Extended school year services are special education and related services that are provided to a child with a disability at no cost to the parents of the child beyond the normal school year in accordance with the child's IEP.  These services are provided only if a child's IEP team determines, on an individual basis, that the services are necessary.   In implementing extended school year services, the district is restricted from limiting ESY to particular categories of disability or unilaterally limiting the type, amount, or duration of those services. 

The need for ESY services must be documented from formal and/or informal evaluations provided by the district or the parents.  The documentation shall demonstrate that in one or more critical areas addressed in the current individualized education program (IEP) objectives, the student has exhibited, or reasonably may be expected to exhibit, severe or substantial regression that cannot be recouped within a reasonable period of time.  Severe or substantial regression means that the student has been, or will be, unable to maintain one or more acquired critical skills in the absence of ESY services. The reasonable period of time for recoupment of acquired critical skills shall be determined on the basis of needs identified in each student's IEP.  If the loss of acquired critical skills would be particularly severe or substantial, or if such loss results, or reasonably may be expected to result, in immediate physical harm to the student or to others, ESY services may be justified without consideration of the period of time for recoupment of such skills. In any case, the period of time for recoupment shall not exceed eight weeks. 

A skill is critical when the loss of that skill results, or is reasonably expected to result, in any of the following occurrences during the first eight weeks of the next regular school year:

(A)  placement in a more restrictive instructional arrangement;

(B)  significant loss of acquired skills necessary for the student to appropriately progress in the general curriculum;

(C)  significant loss of self-sufficiency in self-help skill areas as evidenced by an increase in the number of direct service staff and/or amount of time required to provide special education or related services;

(D)  loss of access to community-based independent living skills instruction or an independent living environment provided by noneducational sources as a result of regression in skills; or

(E)  loss of access to on-the-job training or productive employment as a result of regression in skills.

If the district does not propose ESY services for discussion at the annual review of a student's IEP, the parent may request that the ARD committee discuss ESY services.  If a student for whom ESY services were considered and rejected loses critical skills because of the decision not to provide ESY services, and if those skills are not regained after the reasonable period of time for recoupment, the ARD committee shall reconsider the current IEP if the student's loss of critical skills interferes with the implementation of the student's IEP.

For students enrolling in a district during the school year, information obtained from the prior school district as well as information collected during the current year may be used to determine the need for ESY services.

The provision of ESY services is limited to the educational needs of the student and shall not supplant or limit the responsibility of other public agencies to continue to provide care and treatment services even when those services are similar to, or the same as, the services addressed in the student's IEP. No student shall be denied ESY services because the student receives care and treatment services under the auspices of other agencies.

For student being tested following the end of the school year, the ARD committee shall make its decisions regarding students referred for a full and individual initial evaluation within 30 calendar days from the date of the completion of the written full and individual initial evaluation report.  If the 30th day falls during the summer and school is not in session, the ARD committee shall have until the first day of classes in the fall to finalize decisions concerning the initial eligibility determination, the IEP, and placement, unless the full and individual initial evaluation indicates that the student will need extended school year (ESY) services during that summer.

If there are questions or concerns related to Extended School Year Services, please contact your local campus administration, special education teacher or:

Kristal Linton, M.Ed.
Director of Special Programs
903-381-2278