Smouse Opportunity School

Program Description

The purpose of Smouse Opportunity School is to provide each student an educational program that is individualized to meet his or her needs. To assist the teaching staff, the school has a special education consultant, school nurse, speech pathologist, school psychologist, school social worker, and occupational and physical therapists to support the instructional program.

Student Profile (MD/SP Program)

  • Students 6-12 years of age
  • The student must manifest deficits in adaptive behavior beyond the school environment. Some evidence should exist that significant impairments exist in life skills areas such as self-help, daily living, social interaction in community settings, or mobility.
  • In addition to impairment in adaptive behavior, a diagnosis of mental disabilities is generally required with an IQ about 3 standard deviations below the mean (approximately 55 IQ or below).
  • Students needing academic remediation or special preparation for a return to a comprehensive school are not eligible for consideration. Students who possess functional skills but choose not to use them at school or home are also not eligible.
  • The student should exhibit significant difficulty in acquiring basic life skills. Deficiencies in life skills must be based on the student not having learned basic functional skills because of learning difficulties. A need for a functional curriculum in a variety of areas such as functional academics, communication and social skills, self help/daily living skills, and pre-vocational skills should be evident.

Student Profile (Behavior Disorders Program)

  • Students in kindergarten through eighth grade
  • The student should exhibit behaviors as a result of an additional disability or diagnosis besides the behavior disorder such as head injury, Asperger Syndrome, mental health diagnosis, anxiety or mental disability.
  • The student should be using the district curriculum maps with or without modifications and accommodations.
  • Students participate in district wide assessment.
  • The goal of the program is for reentry to a student’s neighborhood school.
  • Evidence must be provided that a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) have been developed, implemented and modified as necessary and still additional supports are needed.

Referral Procedures

  • The special education team should contact the parent to inform them that a special school placement is being considered.  A member of the team should then fill out a Smouse referral form and fax or email it to Becky Coppess, Special Education Consultant.

Contact Information

Leslie Timmerman, Principal
242-8210

To access Smouse Opportunity School’s Web site, please click here.