The Hopedale Parents’ Special Education Advisory Council is established in accordance with the regulations provided by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71B. The Hopedale SEPAC is committed to establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with all other community, elected, and educational groups, in order to best serve all students.
Membership is open to any parent or guardian of a child with disabilities attending the Hopedale Public Schools, any child aged 18 or older with disabilities attending the Hopedale Public Schools, or any other interested parties residing in the Town of Hopedale.
Meeting announcements will be sent from the Pupil Personnel Office and posted on the website.
Hopedale SEPAC is a parent organization dedicated to providing parent education, training, and support through our seminars, various activities, and monthly meetings throughout the year.
Our mission is:
• To educate the surrounding community on the diversities in our ever-changing world.
• To teach our children to appreciate each other regardless of our differences.
• To share experiences and collectively communicate with other parents and the administration in order to better serve our children.
We meet monthly with Pupil Personnel Services and parents to share information, discuss pertinent issues, and raise awareness and acceptance of children with special needs in our school district. We represent Hopedale families with children from pre-school age through age 22. We are a member of the Massachusetts Association of Special Education Parent Advisory Councils (MassPAC).
SEPAC Advocates for Special Needs Students by:
Providing networking opportunities for parents
Collaborating with the administration
Presenting special needs related seminars and speakers
Fundraising to support students, teachers, and staff through our non-profit organization “Friends of Hopedale SEPAC”.
All parents/guardians are welcome at our monthly meetings and speaker series. Your participation is a great opportunity to meet school officials and other parents, stay informed on policy and legislative changes, and learn something new.
Visit our website on the Hopedale School District page or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HopedaleSEPAC.
For more information on Hopedale SEPAC and our programs, contact hopedaleSEPAC@gmail.com
Chairperson: Elizabeth Callahan (randecallahan@comcast.net)
Special Education Procedural Safeguards
If your student is eligible for special education, the school district must provide a free appropriate public education commonly referred to by the acronym FAPE. In order to provide a FAPE the school district must work in partnership with you.
All students in the Commonwealth’s public education system, including students with disabilities, are entitled to the opportunity to learn the material that is covered by the academic standards in the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.
Both State and federal laws contain rules that school districts must follow when deciding if a student is eligible for special education and, if so, what services the student will receive. These laws also provide detailed procedures for ensuring that the student receives a FAPE during the entire time he or she is eligible for special education.
Special education is a highly complex and regulated area of education law. The detail in the law is intended to protect your student and to help ensure that he or she receives appropriate educational services. Information from these sources will help you work in partnership with your school district to make sure that your student receives appropriate educational services.
Federation for Children with Special Needs Resource
Resource Library for Families