Student Services

Special Education Services 

Will County School District #92 provides a full continuum of special education and related services to students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws. Students who receive special education have been identified as having one or more disabilities that adversely affect their educational functioning. Illinois schools are able to identify and serve children with disabilities under the following categories: 

• Autism
• Deaf-Blindness
• Deafness 
• Developmental Delay (for children ages 3-9 years old)
• Emotional Disability 
• Hearing Impairment 
• Intellectual Impairment 
• Multiple Disabilities 
• Orthopedic Impairment 
• Other Health Impairment 
• Specific Learning Disability 
• Speech/Language Impairment 
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Visual Impairment

Notice of Procedural Safeguards for Parents/Guardians of Students with Disabilities must be shared with parents if a case study evaluation is initiated and thereafter provided annually to families if their child receives special education services.
 

Procedural Safeguards 

Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois “THE PARENT GUIDE”

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. To be protected under Section 504, a student must be determined to: 
Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or 
Have a record of such an impairment; or 
Be regarded as having such impairment.

Section 504 requires Will County District #92 to provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to qualified students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. Under Section 504, FAPE means providing regular or special education and related services designed to meet the student’s individual educational needs.

Evaluation & Eligibility Determination

The determination of whether a student has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity must be made on an individual basis by a team of people familiar with the student. 

While no formalized assessments are required to determine whether a student has a physical or mental impairment, the school team is required to consider information from a variety of sources to ultimately determine eligibility and the level of support required by the student. Oftentimes the District may recommend completing some form of data collection or evaluation to determine the level of support the student may need. In most cases, this includes a review of past and present levels of performance, and may also include more standardized forms of assessment (e.g., parent/teacher rating scales, classroom observations, etc.). The district may also review and consider any reports submitted by the parent or guardian.

504 Plan

If a child is found to be eligible for services and supports under Section 504, then a 504 Plan will be developed. The plan consists of a list of the accommodations, services and supports that will allow the student to participate in and have the same access to the general education program as students without disabilities. 

The plan will be distributed to all of the teachers and other professionals who come into contact with a child during the school day and it is reviewed at least annually. However, parents/guardians have the right to request a meeting to review their student’s 504 Plan as often as necessary.  

If you believe that your child requires services under Section 504, please contact your child’s classroom teacher. If you have general questions about Section 504, please contact Nora Skentzos, Director of Student Services at nskentzos@d92.org or 815-836-7719 ext.2

What is the Mckinney-Vento (Homeless) Act

What is the Mckinney-Vento (Homeless) Act
Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime home are eligible for McKinney-Vento services. In general, children or youth living in motels, transitional housing, shelters, the street, cars, abandoned buildings, and other inadequate accommodations may be considered eligible for McKinney-Vento services. This includes, but is not limited to, the following groups: 

• Doubled-up Children: Living with another family due to lack of a permanent residence
• Children in shelters: Including transitional living programs
• Children living in motels: Due to lack of alternative adequate living situation Migratory children: If accommodations are not fit for habitation
• Runaways: Children who are left home and live in a shelter or inadequate accommodations, even if parents are willing to provide a home
• Lockouts: Children whose parents or guardians will not permit them to live at home

 Students who are in temporary, inadequate, and homeless living situations have the following rights:

• Immediate enrollment in the school they last attended or the school in whose attendance area they are currently staying even if they do not have all of the documents normally required at the time of enrollment.
• Access to free meals and textbooks, Title I and other educational programs, and other comparable services including transportation;
• To attend the same classes and activities that students in other living situations also participate in without fear of being separated or treated differently due to their housing situations.

Any questions about these rights can be directed to the local McKinney-Vento Liaison, Nora Skentzos, at 815-836-7719 ext. 2 or the Will County District 92 Administrative Office at 815-838-8020.

Resources for Parents and Families:

Housing Insecurities Fact Sheet

School Help for Homeless Children with Disabilities

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development