Guidance for Families about Special Education Services
Placement/Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

Federal law requires districts to provide special education services in the "least restrictive environment" (LRE). LRE is defined based on the individual needs of the student. When determining the LRE for a student, the IEP team’s obligation is to maximize the student’s opportunities to interact with their typically developing peers, but not at the expense of the student’s access to an appropriate education from which they can benefit. Placement decisions should be made after the IEP has been developed, and should never be based on the student’s diagnosis or their disability.