Special Education

Special education programs and services are integrated within each of the fifteen buildings in the Kearney Public Schools. A continuum of services and programs are available, depending on the needs of each individual child. Students must be verified to participate in Special Education programs.

The goal of special education is to enable children with unique learning needs to reach their full potential. Every effort is made to maintain all students in their neighborhood settings with their age-appropriate peers in the least restrictive environment. Special educators collaborate with classroom teachers as they problem-solve strategies that will support the unique learning needs of each student.

Melisa Dobish
Special Education Director

Referral Procedures
Kearney Public schools provides a continuum of special education services and programs for children with special needs who reside in the Kearney School District at no cost to families. If you have concerns or questions about your child's development or for more information about the programs or services described, please contact the Office of Special Education at Kearney Public Schools (308-698-8017).

Children Birth through 2
Referrals can be made to Services Coordination at 308-237-2280 or the Office of Special Education at 308-698-8017. The Services Coordinator then works with the educational team to conduct any appropriate assessments to determine eligibility.

Children Ages 3-21
Referrals can be made directly to your child's teacher, to the building principal, or to the Office of Special Education (308-698-8017).

For children not currently in school, a preschool assessment team will conduct interviews with the parents, observations of the child, and likely administer some assessments to the child to determine eligibility for special education services. The parents are an important member of this Multidisciplinary Team Evaluation.

For school-aged children, the referral goes to a Student Assessment Team (SAT), which gathers input, suggests strategies, and determines when a referral to the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) is appropriate. The parents are also members of the SAT.

For students who move into the district and have received special education services in the previous district, it is important for parents to bring to the school the child's Multidisciplinary Team Evaluation Report and Individualized Education Plan from the previous school. The IEP team can then determine the necessary steps to reinstate or continue special education services for the child.