Special Education

With your permission, the school district will be able to seek partial reimbursement for services provided by Medicaid. Each year, the district will provide you with notification regarding your permission; you do not need to sign a form every year.

How do Medicaid and Illinois Schools Work Together?

The state of Illinois participates in a federal program called Medicaid School-based Services. This program helps school districts by allowing them to receive reimbursement for medical services provided to students. School districts frequently utilize this medicaid reimbursement to help meet the costs of providing services.

What services does medicaid cover?

-Occupational Therapy

-Physical Therapy

-Nursing Services

-Speech/Language Services

-Phychological Services

-Social Work Services

-Audiology Services

-Special Transportation

-School Health Aides

-Screenings/Evaluations

Why Does the District Need Parental Consent?

Federal law requires school districts to seek parental consent prior to submitting bills for reimbursement from public insurers such as Medicaid. The school district is required to obtain your written permission to release information to Medicaid before the district can submit information for billing purposes.

Is There Any Cost to Me?

No. Services provided to a student within a school setting are provided at no cost to the parent/guardian.

Availability of Related Service Logs

Students with disabilities may receive related services as part of their IEPs. Grass Lake School District #36 will maintain related services logs that record the type and number of minutes of the related service(s) administered to students. Copies of any related service logs will be available to parents/guardians at their request.

Notice Regarding Students with Disabilities

Notice Regarding Students with Disabilities: House Bill 5770, which became law on August 28, 2018, requires that, students with disabilities who do not qualify for an IEP may qualify for services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if the child: (i) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (ii) has a record of a physical or mental impairment; or (iii) is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment. To learn more about Section 504, please visit: Civil Right/Section 504

504 Parents Rights in Brief

Meeting Attendees

HB1366: Provides that a school shall provide written notice to the parents or guardian of a child with disabilities that the parents or guardian have the right to have an individualized education program (IEP) advocate present at any meeting regarding the child’s current or prospective individualized education program and that the parents or guardian have the right to ask for an IEP facilitator for the child’s IEP. Provides that the school may provide the written notification as a part of other provided documentation, including, but not limited to, admission and enrollment documents.

Interpretation & Translation Services

You have the right to request that the school district provide an interpreter for your IEP meeting. You have the right to request that the interpreter serve no other role in the IEP meeting other than as an interpreter, and the school district should make reasonable efforts to fulfill this request. If you believe that the school district unreasonably denied your request for an interpreter who serves no other role in the IEP meeting, you have all rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Article 14 of the School Code. These rights include a due process hearing, State complaint, mediation, ISBE monitoring, and by filing a complaint with the office for Civil Rights.

You have the right to written Translations of vital IEP documents. You can contact Donna Plath for any questions or complaints about interpretation and/or translation services.

PUNS is a database of Illinois children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities who want or need developmental disability services. The PUNS database helps the Division of Developmental Disabilities identify and plan for your services. Registering in PUNS is the first and most important step you and your family can take to receive Home and Community Based Waiver services from the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Developmental Disabilities.

Parents who need help understanding the PUNS database, the steps needed to register students, how to contact the appropriate developmental disabilities Independent Service Coordination Agency (ISC), and the documentation and information parents/guardians will need for the registration process, may contact Mrs. Donna Plath for assistance. dplath@gls36.org

Grass Lake School District #36 provides a full continuum of services to meet the needs of students between the ages of 3 and 14 who experience educational challenges and are found eligible for special education services including occupational and physical therapy, social work programs and educational supports and speech and language pathology services. Students can be referred for an evaluation by their parents, their teacher, or any other concerned adult. If a parent feels his/her child needs special services and is not receiving them, the child’s teacher or principal should be contacted.

Student Services

Mrs. Donna Plath