Board Report Florence Unified School District #1
JUNE 2012 Board Report
Ginni Shuss, Director of Exceptional Student Services
Conferences/Training/Meetings for Special Needs Staff:
· Ginni Shuss attended the National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Individuals with Disabilities in San Antonio. The break-out sessions included writing IEP’s that align with the common core, determining eligibility, least restrictive environment, 504 plans. There was a good deal to absorb and information that helps with decision making.
· An audio conference for 504 Plans was held. All 504 representatives from each site attended and received more information on how to properly conduct 504 meetings and develop plans.
· Ginni and high school staff met with the MARC Center to discuss how we may interface with them for employment opportunities for our students with intellectual disabilities. We plan to have more involvement with the Department of Developmental Disabilities to support our families as their son/daughters transition out of high school.
End of the Year
· Check out procedures for special education staff requires all staff to have completed all their IEP’s. Sarah went to several school sites and the process went very smoothly.
Support
· Hayden School District contacted Dr. Nine asking for help with students and staff grieving the loss of a sophomore student who had tragically died in an auto accident. We sent Sarah Estrada, Chris Holcomb and Kade Johnson to help the students and staff process their grief. The community was extremely grateful for the support.
Monitoring
· The Special Education Department has been monitored all year by ADE. This is a detailed review of specific paperwork and processes. There were timelines, reviews and corrections that had to be met. This monitoring occurs once every 6 years and can impact funding. We passed with flying colors!!!
Project Bridge
· Project Bridge supported 9 families with food boxes, clothing, hygiene products and guidance to community resources.
· Jim Tchida and his wife Norlene, a retired couple from Anthem, have been a recent huge support for Project Bridge. In a short period of time they have purchased needed items and spent countless hours sorting and organizing. They also wrote a generous check for $500.00!
· Other organizations such as Mary T. Retirement Palmas Del Sol, Gold Canyon RV have been consistently supporting Project Bridge with clothing, laundry soap and toiletries.
MEDICAID
· We have collected $122,560.48 up to this point. This is $25,000 less than last year at this time. We analyzed the reasons for the loss and determined that having fewer related service individuals who can bill impacted revenue. Additionally, the requirements for health aides have become more stringent so we had less opportunity to bill. We have changed some staffing models for next year and hope to make up the loss.
Master Teachers
· Special Ed will have two Master Teachers for the up- coming year. They are Sandi Foss and Adam Leckie. Their responsibilities include support for special education programs district wide.
Challenges
· We have several positions that need to be filled for special education. We will be attending a job fair at ASU.