Calm down! Do not make this mistake.
Do not file for intent to use the Mckay scholarship until you have completed your IEP re-evaluation and or end of year review where you can make sure all the lists of services and accommodations are on the IEP.
McKay Scholarship is provided by the Florida Department of Education for students with IEP’s to use choice school funds to attend a different public school or a private school. It awards money based on a matrix scales from the students IEP.
Dealing with the Florida Department of Education has not been easy for me and making sure my son’s correct information is online has also failed. I may have filed too soon for my son but there are many issues and problems with the transfer of information regarding the Mckay Scholarship.
I would recommend:
- waiting until the last week to file on the state website
- request a copy of your child’s complete school records
- request a copy of the matrix score
- do all of this after the final meeting of the year when you put in place of the the necessary support, accommodations and services.
- keep in touch with the private school you which to use and all outside deadlines as well
- seek an advocate to help you along the way.
- Break down the cost of the advocate compared to what benefit the scholarship can have long term. If that advocate can get you another $1-2,000; multiple that by 12 years! It can be worth the couple hundred dollars.
- review all your scholarship options and apply to any the my provide more money, like Gardiner Scholarship
I have been unsuccessful in getting the county and state to communicate to correct mis-information on my son’s records. I don’t know if that means I will have to continue to get legal advice or how I will manage to correct the information. Both the state and county have put the blame on each other. There are issues with my sons exceptionality code, race and date of survey with matrix score. We have gone almost a full school year and despite my calls to the county and emails to the state, all is not corrected.
Read the McKay website and don’t be afraid to get help and ask questions.
Ruthfulness 