Special Education
The School District of Wisconsin Dells
Annual Notices for the 2024-25 School Year
Special Education
Child Find Activity
The School District of Wisconsin Dells must locate, identify, and evaluate all resident children with disabilities, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. The school district has a special education screening program to locate and screen all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the district and who have not graduated from high school. Upon request the school district will screen any resident child who has not graduated high school to determine whether a special education referral is appropriate. A request may be made by contacting Dawn Sine, Pupil Services Director, School District of Wisconsin Dells, at 608/253-2467, or by writing her at Wisconsin Dells Middle School, 520 Race Street, Wisconsin Dells, 53965.
Annually, the School District of Wisconsin Dells conducts developmental screening of preschool children. Each child’s motor, communication, and social skills are observed at various play areas. Each child is weighed and measured, and the child’s hearing and vision is checked. The information is used to provide the parent with a profile of their child’s current development and to provide suggestions for follow-up activities. Parents learn about community services available to them and speak with representatives of agencies serving families. The information from screening is also used to determine whether a child should be evaluated for a suspected disability. When school staff reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability, they refer the child for evaluation by a school district Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. Developmental screening will be part of the kindergarten screening this spring. Watch for the dates at your local school.
A physician, nurse, psychologist, social worker or administrator of a social agency who reasonably believes a child brought to him or her for services is a child with a disability has a legal duty to report the child to the school district in which the child resides. Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child’s parent that the referral will be made. The referral must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability. Others who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability may also refer the child to the school district in which the child resides. A referral of a child residing in the Wisconsin Dells School District may be sent to Dawn Sine at the school district address above.
The School District of Wisconsin Dells maintains pupil records, including information from screening and special education referral. All records directly related to a student and maintained by the District are pupil records. They include records maintained in any way including, but not limited to, computer storage media, video and audiotape, film, microfilm, and microfiche. Records maintained for personal use by a teacher and not available to others and records available only to persons involved in the psychological treatment of a child are not pupil records.
The school district maintains several classes of pupil records.
· Progress Records: Include grades, courses the child has taken, the child’s attendance record, immunization records, required lead screening records, and records of school extra-curricular activities. Progress records must be maintained for at least five years after the child ceases to be enrolled.
· Behavioral Records: Include such records as psychological tests, personality evaluations, records of conversations, written statements relating specifically to the pupil’s behavior, tests relating specifically to achievement or measurement of ability, physical health records other than immunization and lead screening records, law enforcement officers’ records, and other pupil records
that are not “progress records.” Law enforcement officers’ records are maintained separately from other pupil records. Behavioral records may be maintained for no longer than one year after the child graduates or otherwise ceases to be enrolled, unless the parent specifies in writing that the records may be maintained for a longer period of time. The District informs parents when pupil records are no longer needed to provide special education. At the request of the child’s parents, the District destroys the information that is no longer needed.
· Directory Data: Includes the student’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, photographs, degrees and awards received, and the name of the school most recently previously attended by the student.
· Pupil Physical Health Records: Include basic health information about a pupil, including the pupil's immunization records, an emergency medical card, a log of first aid and medicine administered to the pupil, an athletic permit card, a record concerning the pupil's ability to participate in an education program, any required lead screening records, the results of any routine screening test, such as for hearing, vision or scoliosis, and any follow-up to the test, and any other basic health information, as determined by the state superintendent. Any pupil record relating to a pupil’s physical health that is not a pupil physical health record is treated as a patient health care record under Wisconsin Statutes 146.81 to 146.84. Any pupil record concerning HIV testing is treated as provided under Wisconsin Statute 252.15.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Wisconsin Statute 118.125, afford parents and students over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) the following rights with respect to education records:
· The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of receipt of the request. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal [or appropriate school official] a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. The District will comply with the request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting about an individualized education program, or any due process hearing, and in no case more than 45 days after the request has been made. If any record includes information on more than one child, the parents of those children have the right to inspect and review only the information about their child or to be informed of that specific information. Upon request, the District will give a parent or eligible student a copy of the progress records and a copy of the behavioral records. Upon request, the District will give the parent or eligible student a list of the types and locations of education records collected, maintained, or used by the District for special education. The District will respond to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records. A representative of the parent may inspect and review the records.
· The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes is inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the School District of Wisconsin Dells to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the District decides not to amend the record, the District will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and the right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
· The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information in the student’s education records, except to the extent that federal and state law authorize disclosure without consent. The exceptions are stated in 34 CFR 99.31, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations; Sec. 9528, PL107-110, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; and Wisconsin Statutes 118.125(2)(a) to (m)
DPI: The Special Education Team