Special Education

Welcome to the Special Education Page! 

As the Director of Student Services for the Mount Horeb Area School District, I am happy you are seeking information about our various services. Our Special Education Department developed this site to provide parents/guardians, caregivers, students, and community members with information regarding resources, activities, and services designed to help each student be  successful.

Our special education program is dependent upon a team approach whose goal is to provide quality services that meet the needs of individual students. Various special education programs touch the lives of all students including programming for early childhood, mental health support, health services, transition programming, and psychology services.

The vision for our special education department is to set high expectations for all students to achieve academic, social, and emotional competencies to become confident and productive members of society.

The mission of the Mount Horeb School District, in partnership with the community, is dedicated to nurturing, educating, and challenging all students; preparing and empowering them to be productive, responsible, and self-fulfilled members of society. The District commits to establishing and sustaining an equitable school community.

We are constantly working to ensure that students’ needs are at the forefront of decision-making. Our team provides services directly to students or indirectly through teachers, parents/guardians, administrators, school programs/activities, and community organizations.

Please reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Becca Johnson, Director of Student Services

Please visit our Transition Program website and explore both the Beyond 18 Program: A Guide to Services and the one-page overview to learn more.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Wisconsin State Statute Chapter 115, students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) until they earn a regular high school diploma or reach the maximum age of eligibility. In Wisconsin, the maximum age is defined as the end of the school term in which a student turns 21. If a student turns 21 before the start of a new school term, their eligibility ends the previous school year—based on the local school district calendar.

While most students with IEPs graduate with their peers, some may need additional time to meet state/local diploma requirements or IEP goals. In these cases, students remain eligible for special education services through age 21. IEP teams must thoughtfully plan how to support continued progress toward each student’s postsecondary goals in education, employment, training, and—when needed—independent living.

Collaboration is key to a successful transition to adulthood. As students move into Beyond 18 programming, IEP teams partner with families and outside agencies to create meaningful, individualized experiences. As outlined in the Beyond 18 Program: A Guide to Services and the accompanying one-page overview, programming for 18- to 21-year-olds is most effective when responsibility is shared among schools, families, and community partners.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Federal law concerning the education of students with disabilities, requires school to provide parents of a child with a disability with a notice containing a full explanation of the procedural safeguards available under the IDEA and U.S. Department of Education regulations.

Procedural Safeguards - English
Procedural Safeguards - Spanish

This is the notification of your rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding Medicaid billing.
Parental Notice for Medicaid Billing - English
Parental Notice for Medicaid Billing - Spanish

Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness activities designed to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities who may be in need of early intervention programs or special education as early as possible.
Child Find - English
Child Find - Spanish

Wisconsin's Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia and Related Conditions supports parents, guardians, teachers, and administrators in understanding dyslexia and related conditions. Written through a process described in 2019 Wisconsin Act 86, the Guidebook discusses: screening processes and tools available to identify dyslexia and related conditions; interventions and instructional strategies that have been shown to improve academic performance of pupils with dyslexia and related conditions; and resources and services related to dyslexia and related conditions that are available to students with dyslexia and related conditions, parents and guardians of pupils with dyslexia and related conditions, and educators.
Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia

This is a user-friendly handbook on special education laws, policies and practices in Wisconsin.
Special Education in Plain Language

A student must be a Wisconsin resident and must either have: (1) an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or services plan that is currently being implemented or (2) an IEP or services plan that was developed no earlier than September 15, 2020 and have not subsequently been determined to no longer have a disability.
Special Needs Scholarship Program

Upon request, the Mount Horeb Area School District is required to evaluate a child for eligibility for special education services. A request for evaluation is known as a referral.

The Mount Horeb School District Speech and Language team's mission is to provide collaborative, high quality, culturally competent speech and language services to qualifying students 3 through 21 that allow them to attain, keep or improve skills and functioning within their least restrictive environment.

Please visit our Transition Program website and explore both the Beyond 18 Program: A Guide to Services and the one-page overview to learn more.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Wisconsin State Statute Chapter 115, students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) until they earn a regular high school diploma or reach the maximum age of eligibility. In Wisconsin, the maximum age is defined as the end of the school term in which a student turns 21. If a student turns 21 before the start of a new school term, their eligibility ends the previous school year—based on the local school district calendar.

While most students with IEPs graduate with their peers, some may need additional time to meet state/local diploma requirements or IEP goals. In these cases, students remain eligible for special education services through age 21. IEP teams must thoughtfully plan how to support continued progress toward each student’s postsecondary goals in education, employment, training, and—when needed—independent living.

Collaboration is key to a successful transition to adulthood. As students move into Beyond 18 programming, IEP teams partner with families and outside agencies to create meaningful, individualized experiences. As outlined in the Beyond 18 Program: A Guide to Services and the accompanying one-page overview, programming for 18- to 21-year-olds is most effective when responsibility is shared among schools, families, and community partners.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Federal law concerning the education of students with disabilities, requires school to provide parents of a child with a disability with a notice containing a full explanation of the procedural safeguards available under the IDEA and U.S. Department of Education regulations.

Procedural Safeguards - English
Procedural Safeguards - Spanish

This is the notification of your rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding Medicaid billing.
Parental Notice for Medicaid Billing - English
Parental Notice for Medicaid Billing - Spanish

Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness activities designed to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities who may be in need of early intervention programs or special education as early as possible.
Child Find - English
Child Find - Spanish

Wisconsin's Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia and Related Conditions supports parents, guardians, teachers, and administrators in understanding dyslexia and related conditions. Written through a process described in 2019 Wisconsin Act 86, the Guidebook discusses: screening processes and tools available to identify dyslexia and related conditions; interventions and instructional strategies that have been shown to improve academic performance of pupils with dyslexia and related conditions; and resources and services related to dyslexia and related conditions that are available to students with dyslexia and related conditions, parents and guardians of pupils with dyslexia and related conditions, and educators.
Informational Guidebook on Dyslexia

This is a user-friendly handbook on special education laws, policies and practices in Wisconsin.
Special Education in Plain Language

A student must be a Wisconsin resident and must either have: (1) an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or services plan that is currently being implemented or (2) an IEP or services plan that was developed no earlier than September 15, 2020 and have not subsequently been determined to no longer have a disability.
Special Needs Scholarship Program

Upon request, the Mount Horeb Area School District is required to evaluate a child for eligibility for special education services. A request for evaluation is known as a referral.

The Mount Horeb School District Speech and Language team's mission is to provide collaborative, high quality, culturally competent speech and language services to qualifying students 3 through 21 that allow them to attain, keep or improve skills and functioning within their least restrictive environment.