The Port Allegany School District strives to provide every student with the teaching, tools, and learning materials necessary to succeed according to his/her abilities. Please contact a student services coordinator if you believe your child might be a candidate for one of our programs.
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Special Education
PASD maintains a strong commitment to providing an appropriate education for all of its students, including those with disabilities and special giftedness. We also provide an early intervention program for children and their families ages three to school age.
Child Find
PASD complies with state and federal regulations for identifying students eligible for special education services within our jurisdiction. Our Child Find activities include public notices in local newspapers, school handbooks, and on our website.
Identification
PASD provides screenings to identify any potential concerns that could impact a student's education. We utilize the ability/achievement discrepancy model for the identification of students with specific learning disabilities. PASD implements many elements of the Pennsylvania Response to Intervention and Instruction (RTII) framework. These elements include a tiered system of successively more intense interventions, standards-aligned curriculum, progress monitoring, and data-based decision-making.
You may request, in writing, a screening and evaluation at any time, whether or not our child is enrolled at PASD. Please contact Kathleen Bostjancic, our district assistant principal, to initiate your request.
Exceptionalities
We provide individualized services and programs to children determined to need specially designed instruction due to the following conditions:
- Autism
- Visual impairment
- Hearing impairment
- Developmental delay
- Mental retardation
- Multiple Disabilities
- Traumatic brain injury
- Other health impairments
- Orthopedic impairment
- Emotional disturbance
- Specific learning disability
- Speech and language impairment
Related Services
PASD ensures all students, including those who are hard to place, receive services promptly in the least restrictive environment by collecting data from the pre-referral teams and parents. Representatives from PASD consult with the Intermediate Unit Nine Autism Team and behavior specialist consultants, utilize paraprofessional support, make referrals to the McKean and Potter County CASSP coordinators, collaborate with local wrap around providers, and participate in interagency meetings. We base all placements, including those in programs outside the district, on identified student needs.
Special Education Plan
PASD's Special Education Plan is an action plan that describes the district’s commitment to ensure that a quality education will be provided to each of its students with a disability eligible for special education. This plan is required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and must be updated every three years. The plan describes the special education program and services that are provided within the district and those special education programs and services within district boundaries. The plan aligns with the district’s comprehensive plan and ties nicely with the Cyclical Monitoring for Continuous Improvement, which is a comprehensive assessment of the district’s special education supports and services conducted by PDE every six years.
Special Education Committee Members
- Paula Newell - Administrator
- Marc Budd - Administrator
- Greg Oliver - Administrator
- Kathleen Bostjancic - Administrator
- George Riley - Ed Specialist/School Counselor
- Loren Ferguson - Ed Specialist/School Counselor
- Carla Gigliotti - Ed Specialist/School Counselor
Gifted and Talented
The Gifted and Talented support program is designed to meet the needs of mentally gifted students. PASD provides activities and units of study in various subject areas. Overall goals include enhancing student self-esteem; building leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills; and applying higher-level thinking skills.
McKinney-Vento Homeless Act
PASD guarantees all homeless children and youth a free and appropriate public education. Homeless children and youth include those living with or without their parents in a shelter (e.g. temporary family shelter, domestic violence shelter, runaway shelter), transitional housing, hotel or motel, campground, car, or on the street. Also included are those children and youth temporarily living with relatives or friends (with or without their parents) because they do not have a fixed, regular, safe, or adequate place of residence.
Additional information is available on the Pennsylvania Basic Education Circular regarding homeless students, and by accessing the PASD board policy #251, Homeless Youth.
Please contact PASD homeless liaison, Greg Oliver, at (814) 642-9557 if you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness. We have dedicated resources to help.
Health Services
PASD not only provides state-mandated health services, but it also functions to maintain and improve the health of each student while in school. We maintain a developmental health history for each student beginning in kindergarten and continuing through the twelfth grade, including required vision and hearing screenings.
We provide each student a comprehensive health exam in the kindergarten, sixth, and eleventh grades, conducted by the school’s physician or physician’s assistant.
Each student receives a comprehensive dental exam in the kindergarten, third, and seventh grades, conducted by a school dentist.
English as a Second Language/Bilingual Program
PASD provides a planned instructional program for identified students whose dominant language is not English. The purpose of the program is to increase the English language proficiency of eligible students, so that they can attain the academic standards and achieve academic success.
Student Assistance Program (SAP)
Our Student Assistance Program (SAP) mobilizes school resources to remove learning barriers including alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and mental health issues. When the problem is beyond the scope of the school, we assist families in accessing services within the community. We:
- Identify issues that may pose a barrier to a student’s learning
- Determine if that problem is the responsibility of the district
- Recommend resources to the student’s family
- Establish contacts and links to resources
- Provide a plan for in-school support during and after student treatment
For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare SAP page.
Virtual Academy
The Port Allegany School District Virtual Academy (PASD VA) provides a flexible, engaging, and innovative student-centered experience that affords families with the resources and flexibility to serve students who wish to learn online. PASD VA offers a wide range of computer-based courses that students take over the internet.
Contact Information
George Riley
School Counselor
Send Email
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires Pennsylvania to ensure that the total number of students assessed in each subject using the PASA does not exceed one percent of the total number of all students in the state assessed on the statewide assessments. Each local education agency (LEA) must complete and submit the PASA 1.0 Percent Participation Threshold Justification to BSE if it anticipates that more than 1.0% of its students enrolled in grade 3–8 and 11 will be assessed using the PASA. A list of LEAs who anticipate exceeding the threshold will be made publicly available on the PDE website, in accordance with 34 CFR 200.6 (c)(3) regulations. LEAs must also make the document publicly available upon request, removing any personally identifiable information. The Port Allegany School District anticipates exceeding the 1.0 percent threshold for PASA participation for the 2025–2026 testing cycle. The necessary justification information has been submitted to the Bureau of Special Education (BSE). Questions on the Port Allegany School District participation rates should be directed to Mrs. Kathleen Bostjancic, Port Allegany School District's assistant principal and student services coordinator.
