Georgia Department Of Education Rules Public Schools Cannot Use The Pandemic As A Reason For Not Providing Special Education Services

On February 12, 2021, the Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) informed the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools System (SCCPSS) that it cannot use the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as a reason for not providing all needed services to students with individualized education plans (IEPs). The GADOE had ruled on a complaint filed against SCCPSS challenging the district’s shift to all virtual learning because it failed to ensure that students with special needs and an IEP were receiving the services outlined in the IEP. About 14% of SCCPSS students with IEPs have not received needed services after SCCPSS . . .