Appeals court backs state in dispute over special ed services

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled that the state Department of Education was correct when it ordered the Robbinsdale school district to offer special education to disabled students in the district who attended private and parochial schools.

The district appealed a department order to provide extended summer services to a student who was enrolled in a non-public school. Deputy Education Commissioner Chas Anderson says the ruling was an important one for disabled students.

"Had this decision not gone our way, we would be looking at students that are not directly enrolled in public schools, not receiving critical services that they may need either educationally or medically. So it's very important that this decision affirms, basically, a long-standing tradition of providing those services to disabled students," says Anderson.

The superintendent for the Robbinsdale Area Schools says the ruling could cost districts like his as they struggle to cover special education costs.