Special Services

At Valley, there are many special services that we provide. If you have questions about the services your child receives, please feel free to contact us.

A Letter from Special Education Director/504 Coordinator

Welcome to the Valley R-IV School District. I would like to introduce myself, Chris Byers, as the director of special education/504 coordinator at Valley. I hold a bachelor of science in education from Central Methodist College and have recently obtained my master’s degree in educational administration from Missouri Baptist University. It is an honor and privilege to call Valley R-6 School District my home. I have had great experiences during the time that I have been working here at Valley. I began my educational career in 2000 as a paraprofessional, and after two years I knew that special education is where I wanted to be. I stayed in special education and began working as a speech implementer for two years (pre-k through 12). I then began working the next 12 years as resource teacher (k-6). After making the decision to further my education and obtain my master’s degree, I then accepted the position of special education director/504 coordinator. 

In addition to my experience in special education, I have a solid educational foundation and a passion for student development. I am extremely enthusiastic about giving the students everything they need to become successful adults. I will strive to ensure that I live up to my office mission statement that states… "Fair is not everyone getting the same thing. Fair is everyone getting what they need to be successful." I will also ensure that each of our special education students’ instructional, social, and emotional needs are met. I believe all students can learn and it is crucial to have high expectations. The achievement gap will narrow if all students are guided to reach their full potential. We have a great staff at Valley R-6 School District who is highly qualified and able to offer an awesome educational experience to all of the students. 

I look forward to another wonderful year at Valley. If you need to contact me you can call the office and leave a message at (573) 779-3446 or email me, and I will get back with you as soon as possible. 

Your Partner In Education,

Chris L. Byers signature

Chris L. Byers
Special Education Director/504 Coordinator

Special Education

Valley R-VI School District provides a free and appropriate education to students identified with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. As part of our commitment to help each student reach his or her potential, we employ a dedicated special education faculty and staff to serve our students. For more information about our program, please contact Chris Byers.

Public Notice

All responsible public agencies are required to locate, evaluate, and identify children with disabilities who are under the jurisdiction of the agency, regardless of the severity of the disability, including children attending private schools, children who live outside the district but are attending a private school within the district, highly mobile children, such as migrant and homeless children, children who are wards of the state, and children who are suspected of having a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade. The assures that it will provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to all eligible children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 under its jurisdiction. Disabilities include autism, deaf/blindness, emotional disorders, hearing impairment and deafness, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairments, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment/blindness and young child with a developmental delay.

The Valley R-6 School District assures that it will provide information and referral services necessary to assist the state in the implementation of early intervention services for infants and toddlers eligible for the Missouri First Steps program.

The Valley R-6 School District assures that parents/guardians may inspect or review personally identifiable information collected, used, or maintained by the agency for the purposes of identification, evaluation, placement or provision of FAPE of children with disabilities. Parents/guardians may request amendment to the educational record if the parent/guardian believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or violates the privacy or other rights of their child.  Parents have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education concerning alleged failures by the district to meet the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The Valley R-6 School District has developed a Local Compliance Plan for the implementation of state regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This plan contains the agency’s policies and procedures regarding storage, disclosure to third parties, retention, and destruction of personally-identifiable information and the agency’s assurances that they provide services in compliance with the General Education Provision Act (GEPA). You may review this plan Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in the office of the superintendent at Valley R-6 School District, located at #1 Viking Drive in Caledonia, Missouri.

We will provide this notice in native languages as appropriate.

504 Public Notice

The Valley R-6 School District, as a recipient of federal financial assistance from the United States Department of Education and as a district operating a public elementary or secondary education program and/or activity, has a requirement to identify and locate every qualified person residing in the district who is not receiving a public education, and take appropriate steps to notify disabled persons and their parents or guardians of the district’s duty.

The Valley R-6 School District assures that it will provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to each qualified disabled person in the district’s jurisdiction regardless of the nature or severity of the person’s disability. For purposes of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the provision of an appropriate education is the provision of regular or special and related aids and services that are (i) designed to meet individual educational needs of disabled persons as adequately as the needs of non-disabled persons and are (ii) based on adherence to procedures that satisfy the requirements of the 504 federal regulations.

The Valley R-6 School District has developed a 504 procedures manual for the implementation of federal regulations for section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, subpart D. You may review this procedures manual Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in the office of the superintendent at Valley R-6 School District, located at #1 Viking Drive in Caledonia, Missouri.

We will provide this notice in native languages as appropriate.