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School Support

You need an IPRC — or disagree with one

Plain-language school guidance, the record to keep, and the next step available to your family.

Direct answer

An IPRC (Identification, Placement and Review Committee) decides if your child is an "exceptional pupil" and what placement they get. Request comes first. On your written request, the principal must refer your child to an IPRC (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 14(1)(b)). Within 15 days, the principal must acknowledge your request, give you the board's parents' guide, and tell you about when the committee will meet (s. 14(6)). Decision comes next. If you disagree, the appeal deadline depends on what happens after the decision. It can be 30 days from the statement of decision, or 15 days after a follow-up meeting notice. Confirm the deadline right away.

Ontario Regulation 181/98 — Identification and Placement of Exceptional Pupils · Ontario Education Act — Special Education Requirements (IPRC, IEP) · Ontario Special Education Tribunal (OSET) — Tribunals Ontario · Special Report: Special Education Needs · Verified 2026-07-04

  1. 1Understand what's happening
  2. 2Document it
  3. 3Send the letter

What this means

An IPRC (Identification, Placement and Review Committee) decides if your child is an "exceptional pupil" and what placement they get. Request comes first. On your written request, the principal must refer your child to an IPRC (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 14(1)(b)). Within 15 days, the principal must acknowledge your request, give you the board's parents' guide, and tell you about when the committee will meet (s. 14(6)). Decision comes next. If you disagree, the appeal deadline depends on what happens after the decision. It can be 30 days from the statement of decision, or 15 days after a follow-up meeting notice. Confirm the deadline right away.

What to do next

  1. Put the request in writing

    A written IPRC request triggers the principal's duty to refer. Use the generated letter — it cites the exact provisions.

  2. Calendar the 15 days

    Within 15 days you should receive written acknowledgement, the parents' guide, and an approximate meeting date. Log what arrives and when.

  3. Prepare your input

    Gather the diagnosis documentation and any assessments. The committee decides identification and placement — bring evidence of needs.

  4. Ask what happens meanwhile

    While IPRC is pending, ask what current program, interim services, and accommodations your child will receive.

  5. Know the appeal clock

    If there is no follow-up meeting, the appeal notice is due within 30 days of receiving the statement of decision. After a follow-up meeting notice, the deadline is 15 days.

What to ask, say it or paste it
I am requesting, in writing, that my child be referred to an IPRC. Please confirm receipt in writing, provide the board's guide for parents, and let me know approximately when the committee will first meet, as required within 15 days. What documentation should I provide to the committee? Please reply in writing.

What to record

  • Your written IPRC request and the date you sent it
  • The date the acknowledgement, parents' guide, and meeting estimate arrive (the regulation gives 15 days)
  • The statement of decision and the date you received it; if there is no follow-up meeting, the 30-day appeal clock runs from here
  • Any follow-up meeting notice and the date you received it; after that notice, the appeal clock is 15 days
  • Everything you submitted to the committee
Start your incident log

If it doesn't resolve

IPRC has its own formal track: committee → Special Education Appeal Board → Ontario Special Education Tribunal. Confirm whether your appeal clock is 30 days or 15 days.

See the full escalation ladder

What not to rely on

"Your child doesn't need an IPRC — the IEP covers everything."
An IEP without IPRC identification has no formal appeal rights attached. IPRC identification and placement decisions can be appealed; informal arrangements cannot.
"The meeting must happen within 30 school days of your request."
The regulation does not set a deadline for the meeting itself. What it requires is the 15-day written acknowledgement with an approximate meeting date (s. 14(6)) — hold them to what it actually says.

Go deeper

Common questions

On a parent's written request, the principal shall refer the pupil to an IPRC (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 14(1)(b)) — "shall" means it is mandatory. If nothing happens, follow up in writing citing the provision, then escalate to the superintendent.

File a notice of appeal with the board. The deadline depends on the trigger document. If no follow-up meeting is held, O. Reg. 181/98 gives 30 days from receiving the statement of decision. If there is a follow-up meeting, the deadline is 15 days after receiving the later notice. A Special Education Appeal Board hears the appeal. After that, identification or placement can go to the Ontario Special Education Tribunal. Appeals cover identification and placement only, not programs or services.

Yes. A parent may request a review IPRC any time after a placement has been in effect for three months (but not more often than once every three months) — O. Reg. 181/98, s. 21(2). Reviews also happen once each school year unless a parent dispenses with the annual review in writing.

Legal authority for this page

Legal authority for this page
DateRecordPublisherSource type
1998-04-01Ontario Regulation 181/98 — Identification and Placement of Exceptional Pupilse-LawsGovernment source
2024-01-01Ontario Education Act — Special Education Requirements (IPRC, IEP)Government of OntarioGovernment source
2026-07-04Ontario Special Education Tribunal (OSET) — Tribunals OntarioTribunals OntarioGovernment source
2026-05-12Special Report: Special Education NeedsGovernment of OntarioGovernment source

Last updated: 2026-07-04