Student Support Services

The district’s goal is to partner with families regarding the individual needs of children. The Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal legislation that helps guide school teams and families in the qualification of students and the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEP). Orting has a continuum of services to meet the needs of our diverse student population. For additional information on special education programs and support for students, please see the Parent Handbook.

To request Special Education records, please fax (360-893-4367) or email a request to Katrina Mang.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504”) is a federal civil rights law. It is designed to eliminate disability discrimination in programs and activities that receive federal funds. Since all public school districts receive federal funds, all public school districts must comply with Section 504. Under Section 504, denying a disabled student a free appropriate public education (“FAPE”) is disability discrimination. 

If your child has such a documented/diagnosed condition and you believe that accommodations are necessary for him/her to access a free and appropriate public education  (FAPE), please inform your child's school counselor, principal or teacher  of your concern.   In accordance with the Section 504, our school counselors will work with students and their families to determination if they are eligible under Section 504.  If eligibility is established, a 504 Accommodation Plan will be developed by an appropriate building team including the parent(s) and student.

Health services in Orting are designed to ensure schools have the resources and systems to provide students with the health-related care needed to access school. Duties of Health Services include medication management, health care collaboration, monitoring of life-threatening emergency care plans, and general oversight of student medical related needs. 

Home Hospital Instruction:  this service is provided to students who are temporarily unable to attend school for 4 weeks or longer because of physical disability or illness. Please see the Home Hospital Brochure and Application for additional information. 

The district’s ELL (English Language Learners) certified teacher, together with classroom instructional staff, provides English Language Development support and services to both eligible students and students who have transitioned to language fluency, to achieve high academic standards. ELL eligible students have a primary language other than English and have been determined eligible based on the Washington ELPA-21.

The Special Services and Intervention Department works to support Orting Staff, families, and students to reduce barriers to regular school attendance.  If a student does not attend school, the law requires the school district to take several action steps including facilitating Community Truancy Boards as a middle step before formal legal action. Each Community Truancy Board is made up of educators and community members. Additional information regarding how you can support your child's school attendance can be found here.

The Special Services and Intervention staff support school staff to assist homeless children and youth to enroll and succeed in school.  The McKinney-Vento Act is federal legislation that has been in effect since 1987 to support children and youth experiencing homelessness. The McKinney-Vento Act defines ‘homeless children and youth’ as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Please visit our McKinney-Vento page for more information.

• The Trevor Project

  • Connect with professional counselors via phone, text, and chat to help if you are an LGBTQ+ youth struggling with suicidal thoughts, crisis, or need other mental health support. 1-866-488-7386

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (Pierce County) - LGBTQ Resources
• Gender Diverse Youth Sport Inclusivity Toolkit
• Safe Zone Project
• The Rainbow Center
  • Through education. Advocacy, and celebration, Rainbow Center expands resources and safe space for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, two-spirit, and allied (LGBTQ2SA) community. 
    • 2215 Pacific Ave Tacoma, WA 98402 - 253-383-2318
• LGBTQIA+ Youth in Washington State Foster Care
• Ingersoll Gender Center 
  • Employment assistance, Weekly Trans Peer Support Group, and other assistance in navigating resources for transgender and gender nonconforming people. 206-849-7859
• OASIS Youth Center
  • Drop-in and support center for LGBTQ youth age 14-24 as well as structured programing for queer and questioning middle schoolers age 11-4. 
    • 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402
    • 253-671-2838
    • ​​​​​​​Emergency phone: 253-988-2108

The Special Services and Intervention Department staff support staff, families and students to improve the educational outcomes of children and youth in foster care. Schools, child welfare agencies, communities, and families work together to provide the equitable opportunities, specialized services, and useful supports that are essential for students in foster care to be successful in school and in life.

The district currently has agreements with Multi-Care Behavioral Health and Comprehensive Life Resources to provide mental health support and resources to students who need them to access their educational program.  Referrals are made by the school counselors in each school.

The district is partnering with “Right at School” to provide before and after school programs. The fee-based services offer a curriculum that features hands-on learning, multi-sensory activities, child-driven projects, daily fitness, team building, and leadership development. The program will offer options for families to attend the before-school program, the after-school program, or both. For more information or to register your child, please visit: Right At School

To be admitted to a kindergarten program that commences in the fall of the year, a child must be five (5) years of age as of August 31. However, School Board policy allows for the consideration of Early Entry to Kindergarten, for children residing within Orting School District boundaries, who turn five (5) years as of October 31 of the year of entry. After testing, send the Completed and Signed Test Scores Form to the Student Support Services Office on or before August 1. There are no exceptions to this date. For information on how to apply, please view our Early Entry to Kinder Information sheet. To apply, please have a qualified professional fill out the application.

The Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO) is an independent state agency that helps to reduce educational opportunity gaps by supporting families, students, educators, and other stakeholders in communities across WA in understanding the K-12 school system and resolving concerns collaboratively.  OEO services are free and confidential. Anyone can contact OEO with a question or concern about school.

OEO listens, shares information and referrals, and works informally with families, communities, and schools to address concerns so that every student can fully participate and thrive in our state’s public schools. OEO provides support in multiple languages and has telephone interpretation available. To get help or learn more about what OEO does, please visit our website: https://www.oeo.wa.gov/en; email oeoinfo@gov.wa.gov, or call:  1-866-297-2597 (interpretation available). (English)