Not on their own. Video or phone meetings are allowed only when you and the school both agree to them. If you want the meeting in person, you can say so — and the in-person meeting must still be at a mutually agreed time and place.
What the Law Actually Says About Virtual Meetings
IDEA specifically anticipates video conferences and phone calls — as an option, not a default the school can impose. The regulation uses the word “agree,” and it means both of you.
34 C.F.R. § 300.328 — When conducting IEP Team meetings, the parent of a child with a disability and the public agency may agree to use alternative means of meeting participation, such as video conferences and conference calls.
And the underlying scheduling rule doesn’t go away: the meeting must be at a mutually agreed on time and place (34 C.F.R. § 300.322(a)(2)). A screen is a “place” you have to agree to.
If the School Switched the Meeting to Zoom Without Asking
Unilaterally converting your in-person IEP meeting to a video call is not agreement — it’s notification. You are entitled to reply that you do not agree and to request an in-person meeting. That is not being difficult; it is exactly the process the regulation describes.
Some parents notice that hard conversations get easier for the school on video: screens off-camera, people entering and leaving the call, side conversations you can’t hear, documents “shared” too fast to read. If a difficult topic is on the agenda — a placement change, a service reduction — it is reasonable to want everyone at one table, on the record.
When Virtual Might Work in Your Favor
Virtual isn’t automatically bad. If you’re balancing work shifts, other kids, or long distances, a video meeting can mean the difference between participating and missing it — and § 300.328 protects your right to request one, too. If you do agree to meet virtually, a few things help: ask for all documents by email at least a few days before, ask who is in the room off-camera at the start, and follow up afterward with a written summary of what was agreed.
How to Respond
If you want it in person: reply in writing that you do not agree to a virtual meeting and offer dates you can attend in person.
If you’re fine with virtual: confirm in writing that you agree, and ask for the documents in advance.
Either way: keep the exchange in email. Scheduling disputes are exactly the kind of thing that gets misremembered later.