Skip To Main Content

Menu Close Trigger

Mobile Menu Container

Mobile Header Utility

Main Header Container

Breadcrumb

Special Education

Mission

The mission of the NBISD Special Education program is to ensure that students who qualify under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) receive the appropriate special education and related services as determined by the Admission, Review and Dismissal Committee (ARDC). These services are to be designed to meet the unique needs of the student and thus provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

Special Education Department
1040 N. Walnut Ave.
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 643-5757


Special Education Information

The definition of special education is, “specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and instruction in physical education.” In order for a student to qualify for special education services and instruction, the student must be properly evaluated and determined as having  at least one of the thirteen disabilities defined in the IDEA and require special education and related services due to the disability. The thirteen disabilities defined under IDEA are:

  • Auditory Impairment
  • Autism
  • Deaf–Blind
  • Emotional Disturbance
  • Intellectual Disability
  • Multiple Disabilities
  • Non–categorical Early Childhood
  • Orthopedic Impairment
  • Other Health Impairment
  • Specific Learning Disability
  • Speech or Language Impairment
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Visual Impairment

NBISD strives to provide special education students the services and specialized instruction to address the specific and unique needs of each student. Under the federal law, state laws, and district policy the Special Education Program must provide a continuum of services in order to provide for these needs of special education students.  In order to make this determination and write an appropriate individual educational plan (IEP), the ARDC must first review the present levels of academic and functional performance (PLAAFPs).  Once an IEP is written based on the PLAAFP, the ARDC must determine what the most appropriate setting would be to provide the service and/or instruction that matches the needs defined in the IEP. Frequency and duration for these services and instruction must also be addressed in the ARD. 

The continuum of service at NBISD includes: inclusion support, content mastery, resource class, specialized unit, FOCUS behavior support and homebound services.

A more restrictive environment, if appropriate, would be made available to our students.  

Other related and instructional services that are readily available to our students are: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language therapy,  services for the auditorily impaired, services for the visually impaired, and adapted physical education. 

Kara Bock, Assistant Superintendent Curriculum & Instruction

Kara Bock
Assistant Superintendent Curriculum & Instruction
830-643-5774
kbock@nbisd.org

Nina Pugh, Executive Director of Special Education

Nina Pugh
Executive Director of Special Education
830-643-5757

Catherine Archer
Asst. Special Education Director; Lead Behavior
830-643-5791

Elva Luna
Administrative Assistant
830-643-5757 

Leticia F. Gonzales,  MA/CCC-SLP
Special Education Coordinator (ECSE Child Find, Speech, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Services)
830-643-5714

Deidra Gutierrez
Lead Life Skills Coordinator
830-643-5717

Stephanie Gain
Coordinator of Assessment
830-643-5703