Special Education Services

Students with disabilities may receive related services as part of their individual education programs (IEPs). Lake Forest School District 67 will maintain related service logs that record the type and number of minutes of the related service(s) administered to such students. Related services for which a log will be maintained are:

• Speech and Language Services
• Occupational Therapy Services
• Physical Therapy Services
• School Social Work Services
• School Counseling Services
• School Psychology Services
• School Nursing Services

The school will provide a child’s parent/guardian a copy of the related service log upon request.

District 67 has designated a licensed special education teacher or speech pathologist to serve as the case manager for eligible students.

 

ESY services are defined as “special education and related services that are provided to a child with a disability beyond the normal school year of the public agency in accordance with the child’s IEP at no cost to the parents of the child."

ESY services must be provided only if the student’s IEP team, on an individualized basis and in accordance with the district’s IEP procedures, determines that ESY services are necessary to ensure FAPE. As with all IEP decisions, the final determination of the nature, frequency, and duration of services that will be provided must be individually determined based on the needs of the student at an IEP meeting. 

For more information regarding ESY, please contact Dr. Molly Escobar at mescobar@lfschools.net. 

Any person who believes any student, employee, or third party or the District generally has engaged in conduct prohibited by the laws cited in Board policy, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or who has inquiries about the application of the laws or Board policy, should contact a District Title IX Coordinator using by emailing titleix@lfschools.net.

If your child's individual education plan (IEP) or 504 Plan includes special education and related services provided by our special education staff and/or related service providers, and they are eligible for Medicaid, please complete this consent form. One or more of the services included on your child's IEP or 504 qualifies for reimbursement from Medicaid. Schools routinely access Medicaid funding to help meet the costs of providing special education services. Federal special education law requires that school districts seek parental permission prior to submitting bills for reimbursement from public insurers such as Medicaid. 

The purpose of this consent form is to ask for your permission (also known as consent) to share records and information about your child with Medicaid. Granting this permission to bill Medicaid will not reduce your ability to seek other Medicaid-covered health-related services outside the school setting. This permission will not decrease lifetime coverage, increase premiums, or lead to the discontinuation of benefits, as Medicaid does not have a maximum number of eligible visits or a lifetime maximum for services.

Click Here to View D67 and D115 IEP and 504 Medicaid Billing Consent

All public school districts in the state of Illinois are required to provide the child’s parent or guardian with “copies of all written material” that will be considered at the IEP meeting at least three school days in advance of such meeting. The written drafts provided to the parents must include, but are not limited to:

• All evaluations and collected data that will be considered at the meeting; and

• For students already eligible, a copy of all IEP components that will be discussed by the IEP team, “[and] copies of all written material that will be considered by the individualized education program team at the meeting other than the components related to the educational and related service minutes proposed for the child and the child’s educational placement.”

• Students with disabilities who do not qualify for an IEP may qualify for services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if the child: (i) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (ii) has a record of a physical or mental impairment; or (iii) is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment.

• Parents are entitled to receive a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards for Parents/Guardians of Students with Disabilities annually and will be reviewed with the parent at the time of the multi-disciplinary conference. Parents may request a list of free or low cost legal services.

• A temporary Special Education Record is also kept for all children referred for a case study evaluation and/or who receive special education services. This consists of referral information, observation and screening data, psychological evaluations, staffing and progress reports, reports from physicians and other agencies having direct contact with the student and other verified information deemed relevant to the education of the student. This record is housed in the Department of Student Services at the District 67 Administrative Center. Annual notification shall be made to all residents of Lake Forest by the publication of this notice each year.

Questions concerning special education or student services in Lake Forest School District 67 should be directed to Ms. JoAnn Ford-Halvosen, Director of Student Services at , 847-235-9662, jfordhalvorsen@lfschools.net

The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) specifies that special services be provided by the Local Education Agency (LEA) in which the parochial school resides. Lake Forest District 67 is responsible for the provision of child find and proportionate share services to students with disabilities attending School of St. Mary’s and Lake Forest Country Day. The law also states that each year prior to May 31, the LEA conducts a Timely and Meaningful Consultation to share information with parents regarding the provision of services to parochial and homeschooled children.

 

 District 67 will facilitate the parent's understanding of and participation at meetings, including arranging for and covering the expense of a qualified interpreter, as described in Section 226.800(k), for parents whose native language is other than English or for an interpreter licensed pursuant to the Interpreter for the Deaf Licensure Act of 2007 (225 ILCS 443) for parents who are deaf. 

 Parents/guardians have the right to inspect and/or obtain a copy of their child’s school student records prior to any IEP meeting. Written requests to inspect and/or copy the student records should be submitted to Dr. Jenny Sterpin, Executive Director of Special Education, at jsterpin@lfschools.net or 847-582-7766.

 Qualified interpreters are available at IEP team meetings upon request for parents/guardians whose native language is other than English. If a qualified interpreter is not available, the district may use outside vendors, including telephonic interpreters. 

 Parents/guardians, including parents/guardians who are deaf, may request an interpreter at IEP team meetings by contacting Dr. Jenny Sterpin, Executive Director of Special Education at jsterpin@lfschools.net or 847-582-7766 or completing this Google Form.  

Parent/guardian requests for an interpreter at IEP meetings should be made at least [15] days before such meetings whenever possible. 

Parents/guardians have the right to request that the bilingual interpreter provided at an IEP meeting by the district serve no other role in the IEP meeting than as an interpreter, and the district will make reasonable efforts to fulfill this request.  

 Parents/guardians may contact Dr. Jenny Sterpin, Executive Director of Special Education at jsterpin@lfschools.net or 847-582-7766 with any questions or complaints about interpretation services.

Parents/guardians have the right to request that all vital IEP documents be translated in their preferred language. 

Parent/guardian requests for written translation of IEP vital documents should be made at least [15] days before such meetings whenever possible.

The IEP Case Manager or IEP Facilitator will coordinate with the Director of Student Services, the Building Principal (D67), or their designee to coordinate (verbal) interpretation services to communicate critical information to parents and guardians regarding their child’s education.