image of Leavitt Area High School National Banner Unified Champion School
Special Education and Section 504

Welcome to the Special Services department website. Our services include special Special Education and Section 504.

Our department offers programs, services, and accommodations which are intended to meet the unique individual needs of students with disabilities.

Special Education

Special education is governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and is defined as “specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.”

In Maine, the rule chapter that is specific to the education of children with disabilities is Maine Department of Education Regulations, Chapter 101, Maine Unified Special Education Regulation Birth to Age Twenty (MUSER).

Section 504

Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based on disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled are met.

Section 504 states that: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 706(8) of this title, shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participate in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…” [29 U.S.C. 794(a), 34 C.F.R. 104.4(a)]

Leavitt Area High School - Unified Champions

National Banner Unified Champion School for 2021-2025

Leavitt Area High School recently earned the second honor of becoming a National Unified Champion School. The school is the only school in the state that has been given this award twice. The school celebrated this honor during a school-wide assembly on…. What does this mean? This represents the ongoing hard work of staff and students in providing inclusive opportunities, in which our students learn and grow together. It promotes acceptance of all students through sports, clubs, and school-wide activities.

Leavitt Area High School has been involved in Unified Champions since 2011. Their involvement started with Unified Sports (Basketball, Bowling & Bocce) and evolved quickly to incorporate a Youth Activation Committee. Their Youth Activation Committee started, and continues to organize and execute, whole-school engagement activities such as Inclusive Schools Week activities and Spread the Word to End the Word campaign where they promote acceptance and respect for all students in their community.

Tripp Middle School - Unified Champions

Students are first introduced to Unified Champions at Tripp Middle School through Unified Sports. This provides an inclusive opportunity for Special Olympics athletes to train and compete with school partners in a variety of athletic events. At Tripp, students train in Unified Sports including basketball, bowling, bocce, and track & field. Students use that training to participate in competitions in basketball, bowling, bocce, and track & field. The Unified Club meets during the school year to further promote inclusivity and respect for all.

What has Project UNIFY done for our school culture? Quotes from students and staff about Unified Champions: “Makes me feel good about myself and others.” “Opens doors for difficult conversations for staff and students creating a stronger community.” “Everybody is more accepting of differences.” “Inclusion is the norm, not a thing.” “Building friendships that may not have happened otherwise.”

Annual Child Find Notice

Annual Child Find Notice for Special Education and Section 504

As a school district we are required to locate, evaluate and identify any child residing in Greene, Leeds, and Turner who qualifies for Special Education services or Section 504.

Children eligible for special education include those children with disabilities who have autism, deaf-blindness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, or developmental delay and who, because of such impairment his/her academic or functional performance is adversely affected and requires special education services to remediate their deficits.

Children eligible for section 504 include those who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.

If you suspect your child has a disability and may need special education services or a section 504 plan, or if you would like additional information, please contact the Special Education Department at (207) 225-1025.

Consent for Electronic Distribution of Special Services Records

Maine Special Education Rule XIV.14 (2015) requires written parental consent for any school unit to send by electronic mail (e-mail) certain special education records to the parent of a child with a disability. The special education records are as follows: Advance Written Notice, Written Notice, Procedural Safeguards, Parental Consent, Individual Education Plan, and Progress reports for student goals, and Notices related to due process hearings. To give consent to send these records electronically, please complete the following and provide to your child’s special education case manager: Consent for Electronic Distribution of Special Education Records

Notification Regarding Destruction of Student Special Education Records

MSAD 52 is taking this opportunity to notify community members who attended MSAD 52 schools and have the following dates of birth that their special education records will be destroyed by a certain time.

Dates of Birth

October 16th, 1996 to October 15, 1997 - Destruction of Records July, 31, 2023

October 16th, 1997 to October 15, 1998 - Destruction of Records July 31, 2024

October 16th, 1998 to October 15, 1999 - Destruction of Records July 31, 2025

If you would like your special education records released to you, please inform our department prior to their destruction listed above.

Please submit a written request to:

MSAD#52 Special Education

486 Turner Center Road

Turner, Maine 04282

For Leavitt Area High School students, a permanent record including the student’s name, address, phone number, grades, attendance record, classes attended, grade level completed, and year completed shall be maintained at the Leavitt Area High School with no time limitations.