Special Education

The Special Education Department of Grainger County Schools is committed to serving our school community with quality services for our special education students. Special education provides services to support eligible students in the general curriculum. These special services include pre-school instruction, extended resource classrooms, and inclusive support in academic classes for all ages. Educational services are coordinated by special education teachers. Special Education also provides support services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision, and health services which are furnished by licensed personnel.
We are pleased to offer this web site as a service to parents and teachers working together to serve our students with special needs. Within this site, you will find information on a wide variety of topics related to delivering quality services to special education students. We hope you will find the site useful and informative.

The Grainger County Board of Education provides special education and related services and special accommodations to all children with disabilities between the ages of three (3) and twenty-one (21) as part of the requirement to provide such children with a free, appropriate public education. Anyone who knows of a child who may qualify for and is not now receiving these services is asked to call Ginny Mcelhaney, Special Education/504 Supervisor or Maura Bishop,Special Education/ 504 Coordinator, at 865-828-3611.
or write:

Grainger County Board of Education
P. O. Box 38
Rutledge, TN 37861

1. How do I refer my child for Special Education evaluation?
Contact the Special Education Department at (865) 828-5436 or contact the Principal at your child's school.

2. What age children do we serve?
Special Education and related services are provided for children ages 3-21 years.

3. What kind of Special Education Services can my child receive?
Special Education services for each student are determined by a team, which includes the parents and services are individualized based on the needs of the student after appropriate evaluations are conducted.

4. I have a child between the ages of 3 and 5 (or approaching age 3). If I suspect that my child may have a disability, what should I do?
If you think your child has a disability and would like him/her to be evaluated, please call Grainger County Schools. A part of the special education program requirements is that we identify students as early as possible. It is important to complete an evaluation and start services, if needed, as soon as possible to benefit each individual child. Ginny McElhaney or Maura Bishop can get the evaluation process started when you call either at 865-828-5436.

5. What do I need to enroll my special needs child in Grainger County Schools?

You may find answers to your questions in two different ways. Parents may call the school where their child will be enrolled and discuss concerns with the principal, or parents may call the special education department at Central Office (865-828-5436). Programming and placement are always determined to meet the needs of individual students. Please have the following information available:

Name of school previously attended with contact information
Current IEP
Current Eligibility Report
Current Evaluations

6. What is IDEA?

IDEA is The Individual with Disabilities Education Act. IDEA is federally funded to assist school boards to guarantee and ensure that all students with special learning needs have access to free and appropriate public education.

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