Louisiana Special Education Requirements
What special education requirements does Louisiana have beyond federal law?
Louisiana's special education framework is governed by the Children with Exceptionalities Act (La. R.S. 17:1941 et seq.), with the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) promulgating implementing regulations through Bulletin 1706 (revised January 2025), Bulletin 1508 (revised July 2023), and Bulletin 1530 (revised January 2023). Key Louisiana-specific requirements beyond federal IDEA: (1) 60 business day evaluation timeline (not calendar days) with summer interruption rules (Bulletin 1508, §511); (2) 'officially designated representative' (ODR) designation for the LEA's IEP team member (Bulletin 1530, §107); (3) the April Dunn Act — an alternate standard diploma pathway for students whose disabilities significantly impact general curriculum progress (La. R.S. 17:183.2(B) and 17:183.3); (4) mandatory 30-calendar-day IEP development window after eligibility (Bulletin 1530, §105(A)); (5) 5-school-day transfer enrollment requirement (Bulletin 1530, §105); (6) detailed seclusion/restraint statute with written parent notification by end of next school day and mandatory BIP review after 3 incidents (La. R.S. 17:416.21); (7) one-party recording consent (La. R.S. 15:1303); (8) Louisiana uses 'exceptionalities' throughout all state law; (9) Bulletin 1903 addresses dyslexia; (10) Louisiana LEAP 2025 assessment accommodation requirements; (11) charter schools in New Orleans operate as independent LEAs; (12) 'Individual Accommodation Plan (IAP)' as official name for 504 plans.
What Louisiana Requires
Louisiana uses a 60 BUSINESS DAY evaluation timeline (not calendar days), longer than most states (Bulletin 1508, §511).
Bulletin 1508, §511
The IEP must be completed within 30 calendar days of eligibility determination and services must begin within 10 school days (Bulletin 1530, §105(A)).
Bulletin 1530, §105(A)
The April Dunn Act (La. R.S. 17:183.2(B) and 17:183.3) provides an alternate pathway to a standard diploma for eligible students whose disabilities persistently impact general education curriculum progress.
La. R.S. 17:183.2(B) and 17:183.3
Louisiana is a one-party consent state for recording; a parent who is present at an IEP meeting may legally record it without notifying other participants (La. R.S. 15:1303).
La. R.S. 15:1303
Bulletin 1903 provides regulations and guidelines specifically for students with dyslexia in Louisiana (Bulletin 1903).
Bulletin 1903 — Regulations and Guidelines for Education of Dyslexia Students
BESE is the state authority responsible for FAPE assurance and promulgation of all special education regulations (La. R.S. 17:1941 et seq.).
La. R.S. 17:1941 et seq.
Key Timelines
Initial evaluation: 60 business days from consent (Bulletin 1508, §511).
IEP development: 30 calendar days from eligibility (Bulletin 1530, §105(A)).
Service start: 10 school days from IEP development (Bulletin 1530, §105(A)).
Transfer enrollment: 5 school days (Bulletin 1530, §105).
Seclusion/restraint written parent notice: by end of next school day (La. R.S. 17:416.21(D)).
Educational records: 45 days (Bulletin 1706, §613(A)); 10 business days for copies (La. R.S. 17:406.9(B)(2)).