Mortellus
May 9, 2023
Public notices invited community feedback on TJCA's proposed federal special education funding amendments, but identified only a four-day, on-campus review period. A neighboring charter school's notice published in the same newspaper offered online access and electronic comment submission.
What happened: On May 9 and May 11, 2023, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy published legal notices in The Daily Courierannouncing proposed amendments to its Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B project for the 2023–2024 school year. The project outlined special education programs for which TJCA intended to seek federal funding. The notices encouraged interested members of the public to review the amendments and submit comments before the school forwarded its amended project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
However, the notices identified a review period spanning just four days, May 15–18, 2023, and directed interested individuals to the office of TJCA's Exceptional Children's Coordinator, Pamela Bennett, at the Academy's Mooresboro campus. The notices did not provide an online location for accessing the proposed amendments, an email address for submitting comments, or specific hours during which the documents could be reviewed.
What was established:
Four days to review proposed amendments
The notices explained that TJCA was amending its IDEA Part B project, which described the special education programs the Academy proposed to support with federal funding during the upcoming school year. The public was invited to examine the proposed changes and comment on their implementation. TJCA stated that all comments would be considered before the amended project was submitted to state education officials. The specified review period ran from Monday, May 15, through Thursday, May 18, 2023. The May 9 publication therefore provided less than a week of advance notice before the review period opened, while the May 11 publication appeared just four calendar days beforehand. Interested individuals were directed to the office of Pamela Bennett at 2527 US Highway 221A in Mooresboro, North Carolina, with a telephone number provided for contacting her office. The published instructions did not identify an alternative means of obtaining the proposed documents remotely.
A neighboring charter school provides online access
The May 11 edition of The Daily Courier also carried a comparable IDEA Part B notice from Lake Lure Classical Academy. Unlike TJCA's notice, Lake Lure Classical Academy explicitly directed interested individuals to its website and a social media announcement to review its proposed amendments during May 15–19, 2023. Its notice also provided an email address and mailing address for submitting comments. The comparison is significant because both schools were publicizing amendments to the same category of federal special education funding plans, during substantially the same period, in the same newspaper. Yet their published instructions offered different levels of accessibility. One directed readers to an on-campus office for a four-day period. The other expressly provided remote access to the documents and a means of submitting written comments electronically.
Why the notice matters
Public notice is only one part of meaningful public participation. Families must also have a practical opportunity to examine proposed changes, understand their implications, and provide feedback. For parents and caregivers of children with disabilities, participation may already involve additional scheduling, transportation, employment, and caregiving challenges. A review process advertised primarily through an in-person location and a short availability window can make participation more difficult for individuals who cannot readily travel to a school office during the working week. TJCA's notices established that the Academy invited public comment. They did not establish how the school accommodated families unable to visit the campus, whether copies were available upon request, or whether anyone submitted comments. The distinction worth preserving is between formally inviting public participation and making the materials necessary for meaningful participation readily accessible. The notices are also relevant to TJCA's broader documented history of special education oversight and disability-rights concerns. They provide a contemporaneous record of how the Academy communicated opportunities for families to participate in later special education planning.
Original Evidence:
The Daily Courier (Forest City, NC), May 9, 2023, p. A10, Legal Notices. TJCA's public notice concerning proposed IDEA Part B amendments for the 2023–2024 school year.
The Daily Courier (Forest City, NC), May 11, 2023, p. A11, Legal Notices. Republication of TJCA's IDEA Part B notice identifying the May 15–18 review period.
The Daily Courier (Forest City, NC), May 11, 2023, p. A11, Legal Notices. Lake Lure Classical Academy's corresponding IDEA Part B notice, identifying online document availability and electronic comment submission.
Subsequent developments: The notices stated that public comments would be considered before TJCA submitted its amended IDEA Part B project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The proposed amendments themselves, any comments received from the public, and the final submitted project have not yet been incorporated into this archive entry.
Those materials would provide a more complete picture of the funding decisions under consideration and whether public feedback influenced the Academy's plans. TJCATruth.com welcomes copies of the proposed or final 2023–2024 IDEA Part B project, related school communications, public comments, or other historical materials documenting how families were able to participate in the review process.
Reports from the community: The preserved newspaper notices document TJCA's invitation for community participation, but do not identify individuals who reviewed the proposed amendments or submitted comments. TJCATruth.com has not yet received firsthand accounts from parents, caregivers, special education staff, or other community members concerning their experiences with the May 2023 review process. We welcome accounts from individuals who attempted to review the documents, requested copies or accommodations, submitted comments, or participated in discussions concerning TJCA's special education funding plans.
We are particularly interested in whether remote access was available upon request, whether working families encountered difficulties reviewing the materials, and how the Academy responded to public feedback. Individuals with relevant firsthand experiences are encouraged to contact TJCATruth.com. Requests for anonymity will be respected, and identifying information will not be published without the contributor's explicit consent. All submissions will be handled with discretion and confidentiality.