§1945. Special Schools and school districts

            A.(1) The Special School District is hereby created and shall be considered an educational service agency, subject to the limitations of such units which shall include no authority to levy tax. The Special School District shall have the responsibility and authority to create and fill positions to serve the students in the district subject to the availability of funds.

             (2) The governing authority for the Special School District shall be the board of directors as provided in R.S. 17:1945.1.

            (3) The Special School District includes:

            (a) Louisiana Special Schools.

            (b) Special School Programs.

            (4) The services of the Special School District shall be available to all eligible students as described in this Section, regardless of their place of residence within the state.

            B.(1) The Louisiana Schools for the Deaf and Visually Impaired, referred to as Louisiana Special Schools, are residential schools established to provide such academic, vocational, and other related services as may be required.

            (2) The Louisiana Schools for the Deaf and Visually Impaired shall, at the request of the parent or legal or appointed custodian, enroll students with low incidence disabilities and students eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act who require special education services upon their admission into state facilities in which the Special School District provides special education services. For purposes of this Subsection, the term "students with low incidence disabilities" means students who have a visual impairment, who are deaf or hard of hearing, who both have a visual impairment and are deaf or hard of hearing, who have a significant cognitive impairment, or who have any impairment for which personnel with highly specialized skills and knowledge are needed in order for a child with such an impairment to receive early intervention services or a free appropriate public education.

            (3) The Louisiana Special Schools may share services and functions, including but not limited to fiscal, human resources, maintenance, security, physical plant, food, transportation, admissions, diagnostics, and health services, to the extent that sharing such services and functions is not in conflict with federal laws and rules applicable to the education of students with exceptionalities.

            C.(1) Special School Programs shall be established to provide:

            (a) Special education and related services to any eligible student with exceptionalities who is in any state-operated facility that provides only a general education program.

            (b) Appropriate educational services to any eligible student in a state-operated facility that does not provide an educational program.

            (2) Special School Programs may provide appropriate educational services at facilities where public agencies place students who are in the care or custody of the public agency or students whose education is the responsibility of the public agency.

            (3) Special School Programs may provide the services authorized in this Section to students until their twenty-fifth birthday and may provide the services authorized in this Section to students regardless of age, pursuant to an agreement between Special School Programs and the facility or the public agency that placed the student.

            (4), (5) Repealed by Acts 2012, No. 441, §3.

            Acts 1977, No. 754, §1. Amended by Acts 1980, No. 258, §1, eff. June 30, 1980; Acts 1992, No. 458, §1, eff. June 20, 1992; Acts 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 109, §1, eff. May 5, 1998; Acts 2008, No. 376, §1; Acts 2010, No. 325, §1; Acts 2012, No. 441, §§1, 3; Acts 2019, No. 411, §1, eff. June 20, 2019; Acts 2021, No. 468, §1, eff. July 1, 2021.