Special Services Program - Overview
VISION AND PURPOSE
Our vision statement asserts (in part) that “our students understand that they are created by God as unique individuals with specific God-given talents, abilities, and purposes.” We believe that all students have God-given talents, abilities, and purposes. In alignment with this belief, we are committed to supporting students who learn differently, including those with learning differences and other challenges. While we do not offer a comprehensive special education program with a full continuum of services, we strive to provide meaningful support within the scope of our available resources. Recognizing our limitations in budget and staffing, we nonetheless seek to partner with Christian families who have students with learning differences. To that end, we have established the following Special Services Program.
PROGRAM LIMITATIONS
The primary objective of Longview Christian School is to provide a Biblically-based education for Christian families. While we seek to support students with learning differences as we are able, our program is not designed to address all types of learning needs.
Despite our desire to welcome all types of learners at Longview Christian School, we are limited in the scope of services we can provide. We are not currently equipped to work with students who:
- Have severe physical or cognitive disabilities that require highly specialized support;
- Require assistive equipment or technology that we do not currently have or have the resources to purchase;
- Exhibit persistent behavioral challenges that continue despite reasonable accommodations, resulting in significant classroom disruptions or an inability to exercise self-control that places an undue burden on school staff—even when such behavior is related to a diagnosed disability;
- Need continuous one-on-one assistance throughout the school day.
Out of care and concern for students and their families, we are committed to honesty and transparency regarding the support we are able to provide. The final decision regarding a student’s eligibility for special services—and whether the school can meet the student's needs—will be made by the Special Services Program Coordinator in consultation with the Principal.
We currently have a small staff providing special services and a small amount of space to house the program. These restrictions require limits on the number of students who may be in the program. The final decision regarding program enrollment capacity will be made by the Special Services Program Coordinator in consultation with the Principal.
While we do not implement Individualized Education Plans or Section 504 Plans created by public schools, we will review such plans in order to provide an honest assessment of whether we can meet your child’s needs. Each student enrolled in our Special Services Program will receive an Individualized Learning Plan created by the Program Coordinator in collaboration with parents and teachers. This plan will take into account the student’s diagnosis, prior accommodations, and current needs to provide meaningful support and growth.