Special education complaints in Massachusetts

Name: Special Education Complaints in Massachusetts, 2023-24
Creator: Serenido
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Parents in Massachusetts filed 1,360 written special education complaints in 2023-24. 32.7% of its 513 complaint decisions were issued on time, ranking 49th of 50 (tied states share a rank).

1,360

written complaints

71.4 per 10,000 students, above the U.S. rate of 12.6

32.7%

decided on time

U.S.: 87%

64.7%

found a violation

332 of 513 decisions. U.S.: 62.7%

Five years in Massachusetts

Complaints rose from 804 in 2019-20 to 1,360 in 2023-24 (+69%), the 20th fastest growth of 37 states with at least 20 complaints in 2019-20. That is the highest complaint rate for its size of the 51 states and territories ranked. Massachusetts also recorded 416 due process complaints in 2023-24.

School year	Written complaints	Decided on time	Due process complaints
2019-20	804	100%	379
2020-21	607	88.2%	320
2021-22	649	49.2%	381
2022-23	885	53%	391
2023-24	1,360	32.7%	416

Where complaints go in Massachusetts
Bureau of Special Education Appeals
14 Summer St, 4th Fl
Malden, MA 02148
(781) 397-4755
The state's dispute resolution page

Check the state page for the exact address for a written complaint before you send one.

Thinking of filing? The Special Education Complaint Router tells you whether a state complaint or another route fits, with deadlines as real dates and the complaint written for you. The IEP Deadline Clock works out when the school's legal clock runs out, including Massachusetts's own evaluation timeline.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, IDEA Section 618 Dispute Resolution and Child Count files. Compare every state in the national report.

Cite this page

Serenido (2026). Special Education Complaints in Massachusetts, 2023-24. Data: U.S. Department of Education, IDEA Section 618 State Part B Dispute Resolution and Child Count, 2023-24. https://serenido.com/special-education-complaints-by-state/massachusetts/

Free to quote and republish with a link back. The full table is a CSV download.

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