Aug 20
11
New School Year Letter to KPBSD Special Education Families
August 11, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) is committed to turn challenges into opportunities, and ensure that every student with a disability will have access to their peers as well as core instruction, curriculum, and learning. With the opening of the 2020-2021 school year, we want you to be reassured that KPBSD learned through the experiences from this past spring, and there will be increased rigor and accountability with service delivery and instruction for all learners, including students with disabilities.
KPBSD Student Support Services is preparing and planning to provide an excellent education to our students with Individual Education Programs (IEPs) when school opens in August. With this comes increased measures to ensure the health and safety for all students and staff. The spring of 2020 raised a challenge that no one was prepared for when COVID19 closed schools to students. We acknowledge that emergency remote learning was implemented with varying degrees of success throughout our school district, the state, and country.
Now more than ever, communication and collaboration between teachers, parents and students is vital. To that end, please note:
- We will continue to encourage meeting options that reduce exposure and risks
- Meetings should be held via video conferencing (Zoom or Skype) or telephonically
- Staff will reach out to you to determine the best way for your student’s meetings to occur
- Your student’s special education case manager, in partnership with you, will construct a remote learning plan that will address service delivery, accommodations, related services and supports in order to help your child make progress towards their IEP goals
Our school district has a long history of turning challenges into opportunities. Successfully educating over 8,800 students distributed amongst 42 schools of varying grade level configurations and enrollment, six different school calendars, and spread across 25,600 square miles, encompassing 17 distinct communities (of which four are fly in only) is one example of how KPBSD overcomes challenges.
Plans will account for changes in education delivery modes if COVID19 risk levels change to high in communities or schools, and as we navigate the 2020-2021 school year. If you believe an IEP meeting is necessary, please reach out and communicate this with your child’s school team. We are here for you.
Together, we each must acknowledge that this school year will be different from any school year in the past. Together, as partners, we will help set students and staff up for a successful school year. KPBSD will work closely with our families and students, in order to meet their individual and unique needs. By becoming even more resilient, creative, and flexible in this time of uncertainty, we are confident that each of us can and will navigate through this global pandemic, and most importantly, quality education and support for our students with disabilities will occur.
It is our intent, desire, and mission to support our students and families. If you need more information or have questions or concerns, kindly contact your school team or Student Support Services office at 907-714-8881.
Kind regards,
Amy Hagen, Director of Student Support Services, together with the Student Support Services Administrative Team
