All responsible public agencies are required to locate, evaluate, and identify children with disabilities who are under the jurisdiction of the agency, regardless of the severity of the disability, including children attending private schools, highly mobile children, such as migrant and homeless children, and children who are suspected of having a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade.

The school districts comprising the Exceptional Child Education Cooperative assure that they will provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 under its jurisdiction. Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, hearing impairment and deafness, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairments, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment/blindness and young child with a developmental delay.

The school districts comprising the Exceptional Child Education Cooperative assure that they will provide information and referral services necessary to assist the State in the implementation of early intervention services for infants and toddlers eligible for the Missouri First Steps program.

The school districts comprising the Exceptional Child Education Cooperative assure that personally identifiable information collected, used, or maintained by the agency for the purposes of identification, evaluation, placement or provision of FAPE of children with disabilities may be inspected and/or reviewed by their parents/guardians. Parents/guardians may request amendments to the educational record if the parent/guardian believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of their child. Parents have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning alleged failures by the district to meet the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The school districts comprising the Exceptional Child Education Cooperative have developed a Local Compliance Plan for the implementation of State Regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This plan contains the agency’s policies and procedures regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention and destruction of personally identifiable information and the agency’s assurances that services are provided in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA). This plan may be reviewed at your local school district during regular school hours on days school is in session in the Office of the Superintendent of Schools

All School Districts which are members of the Exceptional Child Education Cooperative assure they will comply with the requirements of this notice. Member districts are: Cabool R-IV, Eminence R-I, Green Forest R-II, Houston R-1, Licking R-VIII, Norwood R-I, Oak Hill R-I, Phelps Co. R-III, Plato R-V, Raymondville R-VII, Skyline R-II, and Success R-VI.

This notice will be provided in native languages as appropriate.