Special Education
Santa Cruz Elementary District #28 offers a range of service options to provide free appropriate public education (FAPE) for all students with disabilities. We deliver services in the least restrictive environment appropriate for each student, and to the maximum extent possible, we integrate students with disabilities into classrooms with non-disabled students, only placing students in special classes or separate schooling situations when the nature and severity of the student’s disability renders it necessary.
If your child qualifies for special education services, you will work with a team of school staff members to create an individualized education plan (IEP) for your child.
Important Information
The district will identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities within its geographic boundaries who need special education and related services including, but not limited to, children who are:
- Homeless
- Highly mobile, including migrant children
- Wards of the state
- Attending private schools or who are homeschooled
In its identification process, the district will include children who are suspected of being a child with a disability and in need of special education, even though a student is:
- Advancing from grade to grade
- Highly mobile, including a migrant student [34 C.F.R. 300.111]
The district will inform via the district web site the general public and parents within its boundaries of the responsibility for special education services for students aged three (3) through twenty-one (21) years, and how those services may be accessed, including information regarding early intervention services for children aged birth through two (2) years. Services for an eligible student with a disability shall extend through conclusion of the instructional year during which the student attains the age of twenty-two (22). [A.A.C. R7-2-401.C]
The district will require all school-based staff members to review the written procedures related to child identification and referral on an annual basis and maintain documentation of the staff review. [A.A.C. R7-2-401.D]
Preschool (ages 0 – 5)
If you are concerned about your child’s progress or developmental level, please contact the special education office. If we deem it appropriate, we can set up an appointment to screen your child.
School age (ages 5 – 22)
If you have concerns about your child’s progress or performance in school, your first step should be to speak with the child’s classroom teacher. With the teacher, you can discuss any problems that exist and come up with ways to help your child succeed. If your child continues to have difficulties after you have tried implementing strategies to help the child in the regular classroom, the school may begin the referral process.
In this case, the school may schedule a student study team meeting where you and a group of school staff members who know your child will meet to discuss ways to help your child and to decide whether your child should be evaluated for special education services. You will be invited to this meeting, or if you are unable to attend, you can provide the team with your ideas in writing.
We will only evaluate your child for special education services after we receive parent/guardian permission in writing.
If you need additional information regarding the referral process or about any of our special education services, please contact Mrs. Romero at (520) 287.0737.
The following is a very short summary of your parental rights. For a complete copy, please contact our school.
Rights and responsibilities:
- Right to informed consent on evaluations and placement
- Right to be involved in all decision-making
- Right to have copies or examine records
- Right to obtain an independent evaluation
- Right to prior written notice
- Right to due process
- Right to appeal decisions
- Right to stay put in child’s current placement
- Right to information on discipline procedures
- Right to voluntary mediation
- Right to notification of assigned surrogate parent
- Right to information on transfer of rights at age 18
- Responsibility to notify school of private placement
- A public education agency shall obtain informed written consent from the parent of the child with a disability before the initial provision of special education and related services to the child.
- If the parent of a child fails to respond to a request for, or refuses to consent to, the initial provision of special education and related services, the public education agency may not use mediation or due process procedures in order to obtain agreement or a ruling that the services may be provided to the child.
- If the parent of the child refuses to consent to the initial provision of special education and related services, or the parent fails to respond to a request to provide consent for the initial provision of special education and related services, the public education agency:
- Will not be considered to be in violation of the requirement to make available FAPE to the child because of the failure to provide the child with the special education and related services for which the parent refuses to or fails to provide consent, and
- Is not required to convene an IEP team meeting or develop an IEP in accordance with these rules.
- If, at any time after the initial provision of special education and related services, the parent of a child revokes consent in writing for the continued provision of special education and related services, the public education agency:
- May not continue to provide special education and related services to the child, but shall provide prior written notice before ceasing the provision of special education and related services;
- May not use the mediation procedures or the due process procedures in order to obtain agreement or a ruling that the services may be provided to the child;
- Will not be considered to be in violation of the requirement to make FAPE available to the child because of the failure to provide the child with further special education and related services; and
- Is not required to convene an IEP team meeting or develop an IEP for the child for further provision of special education and related services.
- If a parent revokes consent in writing for the child’s receipt of special education services after the child is initially provided special education and related services, the public education agency is not required to amend the child’s education records to remove any references to the child’s receipt of special education and related services because of the revocation of consent.