Special Education

Special Services Programs

The public school has developed a local compliance plan for implementation of special education, and this plan is available for public review during school hours on days that school is in session. You can find the plan in the office of the superintendent of schools. The local compliance plan is a written narrative that describes the district’s plan for compliance with requirements for identifying and serving all students the district must follow regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention, and destruction of personally identifiable information. The plan also describes the assurances that services are provided in compliance with the requirement of 34 CFR 76. 301 of the General Education Provision Act.

Public schools in the state of Missouri must conduct an annual census of all children with disabilities or suspected disabilities from birth through age twenty-one (21) who reside in the district or whose parent/legal guardian resides in the district. The government compiles this census by October 1 each year. This information is confidential and submitted to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Information collected includes: name of each child, parent/legal guardian’s name/address; birth date and age of each child; and each child’s disability or suspected disability.

Should the district fail to submit an annual census, the state board of education may withhold state aid until the district submits the census.

Pursuant to the requirements of state law 162.997-999 RSMo, the state board of education must appoint a surrogate parent at such times as it becomes evident that a child with disabilities does not have a parent or person acting as a parent to participate in matters dealing with the provisions of special education. For purposes of surrogate parent appointment, “parent” is defined as a biological parent, guardian, or person acting as parent of a child. This includes, but is not limited to, a grandparent, step parent, or foster parent with whom the child lives. The term does not include the state if the child is a ward of the state. The term does not include a person whose parental rights have been terminated.

The state gives the local school district the responsibility to determine when a child with a disability who requires special education and who resides in the district is without a parent. The district must notify the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education of the need to appoint a surrogate parent. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the district will provide training for such persons serving as surrogate parents.

We can provide this notice in any language that may be necessary.

If you have a child or know of a child with a disability who is not attending the public school; or, if you are interested in learning more about volunteering to serve as a surrogate parent for a child with disabilities you may contact:

Mr. Lindell Conway
Richwoods R-VII School District
10788 State Highway A
Richwoods, MO 63071
(573) 678-2257

Public Notice

All responsible public agencies must locate, evaluate, and identify children with disabilities who are under the jurisdiction of the agency, regardless of the severity of the disability. This includes 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 Richwoods R-VII School District assures that it will provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of three and twenty-one (21) under its jurisdiction. Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, 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 Richwoods R-VII School District 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 Richwoods R-VII School District assures that parents/guardians may inspect and/or review 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. 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 Richwoods R-VII School District 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 they provide services in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA). You may review this plan at your local school district’s special services department, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

We will provide this notice in native languages as appropriate.

Franklin County Special Education Cooperative

Richwoods R-VII is a member of the Franklin County Cooperative. Our psychological testing, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and alternative school services are contracted with the cooperative.

Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is a right: All public schools must provide a free and appropriate public education to all students with disabilities, including those attending private/parochial schools, beginning on the child’s third birthday through age twenty-one (21), regardless of the child’s disability. Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, hearing impairment and deafness, mental retardation/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.

Early Childhood Special Education:

We have designed our early childhood special education programs for three and four-year-old children. The early childhood special education program provides all day instruction for the following disabilities:

Autism
Deaf/Blindness
Emotional Disorders
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
Young Child with a Developmental Delay

Special Education Services:

We provide special education services in the Richwoods R-7 School District for any child that has special needs. We keep the groups small, and we provide specialized instruction to students that qualify for an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The Richwoods R-7 School District must provide a free and appropriate public education to all students with disabilities, including those attending private/parochial schools, beginning on the child’s third birthday through age twenty-one (21), regardless of the child’s disability. Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, hearing impairment and deafness, mental retardation/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.

Emotional Disorders:

We provide special education services for any child with special needs in the area of behavior. A certified teacher or consultant model of the emotionally disordered offers small group and specialized individualized instruction. The Franklin County Cooperative assists in providing these services.

Speech & Language Therapy:

The Franklin County Cooperative provides a certified speech language pathologist to evaluate and provide specialized therapy to any child that qualifies for special services. If a child qualifies for special services, then we develop an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) and meet yearly. During the year, we follow the IEP and note the progress. We notify the parents as to the student’s progress and needs for the future.

Provided Services

Notice of Non-Discrimination

Parent's Guide to Special Education

Forms

Parents As Teachers Program