October Term 2008 · Docket 08-305
Can parents recover private school tuition if the district wrongly denied special education eligibility?
Parents seek tuition reimbursement after the district wrongly denied their child special education services.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Mr. Salmons argued the district improperly denied the child access to special education services.
Mr. Miller argued the district court has discretion to award tuition if the education was inadequate.
Mr. Feinerman argued the 1997 amendments prohibit reimbursement for unilateral private placements.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-41 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 35-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15 — Transcript, file page 45, lines 35-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 5-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 27-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 49-3 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 49-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 17-19 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 17-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-15 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 11-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-3 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 37-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 13-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 31-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-41 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 49-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 23-41 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 23-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 51-3 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 51-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-43 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 43-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-13 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 7-13
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
The case tests whether IDEA allows tuition reimbursement when a district wrongly denies eligibility.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15 — Transcript, file page 45, lines 35-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 27-47
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 28, 2009.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 49-3 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 49-3
What each side wants
The district wants the court to deny the tuition reimbursement claim.
The parents want the court to order the district to pay private school tuition.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15 — Transcript, file page 45, lines 35-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 27-47
What each side says
The district argues the 1997 IDEA amendments prohibit reimbursement for unilateral private placements.
The parents argue the district’s wrong denial of eligibility entitles them to tuition reimbursement.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15 — Transcript, file page 45, lines 35-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 27-47
What the justices asked
Justice Scalia asked if the parents chose private school only after the denial.
Justice Ginsburg asked if the child was entitled to education but did not receive it.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-41 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 35-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 5-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 49-3 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 49-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 17-19 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 17-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-15 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 11-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-3 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 37-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 13-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 31-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-41 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 49-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 23-41 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 23-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 51-3 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 51-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-43 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 43-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-13 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 7-13
Why it matters
This dispute determines whether school districts must pay for private education after wrongly denying services.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15 — Transcript, file page 45, lines 35-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 27-47
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-41 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 35-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 5-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 49-3 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 49-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 17-19 — Transcript, file page 59, lines 17-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-15 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 11-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-3 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 37-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 13-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 31-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-41 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 49-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 23-41 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 23-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 51-3 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 51-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-43 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 43-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-13 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 7-13
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15 — Transcript, file page 45, lines 35-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 27-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15 — Transcript, file page 45, lines 35-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 27-47
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.