Ellensburg School District

Special Education, Learning know no bounds.

Mission, Vision, and Commitment

The Ellensburg School District is committed to providing leadership, support, direction, and specialized knowledge to students, staff, and families. Our mission is to empower and inspire students to become creative, confident, contributing, and respectful citizens.

We believe that all students can reach their individual potential, and we are dedicated to preparing them to live meaningful and productive lives as engaged and integrated members of their communities.

To achieve this vision, we are committed to:

Providing a continuum of services that support diverse learning needs
Offering instructional models that meet the needs of individual students

Parental and Student Rights

The Special Services Department is committed to protecting the rights of students and their families in the special education system. Parents and guardians are entitled to Procedural Safeguards, which outline their legal rights in educational decision-making.

These safeguards are provided:

Annually
During evaluations and re-evaluations
When filing a formal complaint
In specific disciplinary situations

You can access the full documents here:

[Special Education Procedural Safeguards (English)]
[Garantías Procesales de Educación Especial (Spanish)]

Programs and Services

Ellensburg School District’s Special Services Department provides a wide range of supports, including:

Preschool
Kindergarten through age 22 (K–22) services
Adult Transition Program
Psychologists
Occupational & Physical Therapists
Vision Services
Hearing Services
Speech Language Pathologists
Home/Hospital Tutoring
ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program)
Section 504 Services

Understanding Section 504

What is Section 504?
Section 504 is a federal civil rights law that protects students from discrimination based on a documented disability, a history of a disability, or even the perception of having a disability.

Who qualifies?
Students with disabilities that substantially limit their participation in a major life activity (like learning, communicating, walking, seeing, or attending school) may be eligible.

Not all students with disabilities qualify for special education.
Some students qualify for Section 504 accommodations but not for an IEP (special education plan).

What are “reasonable accommodations”?
When a disability impacts a student's access to school programs or learning, schools must provide supports (called accommodations) to ensure equal access.
Examples include:

Preferential seating
Extended time on tests
Modified assignments
Access to elevators or alternative learning formats

Teachers often make informal adjustments. However, when a student’s access remains limited, a formal referral to the school’s Section 504 Coordinator should be considered.

Evaluation Process
Each school has a 504 evaluation team that reviews whether accommodations or special education are appropriate.

If specially designed instruction is needed, an IEP may be developed.
If equal access can be achieved through accommodations, a 504 Plan is created instead.

Disagreements and Appeals
Families can appeal decisions about eligibility or accommodations by contacting the district’s Section 504 Coordinator. Section 504 and special education both support students, but they differ in purpose:

Special Education: Focuses on specially designed instruction under IDEA.
Section 504: Focuses on accommodations for equal access

Section 504 Procedural Safeguards

As a parent or guardian, you have the right to:

Have your child participate in public education without discrimination.
Be informed of your rights by the district.
Have your child evaluated using multiple information sources.
Ensure your child receives a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
Have your child educated with non-disabled peers whenever appropriate.
Receive services in settings that are comparable to those for non-disabled students.
Receive special education services under IDEA, or accommodations under Section 504.
Request mediation to resolve disputes.
Receive transportation if the 504 plan requires an alternate placement.
Ensure your child can participate in nonacademic and extracurricular activities.
Review and obtain copies of educational records.
Receive a response to reasonable requests for records interpretation.
Request corrections to records that are inaccurate or violate privacy rights.
File a grievance with the district for a Section 504 violation.
Request an impartial due process hearing if you disagree with district decisions.
Be represented by legal counsel in a hearing.
Appeal the hearing officer’s decision.
Request attorney fees if you prevail in your claim.

Kindergarten through 21 Years of Age
Ellensburg School District offers support services for eligible students with disabilities. These services are rendered in the academic areas of reading, writing, mathematics, adaptive behavior, fine motor, gross motor social/emotional/behavioral, communication and vocational based upon those areas in which a student qualifies.

High school-aged students receive transition services based upon individual student need. Transition services may include transition classes, supported and independent vocational experiences and linkages to adult services for students age 16-21.
- OSPI Special Education
- Parent and Students Rights
- Classroom and Facility Accommodations
- Referral for Special Education Evaluation
Parents, please use this referral form when submitting a referral for a special education evaluation. The building referral team will review the referral and schedule a meeting with you. The referral team makes the final decision regarding the need for an evaluation.
Child Find is a component of 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that requires districts to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities, aged birth to 21, who are in need of early intervention or special education services.

