Special Education

The Board of Education is committed to providing a free appropriate public education ("FAPE") to children with disabilities between the ages of three (3) and twenty-one (21), inclusive, who have been identified in accordance with applicable State and Federal laws, rules, and regulations. This includes children with disabilities who have been suspended or expelled from school, failed or been retained in a course or grade, and are advancing from grade to grade. It further includes students with disabilities students who are confined to community corrections facilities or juvenile detention centers.  The District shall provide students with disabilities the services to which they are entitled pursuant to their individualized education programs ("IEPs") and in accordance with the Operating Standards for Ohio Educational Agencies Serving Children with Disabilities, including Child Find and Evaluation requirements. Students with disabilities who are in adult county jails shall continue to receive FAPE during incarceration subject to their continued eligibility for services and subject to exceptions related to security and safety.

In order to satisfy the requirements of the Operating Standards for Ohio Educational Agencies Serving Children with Disabilities ("Ohio Operating Standards"), the Board of Education adopts the model policies and procedures promulgated by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce ("DEW") which is incorporated by reference into this policy. While the Special Education Model Policies and Procedures ("Model Policies") issued by the DEW are comprehensive, the document does not include every requirement set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 ("IDEA") the regulations implementing the IDEA, the Ohio Operating Standards, the Ohio Revised Code, and/or the Ohio Administrative Code. As such, the Board affirms its obligation to follow these laws and regulations, regardless of whether their provisions are restated in the Model Policies.

Documents

• Special Education Model Policies And Procedures
• A Guide To Parent Rights In Special Education
• Operating Standards For The Education Of Children with Disabilities

Support Links

• Operating Standards, Legal References,  and Guidance
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Ohio’s Plan to Improve Learning Experiences and Outcomes for Students with Disabilities
• The Secondary Transition Roadmap
  An interactive tool may be used by families of children with disabilities ages 3-21 to identify crucial points of the secondary transition process. The tool also includes key websites and resources to help families and their children prepare for life after high school.
• Getting Involved with your Child's Learning
• Family Engagement Center Ohio State University
  Welcome to our families hub, where we share research-based resources and tools to help launch students to success! You can find resources on a variety of topics for each grade level to support your child and you as a parent or caregiver, while also helping you, your school, and your community work together better.
• Preschool Special Education - In Ohio, preschool special education is for three- to five-year old children with disabilities. The Office of Early Learning and School Readiness aims for families, preschool staff, and the community to work together to meet the needs of young children with disabilities. To meet individual children’s needs, districts offer a variety of preschool special education services. Children with disabilities may receive services in public schools, private preschools, or child care centers.