Special Education Services
The Bulloch County School System ensures the “life-long achievement of every child through effective and innovative teaching that meets the needs of individual learners,” including those with disabilities.
The Bulloch County Schools Special Education Program offers a broad continuum of services for students three (3) through twenty-one (21) years of age. Following a comprehensive assessment that may include a psychological evaluation, educational testing, speech-language assessment, audiological testing and other assessments, a student may be eligible to receive services in one or more of the identified categories.
Classes serving students with disabilities are located in elementary, middle, high schools, and psycho-educational centers. Delivery models for instruction include regular classroom, resource, self-contained, separate school, and home-based settings. All programs are not represented in every school. In these instances, students are assigned to a program nearest the home school and transportation is provided.
The Special Education Program is required to provide free, appropriate public education (FAPE)(PDF) as governed by the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Each eligible student must have an Individual Education Plan(IEP), which is developed by a team composed of teachers and other qualified school personnel, parents or guardians and the student, when appropriate. The IEP is revised when necessary and reviewed at least annually.
The State of Georgia requires that all students referred for Special Education Services must first go through the Pyramid of Intervention process. This means that interventions must be implemented and documented in the regular education setting before referral to Special Education. Parents and guardians are encouraged to contact their child’s home school or the Bulloch County Special Education Department at (912)-212-8580 for more information if they suspect that their child has a disability.
Public school services include screening in areas of suspected disabilities, such as vision, hearing, autism, motor skills, speech, language, and general development. Evaluations in the schools are provided for several areas of suspected disabilities, including learning disabilities, speech and language development, physical impairments, vision or hearing problems, intellectual impairments, emotional disturbances, autism/pervasive developmental disorders, health impairments, or traumatic brain injuries.
The Bulloch County Special Education Department strives to provide comprehensive support with the purpose of providing educational services to children with disabilities to meet their individual needs. The Department works interdependently and responsibly by providing assistance related to programming, conducting staff development workshops, assisting in the identification of personnel, providing feedback to teachers and assuring compliance with legal due process issues. The Department is committed to providing the assistance needed to ensure that children with disabilities are receiving the most appropriate services possible.
Are you interested in more information for families who have children and youth with disabilities? Parent to Parent of Georgia can provide this information as well as support, services, training and leadership opportunities. Call 912-489-1904 or visit the Parent to Parent Georgia (P2PGa) website.
Leslie Schlierf, Executive Director
Special Education Services
912.212.8581
Paula Jacobs, Assistant Director
Special Education Services
912.212.8586
Julie Mixon, Director
Special Education
912-212-8584
Nicole Deal, Secretary
912.212.8580
912.212.8609 (fax)
