Special Education

Dunkirk City School District Special Education

The Dunkirk City School District is dedicated to supporting every student in reaching their fullest potential. Guided by our One Dunkirk approach, all of our schools work together to ensure that students are at the center of everything we do. Collaboration, consistency, and shared responsibility allow us to provide strong supports for every child.

Our work begins with the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), which addresses academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs through a tiered framework of interventions. Each building has a Student Support Team (SST) that meets regularly to review student data, monitor progress, and design interventions. These supports are available to all students and are designed to be proactive, flexible, and responsive to individual needs.

When a student has received multiple layers of MTSS support and continues to require additional interventions, the SST may recommend a referral to the Committee on Special Education (CSE).

A referral for special education services may be initiated by:

• A parent or guardian
• A designee of the school district where the student lives
• A designee of an education program affiliated with a childcare institution with CSE responsibility
• The commissioner or designee of a public agency with responsibility for welfare, health, or education of the child
• A judicial officer
• A professional staff member of the school district or a public agency with responsibility for children’s welfare, health, or education

To qualify for special education services, a student must meet eligibility criteria for at least one of the 13 classifications defined by federal and state regulations:

• Autism
• Deafness
• Deaf-blindness
• Emotional disturbance
• Hearing impairment
• Learning disability
• Intellectual disability
• Multiple disabilities
• Orthopedic impairment
• Other health impairment
• Speech or language impairment
• Traumatic brain injury
• Visual impairment

The Dunkirk City School District is committed to providing students with the least restrictive environment (LRE). Whenever appropriate, students with disabilities learn alongside their peers in general education classrooms, with the right supports and services in place to help them succeed.

Through our One Dunkirk approach, we ensure that every student is seen, valued, and supported. By working as a unified team across all schools, we keep students at the heart of every decision and strive to create inclusive, engaging, and equitable learning experiences.