Special education services are provided for eligible children birth through twenty-one years of age in accordance with the child’s individual education plan (IEP). Children are identified through a referral and evaluation process and are educated in the general education curriculum and classrooms to the maximum extent possible.

Each school in the district has resource classrooms which are staffed with certified special education teachers and educational assistants. Support services, such as speech/language therapy, occupational and physical therapy and adapted physical education are also provided at each school in accordance with the child’s IEP.

Children who are eligible for speech or language therapy may have difficulties with articulation (how they produce their speech sounds), receptive and expressive language (how they understand and verbally express thoughts and ideas), voice (sound quality, pitch, resonance, and volume), or fluency (sometimes called stuttering). Speech/language therapists provide services to children in all schools within the district.

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s speech or language skills, please contact your child’s school and ask for the speech/language therapist.

For more information on speech/language disorders, click on the following link: http://www.asha.org.

The district employs four full-time school psychologists.  School psychologists are actively involved in conducting evaluations to determine eligibility for special education services and for Section 504 Accommodation Plans. The school psychology team members also participate in Teacher Assistance Team meetings, assist in planning student academic and behavioral interventions, provide individual counseling, and support crisis intervention. 

For more information about school psychology, please visit the National Association of School Psychologists website: https://www.nasponline.org/.

Occupational and physical therapy services are contracted from Teachwell Solutions who employs certified therapists to work with eligible children birth through twenty-one years of age in the district.

2024 - 2025 ECH School Calender

Birth to Three Program:

Infants and toddlers who are experiencing developmental delays or are at risk for delays may be eligible for early intervention services. Free developmental screenings are conducted throughout the year, followed by in depth evaluations, if needed.

If eligible, an Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP) is developed which outlines the services to be provided to the child and family. Services are provided in the child’s natural environment which may include the home, daycare, or community school setting. Depending on the severity of the child’s developmental delays, service providers (i.e. early childhood teacher, occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech/language therapist) may be employees of the school district or contracted personnel.

Early Childhood Program (3 – 5 year olds):

A center-based early childhood special education program is provided for children who have been evaluated and identified as having developmental delays.

Program activities may include free and structured play, sensory activities, language and writing activities, gross and fine motor skills, speech/language skills, personal/social skills, adaptive skills, field trips and kindergarten readiness skills.

Developmental screenings are held in September and January of each year and/or by calling the Special Services Office 1-605-582-3446 to schedule an appointment.

For more information you may email Lisa.Johnson@k12.sd.us or call 1-605-582-3446.

For information on Head Start, please call the Interlakes Head Start Office at 1-605-256-6518.

Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten!

The Brandon Valley School District's English Language Learner (ELL) Program is committed to supporting students in developing English language proficiency and academic success. Our dedicated team of 4 full-time teachers and 3 educational assistants serves over 200 ELL students through a combination of push-in and pull-out classroom services. Each student benefits from an individualized Language Acquisition Plan (LAP), which outlines tailored strategies to enhance their learning experience. To monitor progress, we utilize WIDA ACCESS testing, ensuring students receive the support they need to thrive. Our program fosters an inclusive and supportive environment for multilingual learners to excel in their educational journey.

K-4 Christine Halvorson Christine.Halvorson@k12.sd.us or call Inspiration Elemetary School 1-605-582-8590.

K-4 Jody Lambert Jody.Lambert@k12.sd.us or call Brandon Elemetary School 1-605-582-6315.

5-6 Erin Johnson Erin.Johnson@k12.sd.us or call Brandon Valley Intermediate School 1-605-582-6035.

7-8 Erin Johnson Erin.Johnson@k12.sd.us or call Brandon Valley Middle School 1-605-582-3214.

9-12 Christine Murtha Christine.Murtha@k12.sd.us or call Brandon Valley High School 1-605-582-3211.

Title I, a supplemental remedial reading program, is provided for eligible students at Brandon Elementary. Due to the limited federal funds the district receives for Title I services, a limited number of students are identified and served in this program.

To qualify for Title I services, students referred by their parent or teacher are assessed annually in the area of reading. Those students most in need of services are selected for participation and placed in the program with parent consent.

The Title I program is staffed by certified elementary teachers who provide pull-out services to the students. Title I staff work closely with the students’ classroom teacher to pre-teach skills and/or remediate skills.

Parent’s Right to Know

Title I Part A, Section 1111 (h)(6) specifies the following requirement. At the beginning of each school year, any district that receives Title I funds must notify the parents of each student attending a Title I school that the parents may request information regarding the professional qualifications of the student's classroom teachers. The district will provide a response to the parents’ request in a timely manner.

1. Whether the teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
2. Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived.
3. The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.
4. Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

Parents may also request information on the level of achievement of the their child in each of the State academic assessments and timely notice that their child has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by, a teacher who is not highly qualified.

The notice and information provided to parents must be in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language that the parents can understand.

The federal education law put in place by the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires that all parents in a Title I school be notified and given the opportunity to request information about the professional qualifications of classroom teachers instructing their child. You may request this through the building principal or Title 1 Coordinator.

For more information about the federal Title I program, visit the following website:

Title I | U.S. Department of Education

1. Has a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more of a person’s major life activities, “major life activities” include functions such as:
• Caring for one’s self
• Performing manual tasks
• Walking
• Seeing
• Speaking
• Learning
• Hearing
• Breathing
• Working
2. Has a record of such an impairment
3. Is regarded as having such an impairment

If a student is not eligible for special education services through an individual education plan (IEP), but needs special accommodations in the general educational environment, the student may be eligible for a 504 accommodation plan.

For more information, please contact the school principal, counselor or the special services director.