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FAIRFAXSCHOOL DISTRICT
Special Education Policy
Warned: December 12, 2003
Adopted: December 22, 2003
Policy
It is the policy of the Fairfax Town School District to meet the needs of students with disabilities as defined in federal and state law and regulations and to provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to these students in the least restrictive environment that will allow all students to benefit educationally.
Implementation
Appropriate school administrators will develop specific procedures regarding the identification and education of students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and applicable state law and state and federal regulations.
The school administration will ensure that the individual education program team assembled to develop the individualized education plan for each disabled student is appropriately staffed and that all members are well educated about state and federal law. As directed under 16 V.S.A. §2959b, team members will be instructed to examine the range of options that will fulfill the requirements of the student’s IEP under state and federal law and to select options that are most cost effective for the District.
In designing the educational plans for disabled students, the LEA representative will communicate to the IEP team the ability of the classroom staff to provide for the needs of the disabled student without negatively affecting the quality of education for all classroom students.
The school administrators will encourage the special education coordinator to consult with legal counsel when questions about compliance with the law arise in the performance of duties relative to serving special education students. Ongoing training in the law and best practices will be made available to special educators and other appropriate personnel.
The school administrators will also ensure that all personnel who help in the education of children with disabilities are appropriately trained to meet individual student needs.
The administrators of Fairfax Town School District will encourage the establishment of strong communications with parents/guardians of students with disabilities in addition to their participation on the IEP team and will support them in their work with their children at home to complement the efforts of the school.
The school administration will report annually to the Board and to the Commissioner of Education on special education program outcomes, changes in child count, the rates of increase or decrease of special education costs, the availability of special education staff and other pertinent information. This report will be based on a systemic analysis of the District’s special education program that will focus on improvement.
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