CREIGHTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 14

SPECIAL EDUCATION

The District will establish a long-range plan for providing special education services to students with exceptional needs. This plan will address the specialized programs, personnel, facilities, materials, and equipment required to promote the physical, social, intellectual, and emotional growth of students with exceptional needs.

The Superintendent shall implement procedures to ensure compliance with federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Arizona statutes, and State Board of Education regulations. These procedures will ensure:

A. Child Find: The District will identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities between birth and age twenty-one (21) within its boundaries, including those who are homeless, wards of the state, or attending private schools or home schools.

B. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE): The District will provide FAPE to all children with disabilities aged three (3) through twenty-one (21), including those advancing from grade to grade, and those suspended or expelled as outlined in IDEA regulations.

C. Evaluation: A full and individual evaluation of a child with a suspected disability will be conducted before the provision of special education services. Reevaluations will be conducted as required by IDEA regulations.

D. Referral and Identification: Child identification and referral procedures will comply with IDEA, state law, and State Board of Education regulations.

E. Individualized Education Program (IEP): The District will develop and implement an IEP for each eligible child in accordance with IDEA regulations.

F. Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): To the greatest extent possible, students with disabilities will be educated alongside their non-disabled peers in the least restrictive environment.

G. Procedural Safeguards: The District will ensure procedural safeguards, including notice of rights and due process procedures, are provided to parents.

H. Confidentiality: The District will protect the confidentiality of all personally identifiable information and records in accordance with federal and state laws.

I. Extended School Year (ESY): ESY services will be provided if necessary to ensure FAPE for children with disabilities.

J. Graduation: Exceptional students will meet graduation criteria, including standards in reading, writing, and mathematics, as outlined in District policy.

K. Discipline: Discipline for students with disabilities will comply with FAPE and IDEA requirements. The District may take appropriate disciplinary action, including removal to an alternative setting, suspension, or expulsion, following IDEA regulations.

For purposes of this policy, a child’s home school district is defined as the district where the person with legal custody of the child resides, or, if the child is a ward of the state, the district the child last attended or currently resides in, if the child has not attended a public school previously.

The Superintendent will establish procedures for the implementation of special education programs and ensure the District's compliance with applicable laws and policies. These procedures will be made available to staff and parents to support compliance.

LEGAL REFERENCES:

• A.R.S. 15-761 through 15-769, 15-771, 15-773, 15-881, 15-1181 through 15-1185, 15-1201 through 15-1205, 36-555
• 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq., Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• 29 U.S.C. 794, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504)
• 34 C.F.R. Part 300