Special Education
Welcome to the South Sanpete School District Special Education Information Site. We seek to identify and serve all students ages 3-22 who qualify for Special Education services. South Sanpete values highly effective instructional practices in meeting the unique and individualized needs of our students through comprehensive assessment and planning towards academic achievement and college/career readiness. We believe all students with individualized education plans (IEPs) deserve to receive the same rigorous instruction as their non-IEP peers in the general education setting with accommodations and supports. In all our efforts, we work towards and help our students in their quest to accomplish their possible dreams and fullest potential.
Special Education follows the South Sanpete School District Special Education Policies and Procedures Manual approved by the SSSD Board of Education and the Utah State Board of Education (USBE).
SSSD Special Education Policies and Procedures Manual (Sept 2023)
Utah State Board of Education Special Education Rules (June 2023
USBE Special Education Webpage
USBE Procedural Safeguards (English)
USBE Procedural Safeguards (English Summary)
Notificación Sobre Garantías Procesales
Special Education Services
Child Find System
South Sanpete School District, in accordance with the requirements of Part B of the IDEA and with the Rules, has developed policies and procedures to ensure that all students with disabilities residing within the jurisdiction of the LEA, including students with disabilities from birth through 21 years of age, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated. These policies and procedures include a practical method for determining which students are currently receiving needed special education and related services and provide a process to reevaluate those who are found eligible within the three-year timeframe. (34 CFR §§ 300.109, 300.111; RULES II.A.)
If you are aware of a child who may have a disability that affects their learning to such a degree that it may require special education services, please contact your local school principal or the South Sanpete Special Education Department at (435) 835-2261.
If your child’s age is birth-to-two years, contact the Central Utah Public Health Early Intervention Program at (435) 835-2231 and ask to speak with the Early Intervention Specialist.
If your child’s age is three to five years, contact your local elementary school for evaluation dates, share your concerns with the preschool teacher, or to check for availability of non-IEP/tuition and scholarship spots. Scholarship opportunities are based on eligibility as determined by the Free and Reduced Lunch Program form in the PowerSchool school enrollment forms.
If you need any information not contained in this announcement, contact the South Sanpete School District Special Education Department at (435) 835-2261.
Special Education-Birth through Adulthood
The Utah Parent Center (UPC) provides resources to help families and caregivers guide their children, youth and young adults with disabilities to be included, productive members of their schools and community. The following resource explains each educational stage birth through adulthood, including handbooks, parent videos, and ideas for smooth transitions from one level to the next.
UPC Special Education Planning - Birth through Adulthood
IEP or 504?
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan? Both Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans can offer formal help for K–12 students who are struggling in school due to a disability. They’re similar in some ways but very different in others. The linked chart compares them side by side to help understand the differences.
IEP vs. Section 504 Plans: Which Is Right for My Child?
Special Education Scholarships
The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) currently oversees two scholarship grant programs that provide funding to eligible students wishing to attend private schools to meet their unique learning needs. USBE provides direct management of the Carson Smith Scholarship (CSS) program, while the Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship program is directly managed by a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) through a contract with USBE.
Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship
The Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Program (CSS) is a parent choice model for Utah residents that provides tuition assistance for eligible special needs students enrolled in eligible private schools. The scholarship is for students who would qualify for special education and related services in public schools, preschool through 12th grade (3‐21 years of age), whose parents choose an eligible private school.
Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Information
Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship
The Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Program is an education choice model for Utah residents that provides tuition assistance for eligible students with disabilities not enrolled in public school. It is designed for students who would qualify for special education and related services in public schools, kindergarten and grades 1 through 12 (5–21 years of age), whose parents choose an eligible private school or other eligible expenses.
Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Information
Special Education Records
Records Request
Please contact Janet Olsen,
Records Destruction Notice
Student records may be considered “no longer needed to provide educational services” and may be destroyed three years after the student graduates or three years after the student turns 22 under IDEA. (34 CFR § 300.624, Rules IV.V)
Anyone who received Special Education services in the South Sanpete School District and will be 25 years old on or before June 30, 2026, has the right to obtain existing Special Education records from Aaron Peterson at (435) 835-2261 or email at
Special Education Records Release Form to be faxed to South Sanpete Special Education Department at (435) 835-2265, securely emailed, or sent to the South Sanpete School District Office 39 S. Main Manti UT 84642.