Welcome to the Special Education Department of Celina City Schools,

Celina City Schools has adopted and implemented written procedures, approved by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), Office for Exceptional Children (OEC) to ensure that a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) is made available to all children with disabilities, ages three through twenty-one.  A referral process is in place to determine whether or not a child has a suspected disability. If you suspect your child may have a disability, please contact the administrator of your child's school, or callNancy Hartings, Special Education Director, at 419-586-8300; 585 E. Livingston St. Celina, Ohio 45822.

A student may be formally identified as having a disability through a multi-factored evaluation process. A team, comprised of school staff and the parent(s), determines eligibility for special education services based on assessment information, classroom observations, medical information, and developmental history of the child. Appropriate services are identified through the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process.

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Operating Standards for Ohio’s Schools Serving Children with Disabilities, a child may be identified under the following disabilities:
Autism
Cognitive Disability (Mental Retardation)
Deaf-Blindness
Developmental Delay
Emotional Disturbance
Hearing Impairment/Deafness
Multiple Disabilities
Orthopedic Impairment
Other Health Impairment
Specific Learning Disability
Speech or Language Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual Impairment

The Celina City Schools offers a number of services to students identified with disabilities, including:
Preschool Special Education Programs
School Psychological Services
Speech and Language Therapy Services
Occupational and Physical Therapy Services
A variety of supports and services for children with identified disabilities - Kindergarten thru Grade 12th

Whose IDEA is This?
(Procedural Safeguards)
[Accessible formats]
To request braille and/or large print electronic files, please contact Cheryl Boley at cboley@ossb.oh.gov or call (614) 644-8461.

Autism Scholarship Program (ASP) moves to the Office of Nonpublic Educational Options

On July 1, management of the Autism Scholarship Program (ASP) moved from the Office for Exceptional Children to the Office of Nonpublic Educational Options. The program, which began as a pilot in 2003, allows ODE to award scholarships to parents of qualified students with autism. The scholarships provide for the receipt of specialized services outlined in the child’s individualized education program through a special education program outside of the student’s district of residence.

ODE consultants Carolynn Head and Paul Sogan have served Ohio parents and students in the program since its inception. The new ASP contact is Lisa Huckins, who has been working with Head and Sogan to provide a seamless transition to those served by the program.

For more information about the ASP, please click here. Any mail, including applications for the program, should now be addressed to Lisa Huckins at ODE, 25 S. Front St., Mail Stop 309, Columbus, OH 43215. Questions may directed to her at lisa.huckins@ode.state.oh.us or (614) 466-5743.