In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, each student in Portsmouth Public Schools, including military-connected students, who identifies as having a disability and who needs special education and related services to benefit from their education will receive a Free Appropriate Public Education.

As you begin transitioning your child to Portsmouth Public Schools, you are encouraged to contact administrators at your child’s school directly to ensure services and resources are in place to support your child’s needs from the first day. You may also contact the Office of Special Education, at any time, at (757) 393-8792.

Additionally, please know there are a host of resources available to you at any time to help provide insight into the special education services you can expect as well as parental rights.

Here are some of those resources:

• Special Education Information for Families by the Virginia Department of Education

• Critical Decision Points for Families of Children with Disabilities by the Virginia Department of Education

• I’m Determined, a state-directed projected aimed at providing direct instruction, models and opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determined behavior

• The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center, a parent information and training center for families and professionals of children with disabilities in Virginia