A PWN must be provided to parents under which circumstance?

• A. When the School Refuses Parental Requests for Evaluations
• B. When the School Changes the Lunch Menu
• C. When the School Extends Holidays
• D. When the School Changes the Color of the Building

Answer: (A)

When a school is making decisions about a student’s evaluation, identification, or placement in special education, they must give a prior written notice to the parents. This notice explains what the district plans to do or refuses to do, the reasons for that decision, and the data used to support it. It also outlines the parents’ procedural safeguards and how they can respond or request further discussion.

In this situation, the school refuses a parental request for evaluations. That is exactly when a prior written notice must be provided, so parents understand why the request isn’t being approved, what will happen next, and what options are available. It’s the formal way for the district to communicate decisions about evaluation and placement.

Priors written notices aren’t needed for routine administrative changes like lunch menu, holidays, or building color, since those decisions don’t involve evaluating or changing a student’s special education services or placement.