Status of Special Education Services in Gill-Montague

March 20, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians/Caregivers,

On behalf of the Gill-Montague Regional School District, I hope you and your family are safe and doing as best as possible given this evolving health crisis. We understand that the recent public health mandated district closures have been extremely challenging for all families and particularly complex for families of students with disabilities. We appreciate your collaboration and support as we navigate this difficult time as a school community.  Listed below are Frequently Asked Questions that are being discussed among the district leadership team, with special education directors around the state, and with our State Department of Education.

IEP Meetings/Evaluations in Process
IEP meetings will be rescheduled. At some point in the future, we may resume by holding remote participation meetings. You will be notified by your student’s special education team leader or administrator about scheduling options. Gill-Montague Schools, along with other districts in the Commonwealth, will pause evaluation, referral, annual review, and plan distribution timelines for all students on IEPs and 504s. This means that as soon as schools reopen, the timelines will commence, as required by state and federal regulations. Additionally, at that time we will be working with families to understand the impact of the closure on individual students and will work to schedule/reschedule meetings as needed.

Special Education Referrals/Initial Eligibility
Gill-Montague Schools, along with other schools in the Commonwealth, will freeze evaluation, referral, and plan distribution timelines for all students in a referral cycle. This means that as soon as schools reopen, the timelines will commence as required by state and federal regulations.

Special Education Services
During school closures, the Gill-Montague Schools will follow the Department of Education Guidance issued March 2020. The district encourages students to remain engaged while school is not in session and to that end schools will provide suggestions and learning resources for enrichment activities. These enrichment learning opportunities are not considered instruction and teachers, special education team members and counselors may remain in touch with students and families to check in on students, and to offer support and guidance as needed. Although there is no obligation for students to engage in the enrichment activities, we do encourage participation as we do think it will benefit your student and support retention of skills.

Once school reopens, the Gill-Montague Schools will resume providing special education and related services to children in accordance with the child’s IEP. If special education services cannot be provided once school reopens, teams will make individual determinations regarding the impact of the absence of services and determine additional services or next steps.

Home Services
Home services and assessments will not occur during school closures. Additionally, once school reopens, our ability to send staff or contracted service providers into homes is contingent upon staff and student health and wellness in accordance with state and CDC guidelines, protocols to limit activities within the community, or availability of home service providers. If home services cannot be provided once school reopens, teams will make individual determinations regarding the impact of the absence of services and determine additional services or next steps.

Out-of-District Day and Residential Placements
For students in out-of-district day or residential placements, Gill-Montague Schools will follow the attendance recommendations of the individual out-of-district school or facility. If your student’s out-of-district school closes, the Gill-Montague Schools will not provide interim educational and/or special education services.

Home Hospital Tutoring
Once school resumes, for students who may have medical or health issues and are physically unable to come to school as a result of COVID-19, the district will follow our process with regard to Home and Hospital Tutoring. This applies to students who will miss 14 or more school days as a result of being physically unable to come to school due to a health or medical issue. A physician’s statement is required to initiate this process. If this situation applies to your child, please contact the Pupil Services Office.

Communications
As there is much uncertainty and our district offices are closed to the public we are encouraging our teachers, staff, and families to utilize electronic communication as much possible. We will regularly post updates on our website, share resources, and do our best to support one another during this time. Our district and school websites can be accessed at http://gmrsd.org/.

The Pupil Services Office is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for students and continues to closely monitor COVID-19 and its impact on student learning and social emotional needs. We acknowledge that this situation is difficult and appreciate your commitment to the health of your family.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Dianne M. Ellis, CAGS
Pupil Services Director
Dianne.Ellis@gmrsd.org