Plan requiring special-ed services at some schools advances

(AP) — Vermont's state education agency is weighing a proposal that would force independent schools to accommodate students with special needs if those schools accept public tuition money.

In November, the board that sets Vermont's education policy, had asked the state Agency of Education, which implements those policies, to look at the rules that apply to independent schools.

Under the proposal, independent schools would have to offer services to students with disabilities in "each special education category of disability," including intellectual disabilities, hearing and speech impairments, and autism spectrum disorder.