Special Education

The Mount Pleasant Area School District, in conjunction with Westmoreland Intermediate Unit #7 and other contracted services and agencies, puts forth maximum effort to provide appropriate services through a wide variety of programs for children identified as having special needs.  Various screening activities are conducted on an ongoing basis to identify students who may be eligible for these special education programs and services. These include: review of individual and group-based data (cumulative records, enrollment records, health records, report cards, ability and achievement test scores); hearing, vision, physical, and speech/language screening results; and review by the building level Multi-Disciplinary Team, when appropriate, to assist students in benefiting from regular educational programs to the fullest extent possible.  In the event that a student’s degree of need is such that specially designed instruction is required on an on-going basis, referral procedures exist to insure that students with special educational needs and strengths may be served appropriately.

The comprehensive programs and services provided include the following all at no cost to the parent or guardian.

  1. Identification procedures which include screening as well as in-depth, comprehensive educational evaluations.

  2. Provision of Individual Education Plans (IEP), based on the student’s eligibility, which are designed to yield meaningful educational benefits and progress for the individual student within the schools curriculum.

  3. Related services, such as Occupational and Physical Therapy, based on an identified need in order for the student to make meaningful progress in his/her individual educational plan.

The extent of special education services and the location for the delivery of such services are determined by the IEP team and are based on the student’s identified needs and abilities, chronological age, and the level of intensity of the specified intervention.  Regardless of the student’s disability, students are included in general education to the fullest extent appropriate.  

Parents are also an important part of the process of identifying disabled students.  Parents are asked to be involved at all steps in developing a program to meet the needs of individual students.  If you think that your child has a disability and needs specially designed instruction, you may contact the building principal or guidance counselor for further information or to discuss your child’s needs.

Currently, the District provides Learning Support and Life Skills Support services at all grade levels. The District also contracts with Westmoreland Intermediate Unit #7 to provide low incident support services, such as hearing and vision.  For more information about these services and others, please contact either:

Dr. Beth A. Hutson

Assistant Superintendent/LEA
Email Beth A. Hutson
724-547-4100, Ext. 6101 

Anna Hare

Coordinator of Special Education Services
Email Anna Hare
724-547-4100, Ext. 6930 

Christopher Holtzman

Certified School Psychologist
Email Christopher Holtzman
724.547.4100, Ext. 4112 

Becky Brown