Lemont High School Hosts Public Forum on Educational Placements for Students with Disabilities

Lemont High School District 210 will host a public forum April 3 concerning educational placement decisions for students with disabilities.

The forum will be conducted by representative from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and is open to all residents who live within District 210’s attendance boundaries.

Based on data provided by the district, ISBE selected District 210 for a focused monitoring review of the educational placement options where its students with disabilities receive their education. The forum—which will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the District 210 Board Room, and is expected to last approximately one hour—is one component of that review.

Focused monitoring helps ensure that school districts follow appropriate procedures in making educational placement decisions for students with disabilities. “Educational placement” refers to the setting or location where a student with a disability receives his/her education.

The forum’s facilitators will include both an ISBE team leader and a parent of a child with a disability who will seek input from District 210 stakeholders concerning placement decisions for students who receive special education services. Attendees will be afforded the opportunity to share their experiences and contribute feedback about how the district collaborates with parents/guardians to determine how and where students with disabilities are educated.

District 210 officials said input will enhance the educational opportunities Lemont High School is able to provide for all students, regardless of ability. Comments shared by attendees will be reviewed and considered by the ISBE team leader. All information gathered during the focused monitoring process
will be anonymous and reviewed collectively.

At the conclusion of the focused monitoring review, the ISBE team leader will provide District 210 administrators with a report, which may include recommendations regarding the procedures and practices for making educational placements.

Individuals who will need a specific accommodation at the forum, including an interpreter or a translator, should contact Lemont High School Director of Special Education Services Christi Flores at 630-243-3227 no later than Tuesday, March 27.

Individuals who are unable to attend the forum may receive the information that will be provided at the event, as well as the chance to participate in the focused monitoring process, by visiting Lemont High School’s Web site and clicking on the “Educational Placements” banner on the right side of the home page. Located on that page is a document that includes the information that will be presented at the forum, as well as a link to a survey through which input may be provided.

For more information about the public forum or any aspect of the focused monitoring review, contact ISBE’s Paula Powers at 312-814-5560, or visit www.lhs210.net.