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What is a Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)?

In 1977, all school districts and county offices of education were required to join to form geographical regions of sufficient size and scope to provide for all of the special education service needs of children residing within the region boundaries. Each region developed a local plan describing how it would provide special education services. The SELPA governance structure varies in form. Single district SELPAs are of such significant size to provide all services within their boundaries while smaller districts joined consortia to provide the full range of services.

The Shasta Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) comprises 27 school districts (including Mountain Valley Special Education JPA), the Shasta County Office of Education, and four charter schools that are local education agencies for special education purposes. Districts range in size from 5000 students with multiple-school sites to small single-school districts with less than 100 students.

Each SELPA must have an Administrative Unit, the legal entity that receives funds and is responsible for seeing that every eligible child receives appropriate services. The County Office of Education is the Administrative Unit for Shasta County.