Special Education

STEM offers a robust array of special education services for students. Our Learning Support Specialist (LSS) teams span kindergarten through 12th grade. The teams in Elementary, Middle and High School provide support and services for students on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Meet our teams below.

504 Information

STEM School Highlands Ranch

8773 Ridgeline Blvd.

Highlands Ranch, CO. 80129

303-683-STEM (7836)

What is Section 504?

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights statute that protects persons with disabilities from discrimination. It states that:

“No otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall solely by reason of her or his disability be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) contains similar prohibitions against discrimination.

Under Section 504, school districts are required to make their programs and activities (including non-academic and extracurricular programs and activities) accessible to all individuals with disabilities and to provide students with disabilities a free appropriate public education (“FAPE”). A FAPE includes the provision of regular or special education, related aids and services, and other accommodations designed to meet the individual educational needs of the student.

Please note that Section 504 applies to all students with disabilities – including those students eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”).

What do we provide?

At STEM we collaborate with students, teachers, and families to develop appropriate 504 plans that meet the needs of learners with disabilities by providing accommodations to help students benefit from the educational programming and activities of the school.

Standards of Operation:

  • Middle School and High School meetings are scheduled 30 minutes before the start of the school day to allow general education teachers to attend. Elementary School meetings are scheduled at the conclusion of the school day for 30 minutes.
  • 504 meetings are scheduled for 30 minutes. If additional time is needed, a second meeting will need to be scheduled.
  • Please review the 504 Plan and supporting documentation before attending the 504 meeting.

Effective Flow of Communication

    1. Grade-Level Teacher
    2. STEM Section 504 Coordinator:
      1. ES (k-5): TBA
      2. MS (6-8): Lily Williams (lily.williams@stemk12.org) (A-L); Lisa Clay (M-Z) (lisa.clay@stemk12.org)
      3. HS (9-12): Colene Belisle (A-L) (colene.belisle@stemk12.org); Madison Grebe (M-Z) (madison.grebe@stemk12.org)
    3. School Directors:
      1. ES – Amie McElroy (amie.mcelroy@stemk12.org)
      2. MS: Maura Ridder (maura.ridder@stemk12.org)
      3. HS: Ryan Alsup (ryan.alsup@stemk12.org)
    4. Director of Student Support: Kaeli Sandhoff (kaeli.sandhoff@stemk12.org)
    5. District 504 Liaison: Jenn Gherardini (jgherardini@dcsdk12.org)

Elementary School Team

Headshot of Kaeli Sandhoff
Kaeli Sandhoff
Director of Student Support Services
Headshot of Rebekah Stoller
Rebekah Stoller
Speech Language Pathologist

Middle School Team

Headshot of Lily Williams
Lily Williams
Middle School Counselor (A-L)
Headshot of Lisa Clay
Lisa Clay
Middle School Counselor (M-Z)
Headshot of Kaeli Sandhoff
Kaeli Sandhoff
Director of Student Support Services

High School Team

Headshot of Kaeli Sandhoff
Kaeli Sandhoff
Director of Student Support Services
Headshot of Becky Hathaway
Becky Hathaway
High School Learning Specialist
Headshot of Rocki Sugrue
Rocki Sugrue
High School Learning Support Specialist
Headshot of Kelly Padilla
Kelly Padilla
Secondary LSS Educational Assistant