Student Services

Ottawa Hills Local Schools is committed to providing an outstanding educational experience. The Student Service Department continues to coordinate and provide programming and support for students, staff, and parents.

Locate, evaluate, and identify all children with a disability.
Provide a free and appropriate education through a continuum of support options.
Delivery of intervention and special education services.
Support to the Multi System of Supports teams (MTSS).
Collaborate with outside agencies and non-public schools.

Jill Michaelson

Director of Student Services

Central Office

School: 419-534-5379

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) requires school districts to share an ODE survey with parents of students being supported by Individual Education Programs to provide feedback on parent involvement.

Please see the document provided by ODE for more information and use the link to access a video with information about the purpose of the survey. To access the video, please click HERE and use the password: 2023. Please click on this link or use the QR in the ODE document to access the survey. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

The survey has been translated into 6 different languages (Arabic, Nepali, Somali, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish). You can find these translated versions HERE. Please use the password: 2023 to access the files.

Please complete the survey by May 5, 2023.

Thank you for participating in this important project. Contact Jill Michaelson with any questions.

Meet the Team

Jill Michaelson
Director of Student Services
419-534-5379

Elementary Teachers

Emily Mann, intervention specialist
Lisa Plenzler, cross categorical teacher
Holly Simon, reading intervention teacher
Nicolle Smith, reading intervention teacher
Megan Wyatt, intervention specialist
Lauren Tracy, intervention specialist
Ali Packo, math intervention teacher
Courtney Buerman, MTSS/reading intervention teacher

Junior/Senior High School teachers

Kathy Benecke, intervention specialist (grades 7-8)
Jasa George, intervention specialist (grades 9-10)
Megan McKean, intervention specialist (grades 11-12)
Meghan Theiman, cross-categorical teacher (grades 7-12)

District Staff

Chelsae Seibenaler, school psychologist
Colleen Vetter, speech and language pathologist
Erica Zimmerman, occupational therapist
Cindy Swindle, physical therapist
Jeni Leis, adaptive physical education teacher

Resources

Department resources:

Area resources:

Parent Mentor

Parent Mentor Program - ESC of Lake Erie West
Parent Mentor: Wendy Smenner
Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West
Collingwood Center | 2275 Collingwood Blvd.
Toledo, OH 43620
419-471-0384 | 419-246-3119 (Fax)

State of Ohio Resources

Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities
Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children

State Support Team Region 1
2275 Collingwood Blvd. | Suite C
Toledo, OH 43620
1-800-346-8495 | 419-720-8999 | 419-720-8998 (Fax)

The Department of Education has made available answers to the most frequently asked questions from families regarding Alternative Assessment eligibility, participation, and learning standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

Activities

Child Find

Federal and state laws require school districts to locate, identify, and evaluate children who have suspected disabilities. These laws affect all school-aged students within the Ottawa Hills school district boundary and all preschool children who live within Ottawa Hills. Please contact Jill Michaelson, Director of Student Services, at 419-534-5379 or jmichaelson@ohschools.org.

Students with Disabilities Served

The federal government, through legislation entitled the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), states that a child with a disability means a school-age child (ages 6-21) who has been evaluated and determined to have one of the following disabilities listed below that adversely affects the child’s educational performance and who therefore needs special education and related services. The law also requires public schools to provide services to preschool age students (ages 3-5) with disabilities if they are at least three years of age and not age six and, have a disability demonstrated by a documented deficit in one or more areas of development, which has an adverse effect upon development and functioning. To qualify as a student with a disability, a student must meet the definition of one or more of the following disability categories:

A. Preschool-Age Children (ages 3-5)
B. School Age (ages 6-21) students with identified disability conditions:

Intellectual Disability
Autism
Multiple Disabilities
Other Health Impairment
Specific Learning Disability
Orthopedic Impairmentally Handicapped
Developmentally Handicapped
Severe Serious Emotional Disturbance
Hearing Impairment (Including Deafness)
Visual Impairment (Including Blindness)

Part-B IDEA

Ottawa Hills continues to receive Part-B IDEA Special Education funds from the federal government to assist in providing services to students with disabilities at Ottawa Hills Local Schools and St. Ursula Academy. These funds help to provide instructional staff.

Questions and suggestions concerning the use of these federal funds can be shared during a public meeting on Jan. 25, 2022, at 4:15 p.m. in the Community Room at the Elementary School.