Arizona orders ASDB to revisit student placements after finding special education law violations

The Arizona Department of Education found that the Arizona State School for the Deaf and the Blind violated federal special education law while planning to move its Tucson campus operations to Oro Valley.

The decision followed a complaint from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law’s Education Advocacy Clinic. The complaint said ASDB made placement decisions for some students before legally required reviews involving their parents and Individualized Education Program teams.

Families had been told the Oro Valley campus would mainly serve students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many students who are blind, visually impaired, or in the residential program were expected to return to their home districts, even though advocates said those districts had previously been unable to meet their needs.

ADE said placement decisions must be based on each student’s educational needs, not on available programs, funding, administrative convenience, or schoolwide policies. The department appointed a monitor and ordered ASDB to reconvene placement teams and consider all appropriate options for affected students by Aug. 28. The ruling does not require ASDB to reopen programs at the Oro Valley campus.