to determine whether they are eligible for special education.
• For students found eligible, either:
  • make an offer of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in an SFUSD public school through an Individualized Education Program (IEP), or
  • consider the student for equitable services while they remain in private school, through an Individual Services Plan (ISP).

What are “equitable services”?

Families sometimes choose to keep their child in private school even if the child is eligible for special education.

In those cases, students do not have an individual right to the same special education and related services they would receive in a public school program. Instead, SFUSD must use a proportionate share of federal IDEA funds to design a program of equitable services for eligible private school students as a group.

This means:

• Some eligible private school students may receive services; others may not.
• The type, amount, and location of services may be different from what a student would receive in a public school IEP.
• Services are described in an Individual Services Plan (ISP), not an IEP.

SFUSD is required to engage in timely and meaningful consultation with private school representatives and with representatives of parents of parentally placed private school students when designing equitable services.

What are my choices as a parent/guardian?

If your child is found eligible for special education:

• You may enroll your child in an SFUSD public school so they can receive a full FAPE program through an IEP.
• You may keep your child in an eligible private (non-profit) school located within SFUSD boundaries and ask that they be considered for equitable services through an ISP.
• You may choose to decline services.

You can change your mind later and request an IEP meeting if you decide to enroll your child in public school.

How do I get started?

If you are interested in:

• having your child evaluated for special education,
• learning more about equitable services or an ISP, 

you can:

1. Complete the PPPSS - SFUSD Interest and Referral Form, or
2. Contact SFUSD Special Education Services:
   • Phone: (415) 759-2222
   • Email:  privateschoolreferrals@sfusd.edu

An SFUSD staff member will review your information, explain your options, and talk with you about next steps.

Questions and Answers on Serving Children with Disabilities Placed by Their Parents in Private Schools. 

Printable Brochure: Rights of Students Parentally Placed in Private School

Translated Printable Brochures: Rights of Students Parentally Placed in Private School (Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Tagalog, Vietnamese)