VI Services in Private and Homeschool Settings

Authors: Belinda Fayard, Assistant Director, Outreach Program, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, TSBVI, Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI), and Parent

Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, Texas families will have the option to apply for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, which are state-funded education savings accounts to support educational choices outside of the traditional public school system, including private schools and homeschools. Currently, approximately 6% of Texas students are enrolled in private schools, an increase from 4.5% in the 2021–2022 school year (Learning Policy Institute, 2025). While Texas does not formally track homeschool enrollment, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that approximately 6.28% of Texas students were homeschooled during the 2023–2024 school year (Homeschool Hub, 2025).

What does this mean for students who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision?

Identification and Evaluation (Child Find)

The initial identification of students with visual impairments is the responsibility of the local education agency (LEA). Regardless of whether a child attends a public school, private school, or is homeschooled, the LEA is required under the IDEA, which is federal law, to locate, identify, and evaluate students who may have disabilities. This obligation is known as Child Find (34 C.F.R. § 300.130–300.144, 2025).

Eligibility and Service Planning

Once a student is determined to be eligible for special education services as a student with a visual impairment, the LEA is responsible for developing a plan for services.

Families may choose to enroll their child in the public school system and receive the full range of services determined by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee as appropriate. The plan is documented in an IEP, or Individualized Education Program. The plan is a legally binding document. Alternatively, families may choose placement in a private school or homeschool setting.

If families of students who are eligible for VI services choose to enroll their children in private or homeschool settings and request special education services, the LEA may provide VI services; however, families and educators need to understand that these services differ from services provided to students enrolled in the public school system.

How Services Differ for Private and Homeschooled Students

School districts receive federal special education funds to serve students with disabilities. Federal law requires that a proportionate share of those funds be set aside to provide services to students who are considered “parentally placed private school students with disabilities” (34 C.F.R. Appendix B to Part 300, 2025).

Each LEA develops a plan outlining how its proportionate share of funds will be used. The district has discretion in determining which services will be offered and how they will be delivered. For example, a district may choose to provide only a limited service (such as speech therapy), or it may offer additional services, including instruction from a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) or a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS). However, services are often less frequent or less comprehensive than what would be recommended if the student were enrolled in the public school system. Further, once the proportionate share of funds is exhausted for the year, services may be reduced or discontinued.

Families, the private school or homeschool, and the LEA collaborate to determine an individualized service plan for the student. This process does not involve an ARD committee meeting, and the resulting plan does not guarantee the same level or type of services as an IEP. Private and homeschooling services, unlike public school programs, are not required to follow the IDEA legal requirements for the provision of appropriate evaluation, instructional, and related services, accessibility, accommodations, and family support. 

Families should also be aware that available services vary by district and may change from year to year based on funding and district priorities.

References

34 C.F.R. § 300.130–300.144 (2025). Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved December 19, 2025, from https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-300/subpart-B/subject-group-ECFR3556f7ac2fe0a92

34 C.F.R. Appendix B to Part 300 (2025). Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved December 19, 2025, from https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-300/appendix-Appendix%20B%20to%20Part%20300

Homeschool Hub. (2025, March). Texas. Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy. https://education.jhu.edu/edpolicy/policy-research-initiatives/homeschool-hub/states/texas/

Learning Policy Institute. (2025, March). Distribution of public and private schools: Texas (PDF). https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2025-03/pub_private_Texas_MAP.pdf

Texas Education Agency. Child Find Duty Quick Guide. Texas Education Agency, Aug. 2023. https://spedsupport.tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/child-find-duty-quick-guide.pdf

Texas Education Freedom. (n.d.). Education freedom in Texas. https://educationfreedom.texas.gov/