Special Education

Free and Appropriate Education:

The Benton-Carroll-Salem Local School District provides free and appropriate educational services to all children with disabilities ages 3 - 21 residing within the school district, regardless of the severity of their disability. These services are provided in programs meeting rules adopted by the State Board of Education. Parents of children attending public, parochial, or private schools should contact Kelli May, Director of Student Services, if they suspect their child has a disability. The District also receives IDEA B funding from the State of Ohio. These funds are designated for special education purposes. Anyone with questions regarding these funds should contact the Office of Student Services at 419-898-6216 Ext. 2121.

A Guide to Parent's Rights in Special Education:

Parent Notice: B-C-S is required to provide procedural safeguards to parents of students receiving special education services at least once a year. This handbook outlines procedural safeguards and is a valuable resource for families. The most recent copy was published in April 2017 and can be accessed through this link: http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Special-Education/A-Guide-to-Parent-Rights-in-Special-Education/ODE_ParentRights_040617.pdf.aspx

Preschool Information:

The Benton-Carroll-Salem Local School District operates a public preschool program in cooperation with North Point Educational Service Center. This preschool class operates as an integrated program and includes preschoolers with disabilities. The preschool class offers half-day sessions Monday - Thursday. Morning sessions are scheduled from 8:45 am - 11:30 am and afternoon sessions are 1:00 pm to 3:45 pm. The classroom is located at the North Point Educational Service Center Graytown Building, 1661 N. Walker Street, Graytown.  Mrs. Gabriellia O'Donnell is the preschool teacher (go'donnell@npesc.org). Tuition is $160.00 per month and students must be 3 years old by August 31st to register. For additional information and any available openings, contact the B-C-S Board of Education Office at 419-898-6210.

Community Screening for Preschoolers:

The Benton-Carroll-Salem Local School District offers developmental screenings for preschoolers ages 3 - 5 years old. This developmental screening is held in January on a date TBD from 8:00 am to noon. The 90 minute assessment includes areas of speech, language, motor skills, social-emotional adjustment, adaptive behaviors, and concept knowledge. Please contact the Student Services office at (419) 898-6216 Ext. 2121 for additional information on future screening dates and times. The developmental screening is free to any Benton-Carroll-Salem resident.

Does your preschool child have a developmental delay?

Developmental screenings are available to preschool age children who are suspected of having a developmental delay. If your child is birth to 36 months old, contact the Ottawa County Help Me Grow offices at 419-898-0400. If your child is age 3 to 5 years, contact Mrs. Kelli May, Director of Student Services, at 419-898-6216 Ext. 2124.

Parent Notification of Scholarship Programs for Students with Disabilities:

Your child may be eligible for a scholarship under the Autism Scholarship Program or the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program to attend a special education program that implements the child's individualized education program and that is operated by an alternative public province or by a registered private provider. Information on scholarship programs are available from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) web site at this link Jon Peterson Special Needs and Autism Scholarships.

Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement:

The State of Ohio, the Governor, the Ohio Department of Education, and other state-level defendants to a class action lawsuit have reached a proposed settlement and have requested our District's assistance in informing students and parents of the proposed settlement. A link to the settlement is below. To be clear, our District is not a defendant in this lawsuit and is not accused of any wrongdoing in this lawsuit. We are sharing this information as a courtesy to the Ohio Department of Education and our community:  Class Action Settlement Link