SSI Catholic School Department Diocese of Sacramento
Welcome Page About Us Curriculum Standards In the News School Directory Calendar of Events Job Opportunities Staff E-mail Access		The SSI Program   Special Student Initiative THE NEED To provide a quality, values-based education for children from all socio-economic backgrounds, whose disability might prevent the otherwise qualified student from attending a Catholic school Children with physical disabilities such as blindness or deafness are often denied access to federal educational funding if they choose to attend a Catholic school. This places an additional burden on the parents and school to provide appropriate educational services including aides and sign language interpreters. The SSI fund has been created to help fund these special services, and make a Catholic school education accessible to more students. THE MISSION The Mission of SSI is to provide funding for special educational needs for students with disabilities who are otherwise qualified to attend a Catholic school.     THE GOAL Catholic schools do not have access to the same federal and state funding available to public schools for students with exceptional educational needs. Without this funding to provide for the specialist teachers, aides and resource materials, we are limited in the children whose needs we can serve. The SSI fund is a Diocesan attempt to provide funding to help some students with disabilities receive a Catholic school education.   THE PROGRESS REPORT The SSI fund has been active since 1999. Although limited in resources, we have been able to provide sign language interpreters for a deaf student attend a Catholic high school. Our hope is to expand the range of services we offer and to offer services to additional students.   DONATIONS If you would like to know more about this fund, or are interested in donating to this fund or even supporting a disabled student attending a Catholic school, please contact: Lynette Lasell Development & Public Relations Coordinator Catholic School Department 2110 Broadway Sacramento, CA 95818 (916) 733-0110 llasell@diocese-sacramento.org