The Lebanon Community School District has received $1.5 million for special education programs.

The money is part of the federal Stimulus Act, and is awarded based on census information and the poverty level of the local population.

It cannot be used for teachers, said Laurie Glazener, director of administrative special programs.

"We plan to hire coaches for teachers," she said. "Studies have shown the best thing for kids is high-quality teachers, and the best way to get high-quality teachers is through peer coaching."

Glazener stressed the money cannot be used to replace staff or help with the budget crunch.

"The purpose (of the stimulus money) is to stimulate the economy, not preserve education," she said. "But we can use it to get better at our craft, purchase tools we need to teach life skills, make sure (those tools) are current and up to date."

Other money expected from the No Child Left Behind Act and Title 1 is planned to help continue all-day kindergarten, Glazener said.

"Special ed students especially benefit from all-day kindergarten," she said. "If you can get them on a certain proficiency, you've leveled the playing field all their life. If you don't, it becomes more labor-intensive to do so."

Glazener said 550 students in the district are in special education programs.

The federal program, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is designed to provide extra funds for special education students.

The program is for students with diagnosed disabilities - from autism to mental retardation to communication disorders.

"It's meant to bridge the skill deficits where you can, and help students access the regular curriculum," Glazener said.

After a student is diagnosed with a disability, additional testing is done to see what kind of help that child needs to make progress.

The Individual Education Plan for each student reflects the information gained by testing and outline what kind of help the student needs to adapt to regular curriculum.

Special education programs help students inside the classroom, with additional help outside the classroom when needed, Glazener said.

She said only students with significantly reduced cognitive function - less than 2 percent of Lebanon's students - spend most of the day in their own classes. Even these students learn in the regular classroom part of the time.

Students termed "learning disabled" - those who only need help for about 20 percent of their day - have regular homerooms in elementary school.

"Not all students on an IEP will need extra support all of the time," Glazener said.