Special Education

Child Find is the process of locating, evaluating, and identifying children with disabilities who may be in need of special education and related services.

Local school districts are required by federal and state laws to find children who may need special education services and related services.

If you are aware of a child who may have special needs, please notify his/her school. Parents, relatives, public and private agency employees, childcare providers, physicians and concerned citizens are encouraged to help school districts find any child, ages birth – 21, who may have a disability and are in need of special education and related services.

The school district will contact the parents of the child to discuss the next steps in the evaluation and identification process. This process is provided at no cost to the family. If a need is identified, the child can begin receiving the appropriate special education and related services during the school day.

If you suspect a child may have a disability, help is available.

The Gahanna-Jefferson Public School District is eligible to receive federal Medicaid reimbursement for medically necessary services provided to their special education students when the services meet the requirements of the state’s School-Based Medicaid Program and are provided in accordance with the students’ IEPs (§300.154(d)(2)(i)-(iii)).

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) require schools to notify parents that the district participates in this program. The district utilizes services ordered in the IEP and the Medicaid identification number, in conjunction with the state Medicaid Agency and our Medicaid billing agent, to receive reimbursement for these services from the School-Based Medicaid Program. 

The district’s participation in this program in no way impacts the services being provided to the student nor impacts the family’s Medicaid benefits. In the event parents no longer want the district to access student information for the purposes of seeking reimbursements through this program, they can notify the GJPS Office of Special Education by calling 614-337-3777. This annual notification is being provided to you in accordance with program requirements.

• Ohio Dept. of Education Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education
• Ohio Dept. of Education Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education in various languages
• Medicaid Annual Notification to Parents (PDF)
• U.S. Dept. of Education: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act | Part B (ages 3-21) Part C (ages birth-2)
• Special Education Consent Order: "Notice to Ohio students with disabilities and their parents and guardians a partial settlement class action lawsuit John Doe, et al.,  State of Ohio, et al., Case No. 2:91-cv-464" (US District Court for the Southern district of Ohio, Eastern Division) click here for document