Poudre School District destroys records to deny special needs family's access

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - A CALL7 investigation has found the Poudre School District willfully destroyed records involving a special education student, in an attempt to keep them from his family that has cost taxpayers more than $200,000.

The findings raise serious ethical questions for PSD and raise questions for parents about whether they can trust the district responsible for the education of their children.

Nine-year-old Isaac Starr needs a range of special programs and skilled professionals to help him develop.

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Under federal law, school districts are required to provide programs and professionals through an Individualized Education Plan, or IEP. When the Starr family moved to Fort Collins three years ago, Ephraim and his wife, Donna, wanted the Poudre School District to implement elements of Isaac's existing IEP from his previous school in California.

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So Starr, who is a corporate lawyer, decided to find out what was happening behind the scenes. On Sunday, March 20, 2011, he emailed a request for Isaac's education records to the district, then submitted a more formal request the next day under the Colorado Open Records Act. Starr wanted to see all records, including emails and paper files, about his son and his family.

Poudre School District refused to turn over some records, but what the Starrs did eventually get stunned them.

"They were basically telling each other to be sure to delete records," Starr said.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/call7-investigators/poudre-school-district-destroys-records-to-deny-special-needs-familys-access