Center/Student Programs & Services

Center Programs and Services for Students

Kent ISD Center Programs provide specialized services to meet the needs of students with individual education programs (IEPs) that have complex needs.  Eligibility and placement decisions are made collaboratively through the IEP process, centering the student’s needs, preferences, and voice. In alignment with IDEA, placement in a Center Program occurs only when the IEP team determines that the student’s educational needs cannot be effectively met in the resident district, even with the use of appropriate Supplementary Aids and Services designed to support access to the general curriculum in the Least Restrictive Environment. Districts must document that they have implemented and exhausted these supports before recommending a placement in our programs.

We operate Center Programs for students, from birth through the age of 26, who reside within the boundaries of Kent County and its member districts. We also operate specialized programs that serve deaf and hard-of-hearing students and transition programming at Empower U, which provides instructional opportunities to meet students' postsecondary goals of independent living, employment and community participation.

Our Vision: Kent ISD Center Programs will empower and equip students with the strategies and skills needed to maximize their participation and independence and to ensure equitable access in school, community, career, and life.