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

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

The part most parents miss: the meeting counts, not just the testing

Some districts treat day 60 as the date the reports are finished. Colorado does not. The 60 calendar days include holding the eligibility meeting.

"The testing is done, we'll schedule the meeting soon" is not compliance if the meeting lands after day 60.

How to count your deadline

1. Find the date the district received your signed consent. Not the date you mailed it — the date they got it.
2. Count forward 60 calendar days, including weekends, holidays, and school breaks.
3. That date is the deadline for the evaluation and the eligibility meeting.
4. If the meeting is scheduled after that date, say so in writing before the date passes.

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 the 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 Colorado this goes to the Colorado Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services Unit. It is free and does not require a lawyer.
4. Keep the paper trail. Every date, every email, every response.