Seaside School District spotlights expanded special-education services, transition program

Jenny Reisner, the district's director of special services, gave the Seaside School District board a broad overview of the district's special education continuum and new transition programming during the board's regular meeting.

"So students qualify for special ed if they have a disability," Reisner said, explaining the district's child-find procedures, evaluation planning meetings and individualized education plans. She told the board that services are available to children ages 3 through 21 and described a new specialized transition program for 18-to-21-year-olds that operates off campus.

Reisner outlined program models across the district: elementary learning centers, social-emotional and behavior centers, developmental programs and secondary co-teaching arrangements. She also described related services, including speech-language pathology, occupational and physical therapy, and autism consultation sourced through the Northwest Regional ESD. Reisner said the district aims to keep identification precise while ensuring students who qualify receive ‘‘FAPE, a free and appropriate public education.''

On funding, Reisner noted the district's special-education population hovers around 15% while the district is funded at roughly 11% for special education; the difference is covered from the general fund. She urged careful evaluation practices and offered to provide additional per-student cost comparisons to the board at the next meeting.