Missouri IEP evaluation deadline: how long does the school have?

You signed written consent for the evaluation. Here is exactly what Missouri requires next, and what to do if the date passes.

The part most parents miss: the delay happens before the 60 days start

The 60-day clock is the part everyone watches. In Missouri it is usually not where time is lost.

The earlier deadline is the one to track: after you request an evaluation, the district must issue a Notice of Action — its written intent to evaluate — within 30 days of your request. That is the gate you have to get through before the 60-day clock can even begin.

Calendar days means every day counts

Once your written consent is in, the 60 days are calendar days. Weekends and holidays count. Plan around the real date, not "about two months of school."

How to count your deadline

1. Find the date you requested the evaluation, in writing. Count forward 30 days — that is when the Notice of Action was due, subject to summer and snow-day extension.
2. Find the date the district received your written consent. Not the date you signed it — the date they got it.
3. Count forward 60 calendar days, including weekends and holidays.
4. That date is the deadline for the evaluation and the eligibility meeting.

What to do if the deadline passes

1. Put it in writing the same week. Email the case manager and the special education director. State your request date, your consent date, the deadline date, and that it has passed. A phone call creates no record.
2. Ask for prior written notice. If the district refuses or delays, you are entitled to a written explanation of what it is doing and why.
3. File a state complaint. A missed timeline is a straightforward compliance violation. In Missouri this goes to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). It is free and does not require a lawyer.
4. Keep the paper trail. Every date, every email, every response.