The Special Education Department is provided for children with special needs who have an area of exceptionality that significantly impacts their ability to make progress in an educational setting. The Individual with Disabilities Education Act assures that all students receive the same educational opportunities as all students. Some children and youth need additional specialized instruction to reach their full potential. Geary County Schools USD 475 is committed to providing programs and services to children with exceptionalities to reach their potential for the future. USD 475 offers a continuum of programs and services that are tailored to meet the needs of each individual child. Each child is entitled to appropriate public education and the opportunity to succeed.
District Resources
Developmental Screenings 2022-2023 (pdf) – Developmental screenings for vision, hearing, speech/language, concepts, and more are offered throughout the year free of charge. Click link for more info and screening dates. To make an appointment or get more info, call 785-717-6950.
Resources
Developmental Information: Parents as Teachers (National)
Special Needs: KITS Early Childhood Resource Center
Kansas State School for the Blind
Families Together Inc.
Kansas Parent Information Resource Center
Disability Rights Center
Kansas School for the Deaf
Infinitec
Exceptional Family Member Program
Big Lakes Developmental Center
Request Records
If you are looking to request a student’s cumulative record from when they were enrolled with Geary County Schools USD 475, please contact the previous school the student was enrolled in to find the appropriate contact information, locate your child’s school on our homepage.
If you are looking to request a students’ special education records from when they were enrolled with Geary County Schools USD 475, please use this fillable PDF and forward it to SPEDRecordsRequest@usd475.org. Please note we are a department that keeps digital copies of a student’s record once they have exited from our district. To help conserve paper, we prefer to email these scanned records to the requesting party.
Requesting Information (Kansas Open Records Act or KORA)
Geary County Schools USD 475 adheres to the Kansas Open Records Act and allows public records to be inspected upon request. In order to request information from Geary County Schools USD 475 contact the Executive Director of Communications (Freedom of Information Officer). Requests should be submitted in writing in the form of a written letter or electronic mail. Some requests may incur a copy fee, however, when appropriate and available USD 475 will make attempts to make records available by digital means. For more information on the Open Records Act visit the official website of the Kansas Attorney General.
Nathan Downs
Executive Director of Special Education
785-717-4093
The Executive Director of Special Education is responsible for implementing and maintaining birth to age 21 Special Education programs and services in conformance to District, State and Federal objectives; providing written support and/or conveying information; serving as a resource to patrons, school personnel and the Board of Education; and maintaining adequate staffing to ensure objectives of programs and services are achieved within budget.
Nicole Nutter
Special Education Administrative Assistant
785-717-4093
The Special Education Administrative Assistant is responsible for preparing the state personnel report, billing and purchasing, travel arrangements, extra-duty vouchers, and helping to organize most of the events and meetings held for and within the department. In addition, she is the department receptionist and is happy to assist you.
Stephanie Waterman
Early Childhood Coordinator
785-717-6953
The Early Childhood Coordinator is the leader and program coordinator for the district's Early Childhood Education programs. The EC Coordinator channels information and serves as a resource to families and staff. Within the Early Childhood Program, the EC Coordinator oversees team collaborations to plan, evaluate, develop, and implement services while maintaining compliance with the state guidelines for special education services. The EC Coordinator plans and coordinates all community and child screenings for children zero to five years old, providing placement opportunities for eligible families.
