Special Education


Director of Special Education Tabatha Elson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.	School Psychologist Lore Rywalski This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Special Education Main Office is located at Hilfiker Elementary.

GIBSONBURG PHILOSOPHY

To view every child as an individual. To refresh student learning by motivating them with engaging activities while building trust and rapport with students, their parents and community.

Any student ages 3 through 21 identified as a student with a disability under The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, IDEA, will be serviced according to Ohio’s Operating Standards for Ohio’s Schools Serving Children with Disabilities. Our goal is to provide students with a free and appropriate education while providing them with specifically designed instruction and meeting their individual needs.

SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS NOTICE

As of August 1, 2017 Whose IDEA is This? will be replaced with A Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education. We have included the link to our website for you to have access to this resource.

We have also included the link for the memorandum addendum of the Whose IDEA is This? that occurred in 2014.

Below is a link to the Ohio Department of Education’s web page and a link to our State Support Team –Region 1 website for other frequently asked questions and valuable resources.

http://education.ohio.gov/

http://www.sstr1.org/

ARP ESSER III Funding

The Gibsonburg EVSD invites input into the use of and expenditure of ESSER funds from staff, student and the community’s constituents. Persons are encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions at the Board of Education regular meetings held every third Monday of the month during the Public Participation on the agenda.
The federal government has allocated three rounds of relief funds to public schools during the course of the pandemic. ESSER I, II and III funds have a broad spectrum of potential expenditures.

School districts must align their use of these monies with the fifteen categories of legislatively established allowances, which range from the purchasing of cleaning supplies and technology to school facility repairs and improvements, to activities necessary to maintain district operations and continue providing services.

Districts must also reserve not less than 20 percent of their ESSER III funds to specifically address learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions that respond to the academic, social, and emotional needs of underrepresented student groups.

Districts can couple ESSER monies with other district dollars to fund the projects, being mindful that if ESSER monies are planned for school facility construction, repairs and improvements, federal Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements will apply to the entirety of the project.

ODE recommends considering five core questions:
Will the proposed use of funds prevent, prepare for, and respond to Coronavirus?
Is it an allowable use of funds under the various ESSER funds?
Is it reasonable and necessary?
Does it promote equity?
Does it support returning students to the classroom?

SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFF

ELEMENTARY	MIDDLE SCHOOL	HIGH SCHOOL
Mackenzie Meeker: Pre-K	Steve Barnaclo: 6^th-8^th grade	Brianna Gosche 9^th-12^th grade
Julie Bickford: 2^nd and 3^rd grade	Steve Smith: 6^th-12^th grade	Coutrney Gysan: 9^th-12^th grade
Jenna Rourke: 4^th grade		Greg Spoores: 9^th-12^th grade
Andrea Graber: 5^th grade
Veronica Knieriem: K-5^th grade
Theresa Herman: Speech and Language Pathologist Pre K-12^th grade

PARAPROFESSIONALS
Stefani Rogers: Pre K	Calin Nichols: Pre K	Lori Greider: Pre K	Kelly Copley: Elementary
Mary Jo Ruggiero: Elementary	Amber Turner: Middle/High School	Devon Stevens: Middle/High School	Jennifer Younker: Middle/High School
Katie Murdie: Middle/High School	Darlene Roberts: Middle/High School	Samantha Crowl: Elementary