Iowa contracts for special education services [Video]

DES MOINES — The state will contract with a suburban Des Moines company to provide guidance to Iowa families with special education students, the state education department announced Monday.

The Iowa Department of Education said it will allocate $1 million for the first year of the program to ASK Resource Center in Johnston. The contract period started March 1, according to a news release from the education department.

The funding will come from the state education department’s federal funding via the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which is dedicated to special education services for ages 3 to 21, according to the news release.

Previously, the state contracted with Iowa’s area education agencies on a similar program. The state in January informed AEA leaders that it no longer will contract with the agencies on what was called the Family Educator Partners program, under which AEA coordinators at no cost to families …