The Special Services Department includes Health Services, Gifted Services and Special Education Services. We are focused on identifying and serving the needs of all students. Our staff is highly skilled and motivated to ensure that all students progress academically and socially. Feel free to contact us at anytime to gain further information about our department. We can be reached via phone (937) 237-6300; fax: (937) 237-6307. To email a staff member, please click on a name below.
Director of Special Services: Kate Little
Assistant Director of Special Services: Dr. Julius Beckham
Special Services Supervisor: Kathleen Hytla
Administrative Assistant: Becky Wilson
Administrative Assistant: Tami Jorgensen
English as a Second Language
Supports are available for students Pre-K through Grade 12. Services are provided to those whose primary or home language is not English. Additionally, the student has not met English language proficiency. The program provides assessment, interventions, and monitoring services; designed in accordance with mandated state policy and procedures.
Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973/ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The statute ensures that a qualified student with a disability receives reasonable accommodations and services necessary for the student to access education or school related programs and activities.
Home Instruction
Home Instruction is an educational program for students who are physically or emotionally disabled to the degree that a physician (M.D. or D.O.) has recommended confinement in a hospital or recovery at home. In either case, the student cannot attend regular school, and it is the responsibility of the school district to provide continued educational services. Parents should inquire about Home Instruction as soon as they know that their child will be out of school for an extended period of time. As it will take time to process the application, it is generally impractical to expect Home Instruction for less than fifteen (15) days confinement. Usually, parents can obtain assignments and materials from the teachers or guidance counselors to help the student through a short term illness such as the flu, measles, or chicken pox.
The Home Instruction tutors are all certified teachers, either currently on staff or under substitute contracts. They are assigned to home bound students by Special Services. When the application is completed, the assigned tutor will contact the parent and/or student and set up a home visitation schedule. If your child will be hospitalized for an extensive period and the attending physician will allow instruction at the hospital, we will try to arrange a hospital visitation schedule.
State standards allow one (1) hour of tutoring for each day the student is unable to attend or five (5) hours per week. This means that the student will have to assume responsibility for a great part of the work and learning. While this may not seem like much time, especially at the high school level, Home Instruction is not meant to duplicate school, but to provide a program by which the student can maintain himself/herself minimally with the class in school without access to all the lecture and classroom assignments. It is impossible for the district to provide a tutor for each subject area, and generally one tutor covers most of the subjects unless they are very specialized. Some courses, because of lab or shop requirements, may not be completed on Home Instruction. The classroom teacher or department representative will decide if the course in question can be adapted to Home Instruction.
If the student is too ill to receive Home Instruction on a given day, the Home Instructor must be notified as soon as possible. If unable to contact the Home Instructor, the parent/guardian should call Special Services (937-237-6300) to allow them to communicate with the Home Instructor. In the event the student’s illness is such that he/she is unable to participate in the instructional process for an extended period of time, Special Services must be notified (937-237-6300) and a meeting will be convened to discuss what alternatives may exist.
While the district hopes that you will never need this service, it is here to provide continuity in our educational program to those students temporarily unable to attend school. To apply for Home Instruction, please complete and submit the Home Instruction Application.