LEA power defined

[ncecparent]

I am a parent in IFSP process and have taught special education for 18 years. My current school administration all have told me the following in various conversations, most involving MDRs. 

They say since an LEA has power to make deciding vote when IEP team cannot agree, and they are a member of the IEP, they can disagree for whatever reason from ALL other members of the team, and claim team disagreement and make their decision final. 

I have tried to look up laws and regulations from my state of North Carolina and Federal guidelines, but cannot find documents that refute this hogwash. Can anyone advise?

[Lisa Lightner]

Simple--ask them to show you where it says that in the state regs, because you cannot locate it. (I bet they can't find it either!)

[JSD24]

The role of the LEA is okaying the funding of IEP services.  If they say no, they are the authority on how to spend the school budget and their decision is final.  Works this way no matter how the state regs read on if they have a deciding vote.

I have a friend who would always say 'follow the money'.  This is where IEP funding leads.  Meeting LEA holds the purse strings.  (If they thought what the team wanted was perfectly "appropriate" but there wasn't a budget to make that happen, what do you think they are going to say?)