The Avonworth School District is committed to providing high-quality instruction and support services for all students, including those who have disabilities and special learning needs. The District employs highly-qualified special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and therapy service providers at every grade level to provide support to students identified with disabilities.
Avonworth School District provides a free, appropriate, public education to exceptional students according to all state and federal mandates. To be eligible, the child must be of school age, need specially designed instruction, and meet eligibility criteria for one or more of the following physical or mental disabilities as set forth in the Pennsylvania State Standards:
- Autism
- Deaf-blindness
- Deafness
- Intellectual disability
- Multiple disabilities
- Orthopedic impairment
- Other health impairment
- Specific learning disability
- Traumatic brain injury
- Emotional disturbance
- Speech or language impairment
- Hearing impairment
- Visual impairment, including blindness
With questions, service requests, or other concerns, please contact:
Ashlea Rineer-Hershey, Ed.D.
Director of Student Services
412-366-7171, ext. 1901
[email protected]
Act 55 of 2022 Student Enrollment
On July 8, 2022, Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 55 of 2022 into law. This act permits a student with a disability who was enrolled during the 2021-22 school year and turned age 21 (either during the 2021-22 school year or between the end of the 2021-22 and the beginning of the 2022-23 school year) may attend a school entity during the 2022-23 school year and receive services as outlined in their most recent Individualized Education Program (IEP) with all the protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
To qualify for an additional year, a student had to be enrolled in one of the following school entities in Pennsylvania during the 2021-22 school year: a school district, intermediate unit, area career and technical school, charter school, cyber charter school, regional charter school, approved private school, or chartered school for the education of the deaf and blind.
Parents/guardians and students interested in the above option for the 2022-23 school year must submit this Act 55 of 2022 Student Enrollment Notification Form to the school entity that the student will attend in the 2022-23 school year on or before August 1, 2022. Do not submit the form to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).