Special Education

Pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) the district assumes the legal responsibilities to locate, identify, and evaluate all children residing within the district boundaries who may have a disability.This process is known as Child Find. Parents or guardians who suspect their child has a disability have the right to request an evaluation at no cost to the family. 

If a disability is suspected, contact the following based on your child’s age: 

• Birth - age 3: Contact Early On at (269) 467-5400
• Ages 3 - 5: Contact Early Childhood at (269) 467-5400
• Ages 5 - 17 (Grades K-12): Contact the building principal
• Ages 18 - 26: Contact Pamela Keeslar, Special Education Coordinator at (269) 659-1525

Any student suspected of having a disability shall be evaluated by a Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) as defined in the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE). The MET team shall do the following:

• Complete a full and individual evaluation.
• Make a recommendation of eligibility and prepare a written report to be presented at the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team meeting.

Each local educational agency and public school academy in Michigan is required to publicly post the process used to determine the existence of a Specific Learning Disability (SLD).

Consistent with this requirement, Sturgis Public Schools in coordination with the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District, uses a Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) process to determine the existence of SLD for students in kindergarten through the age of 26 across all areas of SLD including Oral Expression, Listening Comprehension, Written Expression, Basic Reading, Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency, Math Calculation, and Math Problem Solving. 

It is noted that regardless of the process used, all schools within Sturgis Public Schools must follow all of the regulatory requirements in the IDEA, the MARSE, and Michigan laws, polices and procedures for special education.  

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written plan for a student with a disability who requires special education programs and/or services to make progress in the general education curriculum. Instruction may be provided within the general education classroom with or without accommodations and/or in a classroom with a general education teacher with a special education teacher providing support. Additionally, some students receive instruction in a special education classroom where core content instruction is delivered by the special education teacher as determined by the IEP Team with parent’s input. 

All courses that earn credit towards graduation follow the Michigan Merit Curriculum and sequence with appropriate modifications and accommodations per the student’s IEP and/or personal curriculum.

Sturgis Public Schools, in collaboration with St. Joseph County Intermediate School District (SJCISD), provides a continuum of programs and services for individuals with disabilities from birth to age 26 at no cost to the family.  The following programs are available to students within our district: 

• Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE): Preschool programming that supports students age 3 to 5 with significant developmental delays that focus on learning readiness. 
• Teacher Consultant (TC): Provide direct or indirect consultation to general education staff, students, and parents regarding student needs and instructional strategies within the general education classroom. 
• Resource: Programming typically provided in the general education classroom in a push-in  pull-out model depending on the level of support required to make progress in the general education curriculum. 
• Mild Cognitive Impairment (MiCI): Programming with an emphasis on adaptive skills, functional academics, and communication.  An alternate curriculum is used for instructional delivery.  

We also coordinate services with SJCISD to provide direct and indirect services to Sturgis Public School students with low-incidence disabilities as well as those having more severe disabilities. In addition, services to children with disabilities ages birth to kindergarten may be obtained through the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District. 

In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Sturgis Public Schools ensures that no individual will be discriminated against on the basis of disability.  This protection applies not just to students, but to all individuals who have access to the district's programs and facilities

A Section 504 plan is a written plan created for students who have a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity who require accommodations to be successful in the classroom.  A Section 504 plan is not an Individualized Education Program (IEP) which requires specialized instruction.  

Sturgis Public Schools has a District Section 504 Coordinator whose responsibility is to oversee implementation and ensure compliance with Section 504 records, forms, and procedures; plan and present staff training as needed; and consult with district personnel and parents on Section 504. 

If you have questions about Section 504 or would like the district to provide you with a copy of Section 504 policy, you may contact our District Section 504 Coordinator, Pamela Keeslar, at (269) 659-1525 or via email.

On October 10, 2024, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Public Act 146 of 2024 (now referred to as the K-12 Literacy and Dyslexia Law), which revised MCL 380.1280f (the Read by Grade Three Law). The law requires that the Michigan Department of Education notify parents/legal guardians of grade 3 students who scored not proficient in reading based on the English Language Arts (ELA) assessment on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (MSTEP). Families will be notified by the school and the Michigan Department of Education if their student is not proficient.

For more information,including  the state implementation details, please visit the Michigan Department of Education’s K-12 Literacy and Dyslexia Laws Website.

St. Joseph County Parent Advisory Committee - Helps parents understand special education regulations, help advise administration with the delivery of services, and to help parents settle differences in the delivery of services. 

Michigan Alliance for Families - Provides information, support, and education for families who have children and young adults who receive special education services.

Children's Special Health Care Services -  Children's Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) is a program within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It is for children and some adults with special health care needs and their families. 

Family Matters - Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education provides parents and families with information about special education and other services.   

Michigan Department of Education Parent Resources - The Office of Special Education (OSE) provides support and resources for families with a child with a disability. 

Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) - MRS helps Michigan residents with disabilities achieve employment and self-sufficiency.

Procedural Safeguards - Your legal rights and protections guaranteed to students with disabilities and their parents under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and supported in state law by the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE).