Office of Special Services

The office of Special Services encompasses services provided for Special Education, 504, and Gifted Education.  Through the office of Special Services, we follow the process from referral to Child Find and through implementation of all services.  We thrive to provide most appropriate services for all students while supporting teachers and administrators and building positive relationships with parents and guardians.  

You may reach us at 601-928-7247.

Amy Stampley, Director of Special Services, [email protected]

Sherri Morrison, Assistant to the Director, [email protected]

Tennille Shoemaker, District Psychometrist, [email protected]

Jessica Montesdeoca, District Speech Language Pathologist and Pre-school Liaison, [email protected]

 

2024-2025 Parent Survey

 

Child Find

How to Refer a Child for the Child Find Process

  • If you know or suspect that a child residing in the Stone County School District has a disability, please contact the Child Find Coordinator.  Upon notification of the referral, the Child Find Coordinator will ensure that the student is referred to the Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) for consideration of a comprehensive evaluation, as specified in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 2004 (IDEA 2004). Stone County School District shall adhere to and implement procedures regarding Child Find as outlined in State Board Policy 74.19.
  • A referral may be made by calling the Stone County School District office at 601-928-7247.

Section 504

  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. For a student to qualify for Section 504 protection, the student must: (1) have a mental or physical impairment (2) which substantially limits (3) one or more major life activities.    
  • The federal regulations that implement Section 504 are found at Title 34, Part 104 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). 

 

Gifted Education

The Mississippi Gifted Education Act of 1989, as amended in 1993, mandates that each public school district within the state provide gifted education programs for intellectually gifted students in grades two through six. Students must meet specific state and district guidelines as outlined in state regulations and Policy IDE - Gifted Education Program. Although students are usually referred by teachers for screening, parents can also initiate referrals by contacting the EXCEL teacher at the child’s school. Referrals for the gifted program, for grades 2-6, are accepted year-round. All requests for testing should be directed via email to the student’s homeroom teacher and/or the gifted teacher of that campus. The State of Mississippi mandates the assessment and placement process to be completed in a timely manner. Testing periods will be designated by Special Services and Phase I testing will be administered in the spring of each year for all referrals. Students who are new to SCSD can be tested after their first nine weeks of attendance. Students will only be tested twice by the district. A blanket screener will be administered yearly.