Special Services Department
Lufkin ISD is committed to providing special education and related services to the students who meet eligibility criteria as set by the Texas Education Agency. Lufkin ISD Special Services is proud to provide a variety of services to our special education children and to their families to ensure that students receive the appropriate services to maximize their individual potential.
Some of the services offered to students include direct instruction in academic and vocational areas, support services, counseling, transportation, occupational, physical, and speech therapies, extended year services, and any other services deemed necessary for the student to meet his/her individual goals.
Our Philosophy
The special education staff is a child-centered staff that is always seeking to do what is best for the student. All decisions regarding instruction and services are driven by the idea of providing a beneficial education in the most appropriate least restrictive environment for all children.
Our expectations are high for all children with a goal to provide these children an education that allows the student to access the general curriculum and to become productive citizens and life-long learners.
Advocating for our special education students is a primary responsibility of our staff; our special education staff is dedicated to ensuring these exceptional learners receive a meaningful education.
Program Overview
Lufkin ISD Special Services offers a variety of special education services on each campus. These services may include:
- Content Mastery Classrooms
- Life Skills Classrooms
- Adaptive Behavior Classrooms
- Specialized Classrooms for children with autism
- Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
- Vocational Exploration Training
- Career and Technical Education (CTE)
- Vocational Adjustment Coordination
- Parent Training(s)
- Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) training for Special Education staff- Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI)
- Regional Day School Programs for the Deaf
- Early Intervention Services
Public Notice: Destruction of Special Education Records
Special Education records which have been collected by the Lufkin Independent School District related to the identification, educational placement, or the provision of Special Education services in the district, must be maintained under state and federal law for a period of seven years after the cessation of Special Education services. Special Education services cease when the student no longer is eligible for services, graduates, no longer meets age eligibility requirements, or moves from the district.
This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of LISD’s intent to destroy the Special Education records of students who were no longer receiving Special Education services in the district as of the end of the 2013-2014 school year. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law in June.
After seven years, the records are no longer useful to the district but may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for Social Security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. Records may be requested at the following address on or before July.
Special Services Resources
- Overview of Special Education for Parents ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- ESC Region 7/LEA Lufkin ISD Special Education Monitoring Survey ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- Special Education Glossary (PDF)
- Definitions of Disability Terms (PDF)
- House Bill 3928 Dyslexia Evaluation, Identification & Instruction FAQs (PDFs) ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- Contact the Special Programs staff
- Learn about the 504 Program
- Learn about the Dyslexia Program
- Learn about Response to Intervention
- Lufkin ISD Special Education Operating Procedures
- Learn about Autism Training
- Learn about Child Find (YouTube video)
- Learn about Compensatory Services (PDFs) ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- Learn about IDEA, Dyslexia, MTSS and 504
- Supplemental Special Education Services Program (PDFs) ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- Supplemental Special Education Services grant application information (PDFs) ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- Overview of Supplemental Special Education Services (PDFs) ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- View the Texas Transition and Employment Guide
- Read “Pathways: The Texas Transition & Employment Guide to a Successful Life After High School for Students with Disabilities” (PDFs) ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- Visit the Texas Education Agency website
- Visit the Region 7 Education Service Center website
- Visit the Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Special Education Process website
- View the Spring 2022 survey for parents of students who receive special education services
- The Dyslexia Handbook (2021 update) and important changes for families to understand (PDFs) ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- Special Education Prior Written Notice Guide (PDF)
- Child Find Duty Quick Guide (PDF)
- Updates in Special Education (PDFs) ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- IDEA Overview Rights for Special Education (PDFs) ▶ English ▶ Spanish
- Behavior Basics
- Family Day — Texas Autism Conference 2024 (Registration is free)
Notice of Procedural Safeguards
Aviso Sobre Procedimientos de Protección
Parent’s Guide to the ARD Process
The Special Education Information Center (SPEDTex) provides resources and interactive features for increasing family awareness of disabilities and special education processes, with the goal of improving partnerships between schools and families.
Contact information
Phone: 1-855-773-3839
Email: inquire@spedtex.org
Live Chat: www.spedtex.org
Special Services Staff
Irma Herrera
Director of Special Services
📧 iherrera@lufkinisd.org
☎️ (936) 630-4261
RECORDS REQUEST: Email bahernandez@lufkinisd.org and lherrera@lufkinisd.org. The fax number is (936) 630-4276.
Special Services Directory
Special Education Assessment Staff
Name | Title | Phone number |
Krista Andrus | ARD Manager | (936) 630-4285 |
Felicia Arnold | ARD Manager | (936) 630-4293 |
Beth Carr | ARD Manager | (936) 630-4279 |
Savanna Coleman | District ARD Manager | (936) 630-4284 |
Lori Denman | Bilingual Educational Diagnostician | (936) 630-4277 |
Julia Evans | Lead Educational Diagnostician | (936) 630-4264 |
Kristie Sloma | Educational Diagnostician | (936) 630-0058 |
Katie Yeary | Educational Diagnostician | (936) 630-4289 |
Speech Language Pathologist and Speech Assistants
Name | Title | Phone number |
Morgan Wright | Speech Pathologist | (936) 633-7151 |
Edith Munoz Greer | Speech Assistant | (936) 630-7152 |
Jamie Moore | Speech Assistant | (936) 630-4319 |
Kristian Taylor | Lead Speech Pathologist | (936) 633-4631 |
Aley Vardeman | Speech Pathologist | (936) 630-4317 |
Emily Montes | Speech Pathologist | (936) 630-4319 |
Support Staff
Name | Title | Phone number |
Aspen Allman | Administrative Assistant — Skyward/eSPED/PEIMS | (936) 630-4272 |
Barbara Capps | Assistant to RDSPD Supervisor — SHARS/Budget | (936) 630-4269 |
Brenda Hernandez | Special Services Records Clerk | (936) 630-4275 |
Specialists and Therapists
Name | Title | Phone number |
Erin McBryde | Special Ed Instructional Specialist | (936) 630-5250 |
Candi Blackmon | O&M Specialist | (936) 630-4272 |
Alex Driver | VI Teacher/Assistive Technology Coordinator | (936) 633-7407 |
Cynthia Fitzgerald | Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant | (936) 630-4163 |
Lindsey Goforth | Occupational Therapist | (936) 630-4272 |
Jill Riggs | RDSPD Supervisor and ECI/Child Find | (936) 630-4270 |
Virginia Spore | Physical Therapist | (936) 630-4272 |