Mississippi § 37-175-9 - Initial determination of qualifying eligibility ruling of speech-language impairment; public, nonpublic school options.

§ 37-175-9. Initial determination of qualifying eligibility ruling of speech-language impairment; public, nonpublic school options.

Each local school district shall make an initial determination of whether a student has an eligibility ruling of speech-language impairment that qualifies under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to receive services and funding under the provisions of the IDEA before proceeding to the development of a plan for each speech-language impaired student eligible for educational services or equipment, or both, under Sections 37-23-1 through 37-23-150. Furthermore, these provisions do not prohibit a parent or legal guardian of a student who has an eligibility ruling of speech-language impairment, at any time, from choosing the option of a Mississippi Speech-Language Therapy Scholarship which would allow the student to attend another nonpublic special purpose school. If the parent or legal guardian chooses the nonpublic school option and the student is accepted by the nonpublic school pending the availability of a space for the student, the parent or legal guardian of the student must notify the department thirty (30) days before the first scholarship payment and before entering the nonpublic school in order to be eligible for the scholarship when a space becomes available for the student in the nonpublic school.