The Wissahickon School District has recently entered into a series of confidential settlement agreements resolving multiple special education disputes with families over student placements, tuition reimbursement, and alleged failures to provide appropriate educational programming.
The agreements, each formalized in 2026, cover separate cases involving students with disabilities and collectively authorize hundreds of thousands of dollars in district-funded private school tuition, while also closing pending and past legal claims against the district.
$171,710 Settlement Resolves Due Process Case and Multi-Year Private Placement
In one of the largest resolutions, the district agreed to establish an education fund not exceeding $171,710, covering tuition reimbursement and attorney fees tied to a student’s placement at the Center School over four school years.
The agreement follows a due process complaint filed in 2025 and a subsequent hearing officer decision in late 2025 that already ordered reimbursement and compensatory education. The settlement expands on that resolution and provides structured funding through the 2026–2027 school year.
Under the agreement:
- The district will reimburse tuition across multiple school years totaling more than $128,000
- $43,000 will be paid toward attorneys’ fees and costs
- The district is relieved of providing a public-school placement during the covered year.
- Parents waive additional claims for compensatory education and “free appropriate public education” (FAPE) rights for the duration of the agreement
The settlement also includes a “portability clause,” allowing the student’s placement funding to transfer to another private school under strict financial caps and documentation requirements.
$125,000 Agreement Funds Quaker School Placement
In a separate case, the district agreed to fund up to $125,000 in tuition reimbursements for a student attending The Quaker School at Horsham for the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 school years, along with a partial contribution toward legal fees.
The agreement provides:
- $71,000 for the 2025–2026 school year
- $50,000 for the 2026–2027 school year
- $4,000 in attorneys’ fees
In exchange, parents agreed to waive the district’s obligation to provide a FAPE-based placement during those years and accept private-school enrollment as the funded educational setting.
$39,350 Settlement Covers Crefeld School Tuition
A third agreement resolves a separate dispute involving placement at The Crefeld School, with the district agreeing to fund up to $39,350 in tuition reimbursement for the 2025–2026 school year.
Under the terms:
- The district is not required to provide a public-school program or placement for that year
- Funding is strictly capped at the agreed amount
- Parents waive additional claims for compensatory education for the same period
The agreement also includes standard provisions allowing the district to verify tuition payments, offset overpayments, and require documentation before issuing reimbursements.
$125,000 Settlement
The Wissahickon School District has reached a confidential settlement agreement with the parents of a student with disabilities, resolving a long-running dispute over the student’s special education placement and services.
According to the agreement, the District will establish a capped education fund of up to $125,000 to reimburse tuition at a private special education school, The Quaker School at Horsham, for the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 school years, as well as partial attorney’s fees.
Under the terms, $121,000 is allocated toward tuition reimbursement across two school years, with an additional $4,000 designated for legal fees. The District’s financial responsibility is limited to this maximum amount.
In exchange, the parents agreed to waive their claims that the District failed to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for the covered school years, including extended school year services. The agreement also relieves the District of its obligation to provide an in-district educational placement while the student remains enrolled in the private school.
The settlement includes detailed reimbursement requirements, such as proof of tuition payments and documentation of out-of-pocket expenses. It also contains “offset” provisions requiring repayment to the District if combined public and private funding exceeds tuition costs.
If the family later seeks to return the student to the District, they must submit a written request, after which the student would return to their most recent individualized education program (IEP) placement. The District may then conduct a re-evaluation and develop a new education plan under standard timelines.