Bethel appoints second faculty particular schooling supervisor
BETHEL – With changes in state law requiring more special needs support, the school district recently appointed a supervisor to oversee special services at secondary and middle school levels.
Bethel High School’s Special Education Coordinator Meghan Stabile was selected for the position during a special meeting of the Education Committee Tuesday morning.
Superintendent Christine Carver said the oversight role was created in anticipation of the changes in special education this fall.
“There’s a new IEP (Individualized Education Plan) coming out, so the position was a transfer of two existing jobs into one,” she said.
The school district already had a special education director for elementary school, but needed one to oversee services for the district’s older students with special needs.
Carver said Stabile will be responsible for overseeing IEP implementation for middle and high school students as well as coordinating the school district’s community partnership program for 18-21 year olds.
“The program is aimed at students with disabilities who need additional support beyond high school to develop professional skills, find jobs and achieve successful integration into the community,” said Carver.
The state law on transition services for students with disabilities has also changed.
Carver said transition services were offered to children with autism as early as 14 years of age but were not offered to students with other disabilities until they were 16 years old.
Due to a recent change in law in the states, schools are now required to offer the services to all students with disabilities aged 14 and over.
“There have been a lot of changes in special education and it has taken a lot of shifts to provide additional support,” Carver said.