In conjunction with Child Find activities conducted by school districts pursuant to WAC 392-172A-02040 and the reports on blind/visually impaired or deaf-blind children provided by educational service districts pursuant to RCW 72.40.070, Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) will provide an online survey on a yearly basis to all special education directors to identify children within their districts who are blind/visually impaired or deaf-blind; information to school districts regarding service delivery options in the state for students who are blind/visually impaired or deaf-blind a resource and referral guide listing programs and services available statewide; and a mechanism for school districts to request training and/or consultation support for district personnel.

Washington State Legislature WAC 392-172A-02040 states school districts are required:
1. School districts shall conduct child find activities calculated to reach all students with a suspected disability for the purpose of locating, evaluating and identifying students who are in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of their disability. The child find activities shall extend to students residing within the school district boundaries whether or not they are enrolled in the public school system; except that students attending nonprofit private elementary or secondary schools located within the school district boundaries shall be located, identified and evaluated consistent with WAC 392-172A-04005. School districts will conduct any required child find activities for infants and toddlers, consistent with the child find requirements of the lead agency for Part C of the act.
2. Child find activities must be calculated to reach students who are homeless, wards of the state, highly mobile students with disabilities, such as homeless and migrant students and students who are suspected of being a student with a disability and in need of special education, even though they are advancing from grade to grade.
3. The school district shall have policies and procedures in effect that describe the methods it uses to conduct child find activities in accordance with subsections (1) and (2) of this section. Methods used may include but are not limited to activities such as:
  1. Providing written notification to all parents of students in the school district's jurisdiction regarding access to and the use of its child find system;
  2. Posting notices in school buildings, other public agency offices, medical facilities, and other public areas, describing the availability of child find;
  3. Offering preschool developmental screenings;
  4. Conducting local media informational campaigns;
  5. Coordinating distribution of information with other child find programs within public and private agencies; and
  6. Using internal district child find methods such as screening, reviewing district-wide test results, providing in-service education to staff, and other methods developed by the school district to identify, locate and evaluate students including a systematic, intervention based, process within general education for determining the need for a special education referral.
Who is covered by Child Find?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires all states to have policies and procedures in effect to ensure that all children who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located, and evaluated. Child Find applies to all children who reside within the State. This includes infants, toddlers, preschoolers, children in private, public, or tribal schools, highly mobile, homeless, or migrant children.

Contact the Ellensburg School District Special Education if:
- You have questions whether your child has a disability
- You are concerned about your infant, toddler, or preschooler's development
- You know your child has a disability and are looking for appropriate educational services
- You would like to know how to help your school age child succeed in school
Child Find Screenings for Children Birth to Three

Early intervention services during the first three years can make a big difference in a child’s life. The Department of Early Learning's (DEL) Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program provides services to children birth to age 3 who have disabilities or developmental delays.

Eligible infants and toddlers and their families are entitled to individualized, quality early intervention services in accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C

For Questions or Assistance:
Kerry McMurry
220 East Helena Avenue
Ellensburg, WA 98926
(509) 962-4200, Ext. 227

Screening for Children Three to Five (Preschool)

The Early Childhood Development Team provides a free developmental screening and/or special education evaluation for all children ages 3 to 5 years suspected of having a developmental delay or disability.

The purpose of screening is to identify any developmental delays that may potentially affect a child’s functional or pre-academic performance.

Upon completion of the screening, a member of the Early Childhood Development Team will explain the results to the child’s parents/guardian. If the screening results indicate the child is having difficulty in one or more areas, a meeting will be scheduled to refer the student for a possible special education evaluation.

Eligible preschool students are entitled to individualized, quality early intervention special education services in accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B

Schedule a Screening Appointment:
Tiffany Moenoa
School Psychologist, Ellensburg School District
1300 East 3rd Avenue
Ellensburg, WA 98926
(509) 306-6221

Child Find for Kindergarten age - 21 years old

All children entering kindergarten must be 5 years old by August 31.

Child find activities are extended to students who are home-schooled or attending private elementary or secondary schools located within the Ellensburg School District boundaries. To refer a student of concern, contact your neighborhood school.