Special Education

Humphreys County Schools

Special Education Department

Special Education Director: Jan Walls

Office: 931-296-2568 ext. 2230

Email: wallsj@hcss.org

Welcome to the Humphreys County Schools' Special Education Department! Please have a look around and feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns!

The Humphreys County Department of Special Education works with families, teachers, and community resources in order to ensure that all students are served within the least restrictive environment and to ensure that all students are provided with the opportunity to engage in the curriculum and to receive the accommodations and modifications they need in order to be successful at school and in life.

Child Find

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 20 U.S. Code § 1412(3)(a), all children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated and a practical method is developed and implemented to determine which children with disabilities are currently receiving needed special education and related services. The special education process as well as the referral process are outlined below. If you feel you need to make a referral, please speak to the special education staff at your child's school, or feel free to contact the Special Education Department at the Humphreys County Board of Education via the contact information on this page (see Special Education Department Contacts below).

The Special Education Process

Completion of the referral packet (see Special Education files) acts as a referral for Special Education Assessment. Following receipt of the completed packet by the School Psychologist and review of enclosed information, a meeting will be schedule with the team in order to discuss need for assessment. It is required that the legal guardian be in attendance at the meeting in order to participate in the decision making process.

Required team members are as follows: Parent/Legal Guardian, LEA Representative, General Education teacher, Special Education teacher, and an Assessment Specialist (School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, etc., as appropriate), and sometimes the student (when appropriate) or other agency representatives (as appropriate). At the time of this initial meeting, additional documents may be requested from the team and additional checklists may be provided to team members for completion.

In the event that assessment is recommended by the team, the assessment period will be no greater that 60 calendar days from the time Initial Consent for Eligibility Evaluation is signed. Following the assessment period (60 day max.), another meeting will be held to discuss assessment results, special education eligibility, and to create an IEP, if eligibility criteria are met. Parent presence is required at this meeting as well.

Special Education Referral

Anyone can make a referral for special education assessment: parents, teachers, principal, assistance principal, etc. The process is as follows:

If you have concerns that a student may be in need of evaluation for special education eligibility, please first contact the special education teacher/department within your school building (contacts are listed below).

At that point, the special education teacher will discuss your concerns and help you decide if an official referral is appropriate at this time. In the event that a referral is appropriate, the special education teacher will provide the child's teacher with the Referral for Special Education Assessment packet (see Special Education files), which will be completed and returned to the special education teacher.

Once the referral packet is completed, it will be given to the School Psychologist who will review it and coordinate with the special education teacher, parent, and other required team members, in order to plan a meeting to discuss need for assessment and make decisions. Parents will always be provided with 10 days notice of meetings.

In the event that permission to test is signed at this meeting, the assessment period is 60 calendar days (max.) at the end of which time special education eligibility will be determined and an IEP (Individual Education Plan) will be developed, if eligibility criteria are met.

Please feel free to call the special education department at the Humphreys County Board of Education with any questions or concerns in regard to the process. Thank you!

Destruction of Special Education Records

Special Education records (including IEPs and Psychological Evaluations) are kept at the Humphreys County Board of Education for 5 years following a student's graduation (after special education services end). These records may be useful when applying for Social Security benefits, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, College, etc. Each year, the general public will be notified via an add in the local newspaper when records are to be destroyed. Contact information is provided in order for records to be accessed or obtained prior to disposal. To access special education records that are still archived at the Board of Education, please contact the special education department via the contacts listed below.

Special Education Department Contacts:

Jan Walls, Special Education Supervisor

P: 931-296-2568 ext. 2230

F: 931-296-6501 ATTN: Jan Walls

E: wallsj@hcss.org

Abby Basey, Special Education Secretary/ EasyIEP Administration

P: 931-296-2568 ext. 2229

F: 931-296-6501 ATTN:Abby Basey

E: baseya@hcss.org

Kristie Scott, Testing Facilitator

P: 931-296-2568 ext. 2239

F: 931-296-6501 ATTN: Kristie Scott

E: scottk@hcss.org

Mindy Winters, School Psychologist

P: 931-296-2568

F: 931-296-6501 ATTN: Mindy Winters

E: wintersm@hcss.org

Lakeview Elementary Special Education Department

LES Office Phone: 931-535-2513

-Beau Griffith

-Margaret Hing

Waverly Elementary Special Education Department

WES Office Phone: 931-296-2371

-Cortney Buchanan

-Sonya Long

-Alexis Powell

Waverly Junior High Special Education Department

WJHS Office Phone: 931-296-4514

-Karalee Sternberg

-Lisa Mathews

-Missy Mancz

Waverly Central High School Special Education Department

WCHS Office Phone: 931-296-3911

-Jim Byrum

-Debbie Eilers

-Trevor Warren

McEwen Elementary Special Education Department

MES Office Phone: 931-582-6913

-Amy Bunch

-Penny Clark

-Tawana Stinson

McEwen Middle Special Education Department

MMS Office Phone: 931-582-8417

-Lisa Miller

-Tanya Tidwell

McEwen High School Special Education Department

MHS Office Phone:6950

-Gary Moore

Homebound/Alternative School Placement

Mary Beth Dean

District Wide Reading Specialist

Megan Odle

District Wide Therapists

Thomasine Hill, Speech-Language Pathologist

Rita Scarborough, Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant

Monica Spann, Speech-Language Pathologist

Susan Warren, Physical Therapist

Karen Webster, Occupational Therapist