The Kittery Special Services Department's mission is to ensure equal access
to education and to promote educational excellence throughout grades K-12.

Special Services/504 

JANE DURGIN, DIRECTOR    
Sarah Lane, Administrative Assistant III          
Sarah Owens, Administrative Assistant II   

for Section 504 Handbook
for Staff, Parents, and Students
(March 2019)

Parental Notice Regarding Restraint and Seclusion of Students
The Kittery School Committee has adopted a policy/procedure JKAA/JKAA-R addressing Restraint and Seclusion of Students.  The policy/procedure can be accessed below, in school offices and the Superintendent's Office.  In addition to the policy, we have posted a two-page explanation of what the restraint and seclusion rules in Maine mean to you.  Any parent with questions about the policy/procedure should discuss the issue with a building principal, the Special Services Director or Superintendent.


Special Education
"Special Education" means specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities, as defined by the commissioner, including: (a) Instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions and in other settings; and (b) Instruction in physical education. (MSSR 20-A 7001.5)

Section 504
Section 504 is part of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was enacted by Congress to combat discrimination against individuals with disabilities in services, programs and activities administered by any entity that received federal funds, including public schools.  

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (F.E.R.P.A) is the guideline governing the manner in which student records are maintained and supervised.  It ensures that students and parents of students have access to their official records.

Evaluation
An individual evaluation means any procedures, tests, or assessments, including observations, given individually to your child to find out whether he or she has a disability and/or to identify his or her special needs.  The term does not include basic tests given to groups of children in a school, grade or class.

Individualized Education Plan
The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a written document that describes the educational plan designed to meet your child's individual needs.  Every child who receives special education must have an IEP.  






Resource Links    





504 Parent/Student Handbook

Notice of Procedural Safeguards



Important Info

Destruction of Records

The school department destroys educational records of it's special education students at the end of the school year in which the student would turn 26 years old.  Parents or adult students wishing to obtain these records should contact the Special Services Department at that time.  The school department shall maintain permanently a record of a student's name, address, phone number, grades, attendance record, classes attended, grade level completed, and year completed. 

Please contact the Special Services Department (475-1331) if you have any questions.