Students may enroll at Aseltine as a public school referral. Students are referred to
Aseltine School by contracting school districts located throughout San Diego County and
neighboring cities. A student being considered for intake must have an IEP (Individualized
Education Program). The students’ IEP team determines the need for our services. A tour and
an interview with the student and parents/guardians is required prior to admission. Factors
considered include: age, cognitive ability, attendance pattern, and disability.
If you are interested in enrolling your student, please call Aseltine’s Family/Student Services
Coordinator Kim Groulx at (619) 296-2135 x 109 and she will be happy to answer your
questions and schedule a tour for you and your student.

Aseltine does not have enrollment deadlines.  We process referrals throughout the
school year and the extended school year. See school calendar for school hours and schedule.

Aseltine staff working with a student may discover that the student’s current IEP does not appropriately address his/her needs in an area, e.g. reading, and that further assessment may be necessary to write a new goal into the IEP or change an existing goal.  This usually happens within the first 30 days of attendance.   A new IEP will be developed in collaboration with the parents, student, Aseltine teacher and public school district staff.

Aseltine is certified to serve students in kindergarten through high school graduation.  Students may remain at Aseltine up to age 22.

Aseltine offers specific skills instruction and remediation in small groups or on an individualized basis.  Students are assigned to a homeroom, but will generally also attend class in other rooms from other teachers based on subject matter.  Aseltine groups students in a variety of ways, depending on content area and each student’s need, level of academic skill, commitment to academics, and social skill development.  Classes generally have between 5 and 15 students, with the average class having about 10 students, and have at least one teacher and one
classroom aide.  The number of staff per room varies depending on student need.

No, Aseltine does not require students to wear a uniform; however, Aseltine does enforce a dress code.  All students and their parents/guardians are informed of the dress code prior to their enrollment.  If a student violates the dress code they have the option to cover up, replace, or remove (if appropriate) the offending article or they will be sent home for the day.  For more details on the dress code, please contact the school at (619) 296-2135.

Students who complete all academic requirements to earn a diploma will receive a diploma from their home school district when they graduate from Aseltine.

Non-public schools serve children who cannot be adequately served in special education settings in public schools.  School districts refer students once they have determined that their own in-house programs do not effectively meet the students’ needs.  Referring school districts pay tuition and transportation costs for students referred to non-public schools.

Every student placed in a non-public school must qualify for special education services as detailed in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).  Each student’s IEP, designed and agreed upon by an IEP team, details the student’s needs and determines appropriate instruction and services to meet those needs.

The IEP team includes, at minimum, the student’s parent or guardian, the student’s teacher, and a representative of the referring school district.  Others who may have special expertise in the students’ specific disability and circumstance such as a social worker, probation officer, speech and language therapist, or school psychologist may also attend IEP meetings.

Only if the IEP team determines that the public school system can not provide adequate programs and services to meet the students’ educational needs will the student be referred to a non-public school.  These students have exceptional learning, behavioral, or physical handicapping conditions that interfere with their educational progress in a traditional setting.  Typical handicapping conditions include: severe learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, developmental disabilities, autism, speech and language impairment, or other health impairment.

Non-public schools are regulated by the California Department of Education.  The State requires schools requesting certification as “non-public” to undergo an initial certification review and on-site visit.  Every 3 years the State conducts an on-site review of the non-public school as a condition of re-certification.  The State may also conduct surprise reviews any time at their discretion.

In addition, individual districts, SELPAs, and COEs include quality and outcome accountability stipulations in their individual contracts with non-public schools.  Parents, children’s educational representatives and local educational agency personnel may visit non-public school sites at any time.

All non-public schools in California must follow the standard State curriculum for each grade level, tailored to the needs, strengths and capacity of each student, as detailed in their IEP.