Students in Foster Care

The Clinton School District recognizes that students in foster care face unusual educational challenges. The purpose of this policy is to provide foster care students with educational stability and remove barriers to, and provide opportunities for, academic excellence for foster care students. In order to achieve this purpose, the district will work collaboratively with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Children's Division (CD) of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

Liaison
The district designates the following individual as the liaison for foster care students:
Jill Ragan
502 S 5th Street
Clinton, MO 64735
660-885-5845

The liaison will provide assistance regarding all aspects of the enrollment, placement, transfer, and withdrawal of children in foster care and serve as the point of contact for DESE and the CD. The liaison will also work with DESE and the CD to implement the district's complaint resolution process.

Best-Interest Determination and Placement
Within three days of the student enrolling, the liaison will organize a meeting or consultation to determine which placement is in the best interest of the student. The meeting or consultation will include a representative of the CD; the foster parents; the parents/guardians and student, if appropriate; and any other person requested by the student, the foster parents or the CD who has a special relationship with the student. These individuals will be considered the best interest determination (BID) team and will determine the best placement for the student. If the BID team cannot reach a consensus as to the best placement, the representative from the CD will make the final determination.

The district of placement may bill the district of residence for local tax effort in accordance with law.

Dispute Resolution
If the parent/guardian, foster parent, student or educational decision maker disputes that the placement assigned by the BID team or CD is in the student's best interest, he or she may contact the liaison in an effort to resolve the dispute. If the liaison is not able to resolve the dispute, the parent/guardian, foster parent, student or educational decision maker may request a conference with the superintendent or designee. The superintendent or designee will meet with the parent/guardian, foster parent, student or educational decision maker and the pertinent members of the BID team in an effort to resolve the dispute.

If the superintendent or designee is unable to resolve the dispute, the parent/guardian or educational decision maker may appeal the placement to:

State Foster Care Coordinator
P.O. Box 480
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480
(573) 751-4192
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