Special Education

Child Find for school-aged children (kindergarten-aged through 21 years) focuses on identifying potential developmental delays in seven key areas:

Elementary Aged (Kindergarten through 8^th grade)

Children Enrolled at a Creighton School
If you have a child enrolled in the Creighton School District and you would like to explore their potential need for special education services, please contact the School Psychologist at your child’s school.

Biltmore Preparatory Academy:  602.381.6160
Excelencia School:                     602.381.4670
Gateway School:                        602.381.4665
Larry C. Kennedy School:          602.381.6180
Loma Linda School:                   602.381.6080
Monte Vista School:                   602.381.6140
Papago School:                         602.381.6100
William T. Machan School:         602.381.6120

The school psychologist will work with you to arrange a team meeting, which includes you as the parent, the school psychologist, your child’s general education teacher, a special education teacher, other professionals as needed, a school administrator, and your child, if appropriate.  The team will discuss your concerns and those of the school to determine if your child should be evaluated for possible special education eligibility.  Should your child be formally evaluated and found eligible, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be developed to provide appropriate services to your child in the least restrictive environment. 

Children Parentally Placed in a Private School or Parochial School
If you have an elementary aged child enrolled in a private or parochial school which sits within the Creighton School District boundaries, and are concerned that your child may have a disability for which they may be eligible for special education and related services, please talk to the principal at your child’s school.  The school will reach out to our Lead Psychologist to schedule a meeting to discuss your concerns, and those of the school.  During that meeting, the team will determine what next steps are appropriate for your child.  Should your child be formally evaluated and found eligible, the District will offer an Individual Service Plan, outlining what eligible services would be available to your child.

Home-schooled Children
If you are formally home-schooling your elementary-aged child, reside within the Creighton School District boundaries, and suspect that your child may have a disability for which they may be eligible for special education and related services, please contact:

 Dr. Lourdes Smith

(602) 381-4670 x49808

lsmith@creightonschools.org

Dr. Smith will contact you to schedule a meeting to discuss the process and any appropriate next steps. Should your child be formally evaluated and found eligible, the District will offer an Individual Service Plan, outlining what eligible services would be available to your child.

High School Aged (9^th grade through Age 21)
If you have a child enrolled in 9^th grade through the age of 21 and you would like to discuss their potential need for special education, please contact the front office at your child’s High School to be connected with the appropriate staff.

Creighton Elementary Schools feed into the following high schools:
                 Camelback High School        602.764.7000
                 North High School                 602.764.6500

• Cognition/Academics
• Speech-Language/Communication
• Social-Emotional
• Daily Living Skills
• Motor Skills
• Hearing
• Vision

Service Plans (Available to Kindergarten – 8^th grade): When a student is parentally placed in private, parochial or home-schooled, not due to FAPE, the district is responsible for child find and evaluation of these students. Following evaluation and identification, the district team will report recommendations of service should the student enroll in the district. 

Related Services (Available to All Ages): Related services include transportation and other support services, such as speech or physical therapy, required for students with disabilities to benefit from special education. Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy are available at all of our district schools.

Extended School Year Services (Available to All Ages): Extended school year (ESY) services are offered to eligible special education students during summer vacation. ESY is for students who lose critical skills during regular breaks in instruction and who require an excessive amount of time to regain those skills. Other factors may be considered. Skills appropriate for ESY consideration include those related to self-sufficiency, behavior, socialization, communication and academics. A student's need and eligibility for ESY instruction is determined by the IEP team.

Pursuant to ARS 41-1347, the district destroys all psychological and special education records on students five years after those students have been dismissed from special education or have withdrawn from the district. The district maintains a permanent record of their special education services with the student’s name, date of birth, ethnicity and special education eligibility.

Please note that the Creighton Elementary School District will be destroying special education records of any student who promoted or left the district on or before May 31, 2018. These Special Education records will be destroyed on June 19, 2023 in accordance with District Policy. For further questions, please contact the Creighton Elementary School District’s Special Education Office at (602) 381-6034.

Re: Parental Consent to Access Public Benefits or Insurance (e.g., Medicaid)

This notice informs parents of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) regulations at 34 CRF §300.154 regarding written notification and parent consent to access public benefits or insurance, such as Medicaid. Before the school district accesses the parent’s or child’s Medicaid or other publicly funded benefits (i.e. AHCCCS) for the first time to seek reimbursement for services provided to an eligible student, and annually thereafter, this written notice is provided to inform parents of the following, effective March 18, 2013: A one-time prior written parental consent will be requested in order to release personal information from a child’s education records or information about the services that may be provided for the purpose of billing Medicaid or another specific agency for Individualized Education Program (IEP) services. The consent form will state the student’s personal education records and information that will be disclosed, the purpose of the disclosure (e.g. Medicaid billing) and the agency to which the records will be released. By consenting, parents state they understand and agree that their or their child’s public benefits or insurance will be accessed to reimburse the cost of services. Parents cannot be required to sign up for or enroll in public benefits or insurance programs for their child to receive free appropriate public education or IEP services. Parents are not required to pay out-of-pocket expenses such as a deductible or co-pay amounts resulting from filing a claim, but may pay the cost that otherwise would be paid by parents Parents must be informed that their public benefits or insurance (e.g., Medicaid) will not be billed if it would: o result in a decrease in lifetime benefits; o result in the child’s parents paying for services that would otherwise be covered and that are needed for the child outside of the time the child is in school; o result in an increase in premiums or discontinuation of public benefits or insurance; or o risk loss of eligibility for home and community-based waivers based on the total (aggregated) health-related expenditures for the child or the child’s parents Parents have the right to withdraw consent to disclose their child’s personal information for billing purposes at any time. Parents’ withdrawal or refusal to provide consent to the release of their child’s personal information for purposes of accessing their public benefits or insurance (e.g., for Medicaid billing) does not relieve the school district of its responsibility to ensure that all required IEP services are provided at no cost to parents.

If the school has reason to believe that, because of a disability as defined under Section 504, a student needs accommodations or services in order to participate in the school program, the school must evaluate the student. If it is determined that a student is disabled under Section 504, the school must develop and implement the delivery of all needed services and/or accommodations.

If your child currently has a Section 504 Accommodation Plan or you believe that your child has a qualifying disability and may need a plan, contact the Assistant Principal at your child's school.

Biltmore Preparatory Academy	602.381.6160
Creighton Virtual Academy	602.381.6023
Excelencia School	602.381.4670
Gateway School	602.381.4665
Larry C. Kennedy School	602.381.6180
Loma Linda School	602.381.6080
Monte Vista School	602.381.6140
Papago School	602.381.6100
The Creighton Academy	602.381.6060
William T. Machan School	602.381.6120

Accommodations are adjustments made by the classroom teacher(s) and other school staff to help students benefit from their educational program. In some cases, a plan should be developed outlining services and accommodation. Not all potential accommodations are appropriate for every child.

Examples of Common Accommodations:

• The child must have a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more of a person's major life activities.
  "Major life activities" include functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. When a condition does not substantially limit a major life activity, the individual does not qualify under Section 504.
• The child's disability must impact their education in order to qualify for educational accommodation.

• Modify assignments and tests.
• Provide an extra set of textbooks for home.
• Adjust student seating.
• Use study guides/organizing tools.
• Provide a peer tutor/helper.
• Provide school counseling.
• Have the student use an organizer – train in organizational skills.
• Provide preferential seating.
• Modify recess/PE/transportation
• Use necessary health care procedures.