Cedar Springs to expand inclusive preschool services, adds teacher to meet state rules

Cedar Springs Public Schools presented a detailed special-education update June 8, describing programmatic changes for preschool-aged students with disabilities that aim to increase inclusion while meeting Michigan regulatory requirements.

Dan Grant, who led the special-education update, said the district historically operated 340.1754 self-contained early-childhood classrooms for children with significant needs but will expand use of 340.1755 early-childhood services, which deliver services in general-education preschool settings. Grant said the state’s program definitions and funding incentives favor integrating services into broader preschool environments when appropriate.

Key changes: Grant said the district will hire an additional certified early-childhood special-education teacher to support operating both 1754 and 1755 programs. He said the district will initially focus 1755 supports within its GSRP (Great Start Readiness Program) classrooms in district buildings and may partner with Head Start and licensed daycares for future placements.

Legal and placement guidance: The presentation referenced IDEA and Michigan Administrative Rules for special education, emphasizing that placement decisions should be based on the IEP and child need rather than parental preference. Grant told the board placements are determined through the IEP process and that the district must ensure teams include qualified staff and appropriate training (for example, school administrators, mental-health professionals and school resource officers for threat-assessment teams where required).

Program scale and supports: The presenter described current counseling and health-support metrics (for example, school-nurse and counselor workloads) and said the shift to 1755 is intended to broaden LRE opportunities for preschoolers while maintaining self-contained options for students who require a more restrictive environment.

"Placement is not a parent's choice; it's a decision guided by the IEP based on child need," Dan Grant said, describing how the district will use the IEP team to make placement determinations.

Next steps: Grant said staff have visited successful local 1755 programs and developed a plan tailored to Cedar Springs; administrators will proceed with hiring and training and will roll out services in coordination with Kent ISD training and community partners.

The presentation included data on early-childhood counseling lessons, small-group interventions, 504 plan caseloads and the district’s intent to maintain a continuum of services.