Special Services

Special Education Referrals

If you have concerns that your child may have a disability and would like to refer your child for Special Education eligibility, please contact the Special Education Office at 573-581-3773 x2413. 

For children under age three, please view the First Steps link below. 
https://dese.mo.gov/childhood/early-intervention/first-steps 

Special Education Referral Timelines

  •  School District staff receives parent referral for an evaluation.

  • Within 5 school calendar days of the date of referral received, a letter is sent to the parent(s) indicating to them that a referral was received and that the district has 30 school calendar days to gather data and determine if a disability is suspected.  The letter will also provide the parent with a Procedural Safeguard notice and a Parent Bill of Rights notice.

  • Within this 30 school calendar days, the district will determine if a disability is suspected.  If so, the district will meet with the parents to determine the best course of action.  If a disability is not suspected, parents will be notified of the district’s decision.

  • If a disability is suspected, within 60 school calendar days from date of signed consent for evaluation, tests are completed and a meeting is held to inform the parents of results of the evaluation.

  • If a child qualifies for special education, within 30 school calendar days after the date of the evaluation meeting an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed and put into place after parental consent.

UPDATED-PARENT-BILL-OF-RIGHTS-January-2022 pdf (1).pdf

Parent Bill of Rights-Spanish.pdf

Procedural Safeguards-English.pdf

Procedural Safeguards-Spanish.pdf

2021 Missouri Legislature-Recording Meetings.pdf

Notice of Discrimination
Applicants for admission or employment, students, parents of elementary and secondary school students, employees, sources of referral and applicants for employment, and all professional organizations that have entered into agreements with the Mexico Public Schools are hereby notified that the District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities. In addition, the District provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. 

Any person having inquiries concerning the District’s compliance with the laws and regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), the Age Discrimination Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) or the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act, is directed to the Compliance Coordinator listed below, who oversees the District’s efforts to comply with the laws and regulations implementing the laws and regulations cited above. 

The District has established grievance procedures for persons unable to resolve problems arising under the statutes above. The District’s Compliance Coordinator will provide information regarding those procedures upon request. 

Any person who is unable to resolve a problem or grievance arising under any of the laws and regulations cited above may contact the Office for Civil Rights, Region VII, 8930 Ward Parkway, Suite 2037, Kansas City, Missouri 64114; telephone (816) 268-0550. 

The District’s Compliance Coordinator is: 

Mrs. Melissa Chastain, Superintendent, Mexico Public Schools 
2101 Lakeview Road 
Mexico, MO 65265 
(573) 581-3773 

In an effort to inform and educate the public regarding parents' rights in the special education process, the Office of Special Education has developed a 30 minute webinar titled "Parents' Rights Under IDEA."  This webinar can be found on the DESE website at https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/compliance/parent-information.

In addition, "The Parent's Guide to Special Education in Missouri" has been updated to clarify the special education process.  Topics included in the Parent's Guide are

        Effective and Informed Parents
        How Special Education Works in Missouri
        The Evaluation Process
        Individualize Education Program (IEP)
        Parent and Child Rights
        Resolving Disputes
        Resources

This updated guidance can also be found on the DESE website at https://dese.mo.gov/special-education/compliance/parent-information.

These two resources were developed to assist parents and professionals to become more informed and effective in the special education process to benefit students with disabilities in Missouri.  If you have questions or concerns about the webinar and/or the guidance document, please call the Compliance Section at 573-751-0699.

Commitment to Compliance under American with Disabilities Act 
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), the Mexico Public Schools will not discriminate on the basis of disability against qualified individuals with a disability with respect to its services, programs or activities.   

Employment: The District does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices. The District complies with the federal regulations under Title I of the ADA (which governs the application of the ADA in the hiring and employment setting).  
Effective Communication: The District will comply with the ADA with respect to providing auxiliary aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in its programs, services, and activities. These aids and services are designed to make information and communications accessible to people who have impairments, in areas such as speech, hearing, and vision. The District will not place a surcharge on a qualified individual with a disability, or any group of qualified individuals with disabilities, to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy (for example, retrieving items from locations that are open to the public but inaccessible to users of wheelchairs). 

