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What is a Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)? In 1977, all school districts and county school offices were required to join to form geographical regions of sufficient size and scope to provide for all the special education service needs of children residing within the region boundaries. Today, there are approximately 120 SELPAs (for a list of SELPAs in California, click here) in the State, ranging in size from those serving fewer than 1,000 students to those serving more than 10,000 students with the most common size between 2,000 and 4,000 students. (A few SELPAs have up to 50,000 students with disabilities, although only five SELPAs have over 10,000). The SELPA governance structures vary in form, such as:
Each SELPA must have an Administrative Unit (the Responsible Local Agency)--the legal entity that receives funds and is responsible for seeing that every eligible child receives appropriate services. In some instances, the administrative unit is a school district and in other instances it is the County Office. Over 50% of SELPAs designate the County Office of Education as the Administrative Unit. Costs for the Administrative Unit are provided by special funding from the state called Regionalized Service Funds, often augmented by funds for Program Specialists, federal and local funds. Each region determines the funds available and the responsibilities of the SELPA office. The chief administrator of the SELPA is usually called a Director. Responsibilities of the SELPA include such things as:
The SELPA policy-making body is designated in the Local Plan and makes
policy decisions, approves the SELPA budget and contracts and establishes
guidelines for other decisions, such as distribution of personnel units,
staff development programs and staffing patterns. In the Foothill SELPA,
the governance body is the Superintendents' Council.
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Foothill SELPA 1700 E. Mountain St. |
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