It is required by state and federal law that all school districts provide special programs and services to all resident school-age children with disabilities. A school-aged child with a disability in Minnesota is defined as a person with a disability from age 0 to 22. The age of a child with a disability shall be the age as of September 1 of the calendar year in which the school year for which s/he seeks special instruction and services begins.
School District 47 has developed a child-find system, which will help locate children with disabilities from birth to four years of age.
Legislation also mandates that all children with disabilities attending either public or non-public schools shall receive special education services appropriate to their individual needs. Non-public school children needing special education shall be the responsibility of the school district in which the student’s parents reside and may be provided services by the district in which the non-public school is located.
It is the policy of this district that all children enrolled either in public or non-public schools shall receive appropriate instruction and services.
If you have a child who is disabled or who you suspect has a disability, who is any age from 0 to 22, who may be attending either public or non-public schools, or who is presently not attending school, please contact the school district office (253-4703);
the building principal of the school your child attends; or the special education director of the Benton-Stearns Education District (252-8427) if you desire special instruction or other services for your child.
A child with a disability is one who has one or more of the following handicapping conditions:
- autism
- deaf or hearing impairment
- blind or vision impairment
- speech impairment
- physical impairment
- mental impairment
- emotionally disturbed or behavior disordered
- specific learning disability
- other health impairments
- traumatic brain injury
If your child is attending a non-public school and s/he is disabled or you suspect s/he is disabled, the parent must refer the child before the public school staff can begin a process to determine if the child is, indeed, disabled. If found to be disabled, appropriate services will be provided by the district’s special education staff.
