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Student Services

Section 504 Accommodations

  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal civil rights statute prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability. It specifically prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities and guarantees them a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Every entity, including public and independent schools, that receives federal funding, directly or indirectly is subject to the requirements of Section 504. There is no federal or state funding provided to assist schools in complying with Section 504; all costs are the obligation of the general school district or independent school budget.
  • Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability which is defined in the Rehabilitation Act as a failure to provide students with disabilities the same opportunity to benefit from educational programs, services, or activities as provided to their nondisabled peers. This means that districts/schools must make programs and activities accessible as well as the buildings and grounds. As a civil rights statute, Section 504 focuses on ensuring a level of access to educational services (including both academic and extracurricular activities) that is equal to the level of access provided to non-disabled students. This includes providing eligible students who have a physical or mental disability with a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
  • 34 C.F.R. §§104.7 and 104.8 require schools to notify parents and others that the school does not discriminate on the basis of handicap; the school’s notice shall identify the responsible employee designated to coordinate compliance with Section 504 and of the availability of a grievance procedure to address complaints regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
  • If you have questions about Section 504 eligibility for students, or need to discuss a grievance procedure, please contact WNESU District 504 Coordinator Shelley Wilson (shelley.wilson@wnesu.com)


 

Section 504 District Contact Information

Rockingham School District

Central Elementary School: Kate Kane, Principal, 802-463-4346

Saxtons River Elementary School: Laura Hazard, Principal, 802-869-2637

Bellows Falls Middle School: Henry Bailly, Principal, 802-463-4366

 

Bellows Falls Union High School District

Bellows Falls Union High School: Kelly O’Ryan, Principal, 802-460-1427
 

Westminster Town School District

Westminster Center School: Elizabeth Harty, Principal, 802-722-3241
 

Athens-Grafton School District

Grafton Elementary School: Angela Cartier, Principal, 802-843-2496
 

Windham Northeast Supervisory Union

Early Education Center: Jennifer Keenan, Principal, 802-460-1427

WNESU Section 504 Coordinator: Shelley Wilson, 802-463-9958

Human Resources: Maggie Brooks, 802-463-9958


 

School-wide Academic Support (Title I)

  • BFMS receives Title I/ Consolidated Federal Grant (CFG) aid. These funds are used to provide academic assistance to students who are identified as at-risk or unable to meet the state’s content and performance standards in math and literacy. Please see district link for more information WNESU Federal Funding Support (Title I) Information

 

Special Education

  • In accordance with federal laws and Vermont state statutes, BFMS provides a full spectrum of educational services and accommodations to eligible students with disabilities. Special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and related service providers work in consultation with general educators to deliver specialized services in the least restrictive environment. These services are articulated in an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) plan that is developed with the family and may include individualized programming, specialized instruction with assignments, or classroom accommodations.

 

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in WNESU

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (referred to as MTSS) is a systemic approach to decision-making for excellence and equity within a culture of continuous improvement that focuses on successful outcomes for all students. This systemic approach:

  • Supports the collaboration of all adults to meet the academic, behavioral, social and emotional needs of all students,
  • Provides a layered system of high-quality, evidence-based instruction, intervention, and assessment practices that are matched to student strengths and needs,
  • Relies on the effective and timely use of meaningful data,
  • Helps districts and their schools organize resources to accelerate the learning of every student, and
  • Engages and develops the collective expertise of educators, students, family and community partnerships.

WNESU schools comply with 16 V.S.A. § 2902 by ensuring that each school in our district  maintains a tiered system of academic and behavioral supports for the purpose of providing all students with the opportunity to succeed or to be challenged in the general education environment.

Universal Supports

Educators often refer to Tier 1 supports as “universal” because they are provided to every student. Strong Tier 1 practices are essential for strengthening school climate, relationships, and classroom instruction. Examples of Tier 1 supports include: 

  • High-quality core instruction.
  • Embedding social-emotional learning into curriculum and assessment.
  • Cultivating a positive and inclusive school climate.

Many school districts create Tier 1 school climate teams or embed Tier 1 supports into school improvement planning.

