Special Education Services
Special Education Administration Team
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Sarah Gregory |
Linda Sharp |
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Mariah Reeves |
Veronica Love-Hagelin |
Shelley Hill |
QUICK LINKS
What is Special Education?
How long will you keep my Special Education records?
I'm in High School...what happens next?
What if my child is in a private school or homeschooled?
Where can I look for more information?
PUBLIC NOTICE
Our Assurances
All responsible public agencies are required to locate, evaluate, and identify children with disabilities who are under the jurisdiction of the agency, regardless of the severity of the disability, including children attending private schools, highly mobile children, such as migrant homeless children, and children who are suspected of having a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade. The Pleasant Hill School District assures that it will provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 under its jurisdiction.
Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, hearing impairment and deafness, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairments, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment/blindness and young child with a developmental delay.
The Pleasant Hill School District assures that it will provide information and referral services necessary to assist the State in the implementation of early intervention services for infants and toddlers eligible for the Missouri First Steps program.
The Pleasant Hill School District assures that personally identifiable information collected, used, or maintained by the agency for the purposes of identification, evaluation, placement or provision of FAPE of children with disabilities may be inspected and/or reviewed by their parents/guardians. Parents/guardians may request amendment to the educational record if the parent/guardian believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of their child. Parents have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning alleged failures by the district to meet the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
The Pleasant Hill School District has developed a Local Compliance Plan for the implementation of State Regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This plan contains the agency’s policies and procedures regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention and destruction of personally identifiable information and the agency’s assurances that services are provided in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA). This plan may be reviewed at Pleasant Hill School District, Special Education Office, 1301 Myrtle, Pleasant Hill, Missouri, 816-540-4700, during business hours.
*THIS NOTICE WILL BE PROVIDED IN NATIVE LANGUAGES AS APPROPRIATE
PUBLIC NOTICE-MEDICAID
Initial and/or Annual Written Notification
To Use Public Funded Program Benefits or Insurance
Medicaid -- MO HealthNet
Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) allows school districts to use specific government funded public program benefits to assist with costs associated with special education services. Amended federal regulations require the District to provide initial written notification, and annually thereafter, to the student/s parent/guardian before accessing the student's or parent's government funded public program benefits or insurance for billing purposes (i.e., Medicaid -- MO HealthNet) for the first time on or after March 18, 2013, and prior to obtaining one-time written parental consent. Participation in MO HealthNet for Kids and/or MO HealthNet program is not required for any student to receive free appropriate public education (FAPE) under IDEA.
One-time written parental consent to release personally identifiable information to the State's Medicaid agency, healthcare staff or other public insurance programs to determine, access, and recover entitled program benefits from a student's or parent's government funded public program benefits or insurance will be sought by the District. Consent is voluntary and may be revoked at any time. Consent does not give the District permission to access private insurance benefits. Failure to consent will not result in denial or limitation of services for the student nor limit rights to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under IDEA.
Any questions or concerns should be directed to:
Sarah Gregory, Director of Special Services
318 Cedar
Pleasant Hill, MO 64080
816-540-4700
What is Special Education?
The Pleasant Hill School District provides a free, appropriate public education to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of three and 21 under its jurisdiction.
Disabilities include:
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Services - Ages 5-21
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Related Services - Ages 3-21 These services are provided to eligible student who also qualify for basic special education services. They are not “stand-alone” services.
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Early Childhood Services - Ages 3-4 Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) students must meet State criteria for eligibility. Students are eligible for services at age three. |
Other Services EL-English Learners: Instruction and assessment of students learning English as well as his/her native language. Homebound Instruction (5 hours per week) offered for medically fragile students who cannot attend school on a regular basis. Health screening of hearing, vision, dental, and scoliosis at designated grade levels and are provided to all students. Additional screening may be administered as part of a psycho-educational assessment. |
How long will you keep my Special Education records?
In accordance with state and federal regulations implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this is to inform you that 5 years after graduation, the majority of your special education records will be destroyed. A copy of your last IEP and last Evaluation will be scanned and saved by the district.
Please be advised that the records may be needed by the student or the parent(s) for social security benefits or other purposes.
Records to be destroyed are as follows:
- Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) (with most recent IEP scanned)
- Evaluation Reports (only the newest will be scanned)
- Test Protocols (Available for inspection only; no copy will be provided)
- Notifications of Meetings
- Notices of Action
- Review of Existing Data Summaries
- All other personally identifiable information within the Special Education file*
The reason for destruction of the above listed items is because they are no longer needed to provide educational services as it has been more than five (5) years since this individual has received special education services at Pleasant Hill R-III Schools.
- The district may maintain a permanent record, without time limitation, of a student’s name, address and phone number, his/her grades, attendance record, classes attended, grade level completed, and year completed.
The school is required to maintain records for a minimum of three (3) years from the date the child no longer received special education and related services. Currently, we keep the records for 5 years after graduation. A digital copy of the student’s most recent IEP and Evaluation Report will be maintained by the district, starting with graduates of 2015.
You may contact the Special Education Office at Pleasant Hill R-III Schools at the contact information listed on the Special Education Department’s home page.
I’m in high school... What happens next?
Transition Resources
In special education, transition refers to the movement of a student with special needs from high school to adult life. In order to make this move as successful as possible, a family needs a “road map”. Transition services can help provide this guide. The transition process involves the education team working with students to determine goals for life beyond high school, and also helping to decide what services and agency connections may be needed in order for them to meet those goals. Contact Kristen Juliette or Mariah Wurdeman at 540-3111 for more information.
What if my child is in a private school or homeschooled?
Notification of Proportionate Share Meeting
The Pleasant Hill School District Department of Special Services will host an informational session for parents of Parentally-Placed Private School Students, which includes children in private, parochial, and home schools, living within the district boundaries. This meeting has been scheduled for Friday, August 19 2022, 3:00 - 4:00pm at Central Office, 318 Cedar St., Pleasant Hill, MO.
The purpose of this meeting is to describe the identification process and special education services. Please contact the Department of Special Education for additional information. Contact information is located on the home page.
Where can I look for more information?
Procedural Safeguards
https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/compliance/procedural-safeguards
Parents' Bill of Rights
https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/compliance/parents-bill-rights
IDEA
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/
Autism Speaks
https://www.autismspeaks.org/
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights:
Schools' Civil Rights Obligations to English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/ellresources.html
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/strategies-and-resources-supporting-ell-todd-finley
The Whole Person
http://thewholeperson.org/resources/
State of Missouri Disability Portal (Transition)
http://disability.mo.gov/MITT.htm
Understood - Tips on parenting children with disabilities
https://www.understood.org/en