Cowlitz County Superintendents and Special Education Directors have been working with ESD to establish a "Day Treatment Center" in Cowlitz County. This will provide much needed services for highly impacted K-8 students who we currently send to Firgrove, 49th Street, and other programs in Oregon. It will be a huge benefit to our students as the aformentioned programs are at capacity and it is very diffucult to place students in them.
In order for ESD to provide these services they must be formally requested by school districts. Below is the text of a memo that ESD has requested be signed by our board chair formally requesting services.
To: Board of Directors of Educational Service District 112
From: Boards of Directors for the Castle Rock, Kalama, Kelso, Longview, Woodland
and Toutle School Districts (Cowlitz Districts)
Re: Request for Services – Cowlitz Day Treatment Program
Date: January 26, 2016
This is a written request to the ESD to develop and operate a day treatment program in Cowlitz County for the direct provision of special education and related services to students in our Districts that have behavior disorders or similar challenges. The request is made in accordance with RCW 28A.310.200(7), and is in follow-up to the discussions that have been ongoing for over a year regarding options to better meet the educational needs of our students.
As Superintendent Susie Barker explained to you at your November 2015 Board meeting, the Districts would like ESD 112 to develop and operate a day treatment program in Cowlitz County. ESD 112 provides special education and related services in school districts across the state. We have a critical need in Cowlitz County for day treatment services for some of our most challenged and vulnerable students, who are eligible for special education and related services in a day treatment setting. The ESD is best suited to develop and operate a day treatment program that delivers special education to our students.
The day treatment program will provide critical education services in Cowlitz County and it will support the effective and efficient operation of our Districts. As individual districts we do not have sufficient student needs or resources to deliver the services. Collectively, in partnership with ESD 112 as the service provider, we can improve educational opportunities for students and better meet the needs of our Districts.
The Districts are committed to working with the ESD to ensure the program is a success and financially sustainable. Thank you for considering and acting upon this request. We look forward to a long and successful partnership, which we understand will be memorialized through the execution of an Interlocal Agreement.
President, Castle Rock School Board
President, Kalama School Board
President, Kelso School Board
President, Longview School Board
President, Woodland School Board
President, Toutle School Board
Administrative Recommendation /MOTION/ "I move we request that the ESD provide Day Treatment Program Services in Cowlitz County"