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a service, program, or activity of the District should contact the Compliance Coordinator, whose contact information is listed in the District’s Notice of Nondiscrimination. Such contact should be made as soon as possible, but not later than 48 hours before the scheduled event (and, preferably, at least five (5) business days before the event). 

Modifications to Policies and Procedures: The District will make reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy its services, programs and activities. However, the ADA does not require the District to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.    

Complaints that a District service, program, or activity is not accessible to persons with a disability may be directed to the District’s Compliance Coordinator listed above. In addition, as stated in the District’s Notice of Nondiscrimination, a person who is unable to resolve a problem or grievance arising under Title II of the ADA may contact the Office for Civil Rights, Region VII, 8930 Ward Parkway, Suite 2037, Kansas City, MO 64114; phone (816) 268-0550.

Section 504 Public Notice

School districts that receive federal financial assistance have an affirmative responsibility to annually undertake to locate and identify all students with disabilities located in the District’s jurisdiction; and take appropriate steps to notify disabled persons and their parents or guardians of the District’s duty.

The school districts listed below assure they will provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to each qualified disabled person in the Districts’ jurisdiction regardless of the nature or severity of the person’s disability.  For purposes of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the provision of an appropriate education is the provision of regular or special and related aids and services that (i) are designed to meet individual educational needs of disabled persons as adequately as the needs of nondisabled persons are met and (ii) are based on adherence to procedures that satisfy the requirements of the 504 federal regulations.

The school districts listed below have developed a 504 Procedures Manual for the implementation of federal regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Subpart D. This Procedures Manual may be reviewed at the districts’ Special Services Office/Central Office between the hours of 8:00AM - 3:00PM when school is in session.

This notice will be provided in native languages as appropriate.

Mexico Public Schools
2101 Lakeview Road
Mexico, MO 65265
(573) 581-3773

Community R-VI School District
35063 Highway Bb
Laddonia, MO 63352
(855) 708-7567

Van-Far
2200 W Highway 54
Vandalia, MO 63382
(573) 594-6111

Child Find Public Notice

All responsible public agencies are required to locate, evaluate, and identify children with disabilities who are under the jurisdiction of the agency, regardless of the severity of the disability, including children attending private schools, children who live outside the district but are attending a private school within the district, highly mobile children, such as migrant and homeless children, children who are wards of the state, and children who are suspected of having a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade. The public school assures that it will provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 under its jurisdiction. Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment and deafness, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairments, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment/blindness and young child with a developmental delay.

The public school assures that it will provide information and referral services necessary to assist the State in the implementation of early intervention services for infants and toddlers eligible for the Missouri First Steps program.

The public school assures that personally identifiable information collected, used, or maintained by the agency for the purposes of identification, evaluation, placement or provision of FAPE of children with disabilities may be inspected and/or reviewed by their parents/guardians.
Parents/guardians may request amendment to the educational record if the parent/guardian believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of their child. Parents have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning alleged failures by the district to meet the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The public school has developed a Local Compliance Plan for the implementation of State Regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This plan contains the agency’s policies and procedures regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention and destruction of personally identifiable information and the agency’s assurances that services are provided in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA). This plan may be reviewed at the public school district in which you live during business hours.

This notice will be provided in native languages as appropriate.

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

The public school assures that it will provide information and referral services necessary to assist the State in the implementation of early intervention services for infants and toddlers eligible for the Missouri First Steps program.

The public school assures that personally identifiable information collected, used, or maintained by the agency for the purposes of identification, evaluation, placement or provision of FAPE of children with disabilities may be inspected and/or reviewed by their parents/guardians.  Parents/guardians may request amendment to the educational record if the parent/guardian believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of their child.  Parents have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning alleged failures by the district to meet the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The public school has developed a Local Compliance Plan for the implementation of State Regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  This plan contains the agency’s policies and procedures regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention and destruction of personally identifiable information and the agency’s assurances that services are provided in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA).  This plan may be reviewed at the public school district in which you live during business hours.

This notice will be provided in native languages as appropriate. 

Mexico Public Schools
2101 Lakeview Rd.
Mexico, MO 65265
(573) 581-3773

 


Melissa Deimeke, Director
Pam Prater,  Secretary