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Date: 12/7/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – The East Longmeadow Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) will be hosting its second meeting of the year on Dec. 12. The meeting will cover the topic of parents’ basic rights.
Every public school in Massachusetts is required to establish a SEPAC. Parents of children with disabilities and other interested parties are able to join the council.
East Longmeadow’s first meeting of the year took place at Birchland Park Middle School on Oct. 26. This was an introductory meeting to discuss the SEPAC’s purpose and bylaws. The next meeting on Dec. 12 will take place on Zoom.
During the Dec. 12 meeting, a representative from the Federation for Children with Special Needs will be discussing the topic of parents’ rights. Those in attendance will be able to ask questions after the presentation.
Director of Student Services for East Longmeadow Public Schools Michael Fredette is the advisor for the SEPAC. He supports the council with anything they want to accomplish including addressing certain topics at meetings, having presenters, receiving access to support groups and resources and organizing all updates and communications for the school district.
Fredette said the upcoming meeting is important for parents to attend as they should all know their rights.
“If you have a child with a disability or if you suspect that potentially your child may have a disability, I think it’s particularly important to know what your rights are,” said Fredette.
After this, Fredette said the council will be working to schedule more meetings for 2023.
More information on the SEPAC and a link to the Zoom meeting are available on the East Longmeadow town website at https://www.eastlongmeadowma.gov/524/SEPAC.