On December 15, 2015, members of the Los Angeles Board of Education received an email threat that prompted the closure of 900 schools in the Los Angeles area.   The day was reclassified by LAUSD as a non-instructional day for all Districts and Charter schools and that the nonpublic agency calendar would not be adjusted.  Although the threat was determined to be a hoax, it left the district’s contracting nonpublic agencies wondering how they would pay for the services they provided to students during school hours and services provided after school hours for that day. 

In response, CAPSES Board President Danial Maydeck submitted a letter the LAUSD on behalf of their nonpublic agency members who are contracted with LAUSD addressing the hardship that the loss of revenue from the cancellation of a school day had on its members.  The letter cited that “...there was no telephone call to the individual nonpublic agencies officers; no information on the LA website or any advance electronic correspondence from LAUSD personnel...” that allowed nonpublic agency employees to be notified before their usual start time.  

Due to the …” significant challenges and special needs of the students, many of the nonpublic agency staff remained at the school sites to help supervise the students until parents or guardians arrived and because of their concern for students and the commitment to the partnership with the district.”  Nonpublic agency staff also remained on the job to handle students that were at school, to field calls from concerned parents and to communicate school closures.

Maydeck's letter requested that “as LAUSD receives restoration of ADA funds for the school closure, that the nonpublic agencies receive similar restoration."  "It is our hope that nonpublic agencies can be reimbursed for the provision of services on 12/15/2015, incurred on behalf of the students of LAUSD, in accordance with the terms of our Master Contract.”

On March 7, 2016, Aaron Jeffery, Ed.D, Director of Special Education Service Center at the Los Angeles School District sent a letter to nonpublic agencies stating the Divison of Special Education plans to address payment to our contracting nonpublic agencies.”  The letter provides information on the type of services that are eligible for payment and how to submit a billing claim.  

CAPSES is grateful to the Mr. Jeffery and the Los Angeles Unified School District's response to this unusual circumstance.