Sacramento City Unified School District, Board of Education v. Rachel H. ex rel. Holland

The Sacramento Unified School District (“the District”) timely appeals the district court’s judgment in favor of Rachel Holland (“Rachel”) and the California State Department of Education. The court found that the appropriate placement for Rachel under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (“IDEA”) was full-time in a regular second grade classroom with some supplemental services. The District contends that the appropriate placement for Rachel is half-time in special edu *1400 cation classes and half-time in a regular class. We affirm the judgment of the district court.

I.

FACTS AND PRIOR PROCEEDINGS

Rachel Holland is now 11 years old and is mentally retarded. She was tested with an I.Q. of 44. She attended a variety of special education programs in the District from 1985-89. Her parents sought to increase the time Rachel spent in a regular classroom, and in the fall of 1989, they requested that Rachel be placed full-time in a regular classroom for the 1989-90 school year. The District rejected their request and proposed a placement that would have divided Rachel’s time between a special education class for academic subjects and a regular class for non-academic activities such…