Home

The Individuals with Disability Education Act guarantees free appropriate public education to all eligible children with disabilities. Special education means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. The Virginia Department of Education offers extensive information about services, processes, and more online on the VDOE website. Petersburg City Public Schools' procedures for special education are covered in this manual.

Mission: The Petersburg City Public Schools Department of Special Education advocates and facilitates multifaceted evidence-based strategies, interventions, and services that aid all students' academic, behavioral, and social/emotional development in preparation for becoming productive 21st-century citizens.

Vision: All staff are unified in a shared commitment to providing inclusive practices and are accountable for ensuring that students can work independently and ultimately are prepared for postsecondary education and the 21st-century workforce. We set high expectations for student achievement to ensure all students have access to the general education curriculum.

The special education parent/family liaisons “shall serve as a resource to parents and families to understand and engage in (i) the referral, evaluation, reevaluation, and eligibility process if they suspect that their child has a disability and (ii) the IEP process and shall work in collaboration with the special education family support centers established pursuant to § 22.1-214.5.” If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mr. Dannie Custalow, Ed.S. the division's Special Education Parent/family Liaison.