Clinton City Schools

Program Description

Students with disabilities in the Clinton City School system receive Exceptional Children (EC) services based on the individual educational need for specially designed instruction when standard instruction with accommodation is not appropriate. The services emphasize maximum participation in typical settings for students three through twenty-one years of age. Services are provided according to the federal mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and North Carolina Public School Law, Article 9 regulations as written in Procedures Governing Programs and Services for Students with Disabilities.

Students receive services in typical school settings from highly qualified professionals who receive ongoing professional development. Students receive services in varying amounts of time depending on their individual need. Amounts of service range from regular class room and resource level instructional intervention focused on the North Carolina Common Core State Standards and the North Carolina Essential Standards to full-time specially designed instruction with related services or more restrictive services such as hospital-homebound if required. All service decisions are specified in an Indivdualized Education Program (IEP) jointly developed by parents and school teams. Determination of the need for special education and related services is determined through a comprehensive, multi disciplinary evaluation process. The Exceptional Children's program provides necessary services and supports to students to implement the educational program and assure that students' and parents' rights are followed in this process.

If you are new to Clinton City Schools- Welcome! If you have a child who has been receiving special education services, please contact the school that your child will attend and provide the School Counselor with documentation of your child's special needs (i.e., a copy of the student's current Individualized Education Program - IEP from his/her previous school district). If your child has highly specialized needs, please feel free to contact Emily Pope, EC Director, (910-592-3132).

Questions or Comments

Emily C. Pope, EC Program Director (910) 592-3132 Ext. 1931

Dagma Marin, Administrative Assistant (910) 592-3132 Ext. 1936- Feel free to contact for information in Spanish

Dispute Resolution

Click HERE!

EC Services

Exceptional Children's Services are provided under the following categorical designations according to NC Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities:

Discipline Procedures

Parent/Student Handbook- Discipline Procedures pages 31-35

Parent/Student Handbook Spanish- Discipline Procedures pages 31-35

Clinton City Schools Discipline Flowchart

Resources and Links

Policies Governing Services for Students with Disabilities- Amended March 2018

Procedural Safeguards: Handbook on Parents' Rights

Procedural Safeguards: Handbook on Parents' Rights- Spanish

North Carolina Public Schools- EC Website

Autism Society of North Carolina

TEACCH Autism Program

Exceptional Children's Assistance Center

Family Support Network of North Carolina

NC Vocational Rehabilitation

NC Department of Public Instruction Education Acronyms

NC Department of Public Instruction Parent Resources

What is Dyslexia? Video

Dyslexia in NC Public Schools Video

Child Find Procedures

North Carolina has a continuing Child Find procedure in place to locate all children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities attending private schools or home schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, who are in need of special education and related services.

This effort also includes highly mobile children with disabilities (such as migrant and homeless children) and children who are suspected of being a child with a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade. The purpose of this procedure is to enhance public understanding of exceptional children and youth with special needs, to identify and locate the children and youth, and to inform the public of available services.

Services include a complete evaluation, an individualized education program designed specifically for the child and a referral to other agencies providing special services. Clinton City Schools encourages anyone who knows of a child or youth who may have disabilities and is not receiving special assistance, to urge the parents/guardians to contact: Emily Pope, Exceptional Children Director at (910) 592-3132, School Principal or the Department of Public Instruction's Exceptional Children Division. You may also contact Emily Pope, EC Director if you have Child Find questions or would like to discuss a child find referral.

For more information contact: the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Exceptional Children Division, Raleigh, North Carolina at (919) 807-3996. Parents or guardians may call the toll-free North Carolina Department of Human Resources CARELINE at 1-800-662-7030 (Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Family Support Network at 1-800-TLC-0042 or the Exceptional Children's Assistance Center Parent Info Line at 1-800-962-6817.

Public Notice- NC Application for Grant Award Under Part B of the IDEA as Amended in 2004 for Federal Fiscal Year 2018

The proposed State Application is available for review in the main lobby of Clinton City School's Central Services Building, 300 Westover Road, Clinton, NC 28328 from 8:00 am-5:00 pm Monday-Thursday and from 8:00 am- 4:30 pm on Friday. Comments are being accepted during the review window of March 6 through May 5, 2018.

Special Olympics

Clinton City Schools joined forces with Sampson County Schools to participate in the 2018 Special Olympic Games on April 19, 2018.

Special Education students from Clinton City Schools and Sampson County Schools participated in our local games held at Clinton High School. Teams from L.C. Kerr School, Butler Avenue School, Sunset Avenue School, Sampson Middle School and Clinton High School participated in the games and activities from Clinton City Schools. The 2019 games will be once again hosted by Clinton High School.

EC Conference Educator of Excellence 2018

Mrs. Alandra Williams, EC Teacher at Clinton High School, represented Clinton City Schools as our 2018 Educator of Excellence during the Exceptional Children Division's 68th Conference on Exceptional Children. Mrs. Williams was recognized for this honor during the recognition ceremony on November 15, 2018. Congratulations to Mrs. Williams for this very deserved honor!
​