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Evaluations, Programs & Services

The Kent School District offers evaluations, programs and services to individuals who are identified as having, or who are suspected of having, a disability as defined in either the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA), or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Referrals are accepted from parents, staff members, community agencies, and/or other interested parties.

The IDEIA is a federal special education law that requires school districts to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to eligible special education students between the ages of three to twenty-one. FAPE means special education and related services are provided as necessary for children to benefit from their education. These services will be provided to students in the least restrictive environment as described in an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Chapter 392-172A of the Washington Administration Code (WAC) contains the policies and procedures, including sanctions, used by Washington State to ensure that its policies and procedures are followed and that the requirements of IDEIA are met. A notice of procedural safeguards must be given one time each year to the parents of the student eligible for special education, and:

• The first time your child is referred or a parent requests an evaluation.
• The first time the District receives a state complaint or due process hearing complaint in a school year.
• When a decision is made to remove a student for more than ten (10) school days and that removal constitutes a change of placement.
• Upon request by a parent/adult student.

A copy of the “Notice of Special Education Procedural Safeguards for Students and Their Families” will be provided to each family of any student eligible for special education services during the annual IEP meeting.

You may also access the Procedural Safeguards Notice on the Kent School District’s website. Parents are encouraged to check this web page or contact the staff of the Kent School District as your first source for more information about your child’s education.

Direct any questions to your child’s general or special education teacher, the school principal, or to the central staff of the District’s Inclusive Education Team.

Public Participation

Locally determined strategies for providing  opportunities  for  participation  in  planning  may include the use of surveys, questionnaires, community forums, interagency planning meetings, and other civic meetings. Any application and any required policies, procedures, evaluations, plans, or reports will be made readily available to parents and other members   of the public through the Kent School District Inclusive (Special) Education Team and the Superintendent’s office.

Child Find

Kent School District has a duty to locate, evaluate and identify children, aged birth through twenty-one (21) that have a disability, are not currently receiving special education and related services, and who may be eligible for those services. All severities and conditions of disability are included.

Therefore, Kent School District has a special education Child Find program to locate all children with suspected disabilities who are residents of the District and have not graduated from high school. Child Find activities are intended to reach:

• Children below school-entry age.
• Children entering school for the first time.
• Children currently enrolled in public schools who have a disability and may need special education services even though they are advancing from grade to grade.
• Highly mobile children (such as homeless and migrant children).
• Children who are home schooled within the district, or enrolled in private schools and preschools, including religious schools.

Upon request, Kent School District will schedule screenings for any child to determine whether a special education evaluation is appropriate. Appointments for scheduling screenings can be made by contacting the Inclusive Education office.

The Kent School District Inclusive Education Team can be reached by telephone at (253) 373-7513 or email at ChildFind@kent.k12.wa.us, and is located at 12033 SE 156th Street A-400, Kent, WA 98030-6643.