Which of the following is an element of IDEA?

• A. Free and Appropriate Public Education
• B. Student meal program
• C. Transportation scheduling
• D. Facility maintenance

Answer: (A)

Free and Appropriate Public Education is a core requirement of IDEA. It guarantees that students with disabilities receive special education and related services at public expense, designed to meet their unique needs, provided under public supervision, and delivered in the least restrictive environment. The other items describe school operations or programs that are not the elements IDEA identifies as part of guaranteeing a qualifying student’s rights—meal programs relate to nutrition, transportation scheduling to logistics, and facility maintenance to building upkeep. (If transportation is needed for a student to benefit from education, it can be addressed as a related service within an IEP, but it isn’t itself an IDEA element.)