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Special Education

Staff

Jennifer Pacheco 
Director of Special Services   

Ashema Hubbard 
Assistant Director of Special Services  

Margie Scanlon 
Assistant to the Director 
847.493.8420  

Dr. Katie Gorham
Special Education Facilitator
Apollo and Melzer Schools

Kristina Oprishchenko
Special Education Facilitator
Gemini Middle School and Mark Twain School  

Brianne Kilgallon
Early Childhood Special Education Facilitator  

Kathryn Knudson
Special Education Facilitator
Nelson and Washington Schools

District 63 schools are committed to helping every student reach his or her potential. The district services 573 students in preschool through eighth grade with IEPs and 69 students with 504 plans.    In accordance with state and federal guidelines, the District provides a full continuum of special education and related services -- including a special education preschool -- for those children who qualify and reside within the District.   Our schools identify each student's needs and provide services in the least restrictive environment, as well as access to and participation in the general education curriculum as much as possible.

Each school has a Student Services Team committed to problem-solving and identifying research-based interventions necessary to maximize student learning. Team members may include:

  • General and special education teachers
  • A psychologist
  • A social worker
  • A speech and language pathologist
  • A nurse
  • An administrator
  • Other staff as necessary.  

Illinois law defines specific rights and procedures for special education; you can find this information in the Illinois State Board of Education's Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois.   District 63, if necessary, will provide qualified interpreters for parents who do not normally speak English, and licensed interpreters for deaf parents, at multidisciplinary meetings, mediation, and due process hearings.