Students with Significant Support Needs are highly diverse learners with extensive needs in the areas of cognition and/or learning, communication, movement and social/emotional abilities. The individual may also have concurrent health, sensory, physical and/or behavioral disabilities. 

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The San Luis Valley Board of Cooperative Educational Services is committed to the basic premise that the purpose of a public school education is to help each child, including those with disabilities, develop to the limit of his/her own capacity. Our goal is to provide full educational opportunities to all children with disabilities. Each child with a disability shall be offered an individual education program to meet his/her needs.

It shall be the philosophy of the SLV BOCES to provide a free and appropriate public education to all eligible students from 3 to 21 years of age. The free educational concept shall encompass direct and related services as stipulated by state and federal statutes.

Services for children and youth with disabilities in the SLV BOCES undergo continual refinement as greater understanding is achieved, as research provides better direction, and as legal mandates change. The Director of Special Education ensures that the process is reviewed and updated as needed on a yearly basis. The Director of Special Education also ensures that BOCES and local special education staff comply with both state and federal regulations regarding provision of services to students with disabilities.

Each district determines the support staff needed to implement its individual district’s special education program. The program is then implemented through the efforts of BOCES support staff, instructional and itinerant staff members, as well as district instructional staff members who serve students with disabilities.

Support services are delivered from the central administrative unit to participating school districts, instructional staff and students with disabilities. Special Education providers are assigned to districts based upon the number of students served.