Targeted Supports

Tier 2 supports are targeted, additional interventions delivered to students who are not responding to Tier 1 supports. Typically, around 15 to 20% of students will receive Tier 2 support, which are often given in small group settings.

WNESU Schools convene MTSS School-level and CARES (Coordination, Assessment, Response, Education) teams to identify at-risk students who need more targeted support and use data from multiple domains to determine appropriate interventions.

Intensive  Supports

Tier 3 supports refer to intensive services that 1 to 5% of students receive if they continue to struggle and require even more individualized intervention or +support. It is also for students who are undergoing more of an acute challenge. 

 

Educational Support Teams (EST Teams)

An EST is a collaborative team that has regularly scheduled meetings at the school level and is a statutory requirement under 16 V.S.A. §2902.  EST meetings are part of the WNESU MTSS continuum of student support and parent/guardian/family participation is a vital component of the process.  

EST meetings have shared agendas, identified roles for participants, and norms to ensure that they are safe, ordered, and productive. The EST has an effective process for documenting discussion and all decisions made in the meetings. School EST includes an administrator, teachers, a school psychologist, school counselor(s), parents/guardians, a social worker, and other staff with behavioral and/or academic expertise. 

The EST relies on student data. This data may refer to a student’s academic progress, school behavior, or both. Student referrals may be brought to the team through a referral process or the team may use screening assessments to identify students who might need additional support. Student data is also used to determine the effectiveness of interventions.

WNESU EST teams should consider the following when developing interventions: 

  • An EST plan is typically intended to address a clearly defined concern – one that is measurable.
  • The EST plan includes the current level of performance, the desired change, and a schedule for review. 
  • The plan should clearly define what will be done, by whom, where, and when.
  • The plan should address ways to enhance the capacity of the general classroom to support/accommodate the student.
  • Review dates should be frequent, typically from 4 to 8 school weeks.
  • If the student is not showing adequate progress when the plan is reviewed, consider changing the plan. 

Restraint and Seclusion

  • State Board Rule 4500: The purposes of State Board Rule 4500 are to create and maintain a positive and safe learning environment in schools; promote positive behavioral interventions and supports in schools; and ensure that students are not subjected to the inappropriate use of restraint or seclusion. Annually, at or before the beginning of the academic year, each school (defined in 4500.3(10) shall inform all school personnel and parents of students enrolled in the school of the policies pertaining to the use of physical restraint and seclusion and the intent to emphasize the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports and its intention to avoid the use of physical restraint or seclusion to address targeted student behavior. This is also a reminder to make sure all staff receive adequate training and support for de-escalation strategies and personal safety as alternatives to the use of restraint and seclusion. Learn more about Restraint and Seclusion in Schools.

 

Education for Homeless Children and Youth

  • Vermont's Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program ensures that students experiencing homelessness have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education provided to other Vermont children, with the opportunity to meet the same challenging State academic standards. The EHCY program is authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, and seeks to identify and address the challenges that children and youth experiencing homelessness may face in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school.

 

McKinney-Vento Definition of Homeless [42 U.S.C. §11434(a)(2)]

The term “homeless children and youth” means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youths who:

  • Share the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason
  • Live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations
  • Live in emergency or transitional shelters
  • Are abandoned in hospitals
  • Have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not normally used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
  • Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings
  • Are migratory and qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described in the above situations

 

Rights of Eligible Children and Youth

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act guarantees educational rights and supports for students experiencing homelessness. In general, McKinney-Vento eligible students have a right to:

  • Equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including public preschool education, as is provided to other children and youth [42 U.S.C. §11431(1)
  • Immediate enrollment, even when records normally required for enrollment are not present [42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(3)(C)]
  • Remain in the school of origin, if it is in the student’s best interest, in order to maintain educational stability [42 U.S.C. §11432 (g)(3)(A)]
  • Access all educational and related services for which they are eligible [42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(6)(A)(iii)], including Title I services and free school meals
  • Full participation in school, which may include participation in extracurricular activities [42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(1)(F)(iii)]
  • Transportation, provided by the LEA, to and from the school of origin [42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(1)(J)(iii)]


If you are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, please contact our WNESU District Liaison, Shelley Wilson, at 802-460-1492.