Thank you for visiting the Paw Paw Public Student Support Services homepage.  Paw Paw Schools prides itself on supporting the needs of the whole child.  For some students, these needs are met through special education services.  Paw Paw partners with the Van Buren Intermediate School District to offer exceptional special education programs and services, designed to meet the unique needs of all our students.

For more information about these services please contact: 

Phoenicia Green

Special Education Director

phoenicia.green@ppps.org

269-415-5516

Paw Paw Public Schools “Child Find” and Students with Disabilities

Paw Paw Public Schools complies with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that requires schools to identify, locate and evaluate students with disabilities, birth through age 26. Either schools or parents/guardians may request a special education evaluation for a student who is suspected as having a disability. If the school requests the evaluation, the school must contact the parent/guardian and request written consent (permission) to evaluate the student. If you are a parent/guardian and would like to request an evaluation, please contact your child's Principal or the Supervisor of Special Education. 

The VBISD Early On Program helps to locate and identify young children, birth to 3, who have an established condition, a developmental delay or are at risk of a developmental delay. The VBISD Build Up Michigan Program helps to locate and identify young children, ages 3 through 5, who may be in need of special education programming and/or services.

Paw Paw Public Schools assumes the responsibility for students up to the age of 26 through local awareness activities and the special education referral process.

Examples of awareness activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Ongoing communication and outreach

• Participation in area information fairs

• Distribution of printed materials

• Participation with local interagency councils

• Informational website

• Media coverage

 Activities also include cooperative liaisons with professional and community agencies, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Area hospitals, physicians, health clinics, and other health care providers

• Department of Health and Human Services

• Van Buren/Cass County Health Department 

• Van Buren County Jail

• Community Mental Health and the Maternal Infant Health Program

• Local Interagency Coordinating Council and Great Start Collaborative

• Head Start, Great Start Readiness Programs, and local private preschools

• Parent organizations such as Great Start Parent Coalition and Parent Advisory Council