Director of Pupil Services 
Julie Bogden
(440) 582-9143 

Administrative Assistant to Director 
Cathy Szabo
(440) 582-9142

Special Education Coordinator
Cristina Zukowski
(440) 582-9141 

Office of Pupil Services Secretary 
Karrie Zingale
(440) 582-9068

The North Royalton City Schools Department of Special Education provides services to over 500 students with disabilities throughout the District. By federal and state law, school Districts are required to identify children who are suspected of having a disability that adversely affects the child’s educational performance and then to provide a free and appropriate education (FAPE) for all children with disabilities. These services can either be provided within the District or by agreement with another school District or service provider. Currently all but a few students with disabilities are served within the District.

The disabilities include: an intellectual disability, a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), an emotional disturbance, an orthopedic impairment, autism, a traumatic brain injury, other health impairment, a specific learning disability, a developmental delay (for children ages three to five only), deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities.

The law also requires public schools to provide services to preschool age students (ages three to five) with disabilities if they are at least three years of age and not age six, have a disability demonstrated by a documented deficit in one or more areas of development, which has an adverse effect upon normal development and functioning.

Services provided to school-aged students with disabilities ages five through twenty-one may include instruction in regular and/or special education classrooms, school psychology services, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, work study/transition services, and other services as determined by the individual student’s needs.

Autism Scholarship Program and John Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program

Your child may be eligible for a scholarship under the Autism Scholarship Program or the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program to attend a special education program that implements the child's individualized education program and that is operated by an alternative public provider or by a registered private provider.

Autism Scholarship Program

The Autism Scholarship Program (ASP) gives the parents of children with autism who qualify for a scholarship the choice to send the child to a special education program other than the one operated by the school district of residence to receive their education and the services outlined in the child's individualized education program (IEP). Section 3310.41 of the Revised Code establishes the ASP and requires the Ohio Department of Education to adopt rules prescribing procedures to implement the program.

• Fact Sheet

• Parent FAQ

Click here to access more information on the Autism Scholarship Program.

Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program

The Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program provides scholarships to students who are eligible to attend kindergarten through 12th grade and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) from their district of residence. The amount of each scholarship will be based on the disability identified on the student’s IEP.

• Parent FAQ

• Fact Sheet

• FAPE Comparison Chart

Click here to access more information on the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program.