Student Services
The Student Services Department is committed to providing students with programs and resources to be successful throughout their school careers and beyond. Our goal is to assist families and school team members in addressing the needs of all students under any circumstance. Student Services provides support for both gifted students and special education students with a highly trained staff of professionals. Contact the Director of Student Services at 440-988-1990 for information on student services or the Coordinator of Special Education at 440-988-8670 for more information on special education services.
Special Education Resources
Section 504 Resources
Child Find
Child Find (3301-51-03) is a rule which requires school districts to locate, evaluate and identify all students with suspected disabilities living within the Amherst school district. A "child with a disability" is defined as a student having a cognitive disability (mental retardation), a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), a serious emotional disturbance, an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, another health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple-disabilities.
The Amherst Exempted Village School District is asking for your assistance with this important effort. When children are school-age (grades K-12), the district works to identify and evaluate these students so they can receive special education and related services. However, when children are of preschool age or younger, they often go unidentified because parents may not be aware of possible programs available for their child.
Please help us in our effort to serve those children who may be in need as early as possible. If you know of a child who may have one of the disabilities listed and is not currently in school or receiving services, please contact Sarah Walker, Director of Student Services at sarah_walker@amherstk12.org or 440-988-4406.
Parent Mentor Services
The Parent Mentors are not employed by the State Support Team but do work collaboratively with the State Support Team, parents and school districts to improve the quality of education for children with disabilities. Parent Mentors are supported by grants from the Ohio Department of Education and employed the Lorain County Educational Service Center.
The role of the parent mentor is to guide families through the special education process. This process includes clarifying parents’ rights and responsibilities; to provide information and resources to families and school personnel on education laws, district programs and services, and community resources; to attend Individual Education Program meetings and other meetings, at the request of the parents and/or school staff; and to build collaborative partnerships between families, schools and community agencies for the purpose of benefiting students with disabilities.
Please contact Kendis Bender, Parent Mentor, at bender@esclc.org or 440-324-5777 (ext 1167) with questions.
Sarah Walker is the Director of Student Services in the Amherst Exempted Village School District. She spent eight years as an intervention specialist at Avon High School prior to pursuing her path in administration.
Sarah was an administrator in the Columbia and Keystone as a Supervisor of Special Education. From there, she worked with the State Support Team of Region 2 as the Regional Director of Special Education and Family Services. While working as Regional Director, Sarah was able to establish a vast professional network; however, she missed working with teachers, students, and families. That desire is what brought Sarah home to Amherst. Working within the community that she grew up has been a remarkable experience!
Corrie Roark is the Coordinator of Special Education and Preschool Director. She received her undergraduate degree in Special Education from Miami University. She spent one year teaching in Columbus before coming to Amherst. Since coming to Amherst, Corrie has worked at both Nord and Powers as an Intervention Specialist and was the Assistant Principal of Powers. After a few years of teaching, she decided to continue her education at Fort Hays State University where she received her master’s degree in Administration.