The Goddard Special Education Cooperative began serving students in the communities of Goddard, Clearwater, Cheney, and Conway Springs on July 1, 2021.  The students in these communities were previously served by the Sedgwick County Area Educational Services Interlocal, which was comprised of nine school districts, which dissolved on June 30, 2021.  The main office for the Goddard Special Education Cooperative is located at 201 S. Main Street, Goddard, Kansas 67052. 

Special education and related services are provided to students with disabilities who qualify for services ages 3 to 21, and to students who qualify for gifted services Kindergarten to grade 12. Infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities are served through Rainbows United of Sedgwick County.

Special education in the Goddard Special Education Cooperative is specially designed instruction that enables students to make continuous progress in school. Special education services are present within each school and are an integral part of Goddard, Clearwater, Cheney, and Conway Springs’ comprehensive school system. The Goddard Special Education Cooperative philosophy is reflected in the practice of responsibly including students in educational and social activities to the maximum extent appropriate, based on their individual learning needs. 

Reauthorized by Congress and signed into law by President Bush in December 2004, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA-04) guides all special education practices in the United States. IDEA-04 mandates that each student identified as eligible for special education services receive a "free and appropriate public education" in the "least restrictive environment" and be afforded "due process rights" as delineated in the legislation.

The Goddard Special Education Cooperative uses compliant practices as described in the Kansas Special Education Process Handbook that is published by the Kansas State Department of Education, which is available online.

The Individualized Education Program, or IEP, describes the special education services a student will receive from the Goddard Special Education Cooperative. Written by an IEP team, including the parents and the student, if appropriate, the IEP includes information designed to communicate to the school and the Legal Education Decision Maker(s) a plan for delivering services and measuring student growth toward IEP goals.

The IEP is reviewed with the Legal Education Decision Maker(s) at least annually.

Jess Herbig
Executive Director of Student Support Services 
316.794.4000 
Email Jess Herbig

Sydney Graf
Special Education Coordinator 
316.794.4000 
Email Sydney Graf

Melody Stuckey
Special Education Coordinator
316.794.4000 
Email Melody Stuckey

Melissa Owen
Special Education Records/ MIS Clerk
316.794.4000 
Email Melissa Owen