Court Ruling-WA Schools Must Serve Disabled Students Til Age 22

The typical WA State high school student graduates at age 17 or 18, but for students with disabilities, their education can often stretch beyond that. And now, following a court ruling, it can go til age 22.

   Court rules disabled students must be able to utilize school services.

According to the court ruling, which came from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, severely disable students must be allowed to continue to utilize the special services offered by school districts until they turn 22.

Previously, state law cut off the services when the student turned 21. According to the Yakima Herald:

"A group of attorneys at Seattle-based law firms Cedar Law PLLC and Susman Godfrey LLP filed a suit in 2022 on behalf of students needing those extended services. Some would have been eligible for an additional year of schooling had their birthday fallen slightly later in the school year."

The defendant in the case, WA State, does not plan to appeal the decision. This decision will only affect a small number of students, believed to be in the hundreds. It will also allow continued access to support programs that include job training, life skills, and other related day-to-day necessities such as navigating public transportation.

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Some other states have also had to modify their rules from age 21 to 22.