Special Education

Paper cutouts of people holding connecting puzzle pieces.

In its capacity as the Administrative Unit for its four member school districts, Mountain BOCES is responsible for the implementation of services for students with disabilities meeting the legal requirements of the Exceptional Children's Education Act (ECEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We provide support and guidance on special education processes & procedures and serve as the Office of Record for students' special education records. Mountain BOCES is responsible for submitting required data to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and assuring district compliance with State Performance Plan Indicators. We also support member districts in providing the following services for students with disabilities:

Consultation on all aspects of special education including assessments, eligibility, Individualized Education Program (IEP) development, and school programming.
Professional Development for teachers & staff
Access to the Educational Resource & Equipment Center (EREC)
Providing special education assessments & protocols for district use
Facilitating IEP meetings when requested to build collaborative working relationships between school teams, families, & advocates
School to Work Alliance Program (SWAP)
Specialized contracted services including the following staff:
- Teacher of students with Vision Impairments
- Orientation & Mobility Specialist
- Teacher of students with Hearing Impairments
- Audiologist

Mountain BOCES Staff Contacts:

Susan Udenberg, M.S. Ed.L

Position: Executive Director/Special Education Director
Phone: 970-948-7536
Email Address: sudenberg@mtnboces.org

Lanea Drawbridge

Position: Special Education Coordinator
Appointing Authority: Buena Vista
Phone: 719-427-9011
Email Address: ldrawbridge@mtnboces.org

Marcia Cates

Position: Special Education Coordinator
Appointing Authority: Leadville/Lake County
Phone: TBD
Email Address: mcates@mtnboces.org

Barbara Alward

Position: Special Education Coordinator
Appointing Authority: Fairplay/Park County
Phone: TBD
Email Address: balward@mtnboces.org

Heather McFadden

Position: Special Education Coordinator
Appointing Authority: Salida
Phone: TBD
Email Address: hmcfadden@mtnboces.org

LaRee Bearss

Position: Special Education Assistant Director
Phone: 719-486-2603 ext. 315 Cell: 719-917-8330
Email Address: lbearss@mtnboces.org

Keith Bailey

Position: Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Email Address: keith.bailey@summitk12.org

Elizabeth Webb

Position: Teacher of the Visually Impaired
Email Address: elizabeth@virtualtvi.com

Van White

Position: Braille Transcriptionist
Email Address: vwhite@mtnboces.org

Website Accessibility Statement

Mountain BOCES (the "District") is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, the District strives to provide an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, AA, and commercial screen reading software. Features of the website are created to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities.

If you need any special assistance or accommodations:

Contact our compliance support team via telephone at: (888) 765-1970

Ongoing Compliance Information

Compliance Coordinator

The District has designated a Compliance Coordinator for website disability-related accommodations. The Compliance Coordinator has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best practices and requirements.

Compliance Procedures

The District is working to ensure all website content complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and controlling State laws. In an ongoing effort to continually improve and remediate accessibility issues, the website is regularly scanned to ensure ongoing compliance, and timely changes are made to any inaccessible content if found.

Accessible Documents Policy

The District is committed to providing all documents hosted on the website in an accessible format or making accessible alternatives available.

Linked Documents and Third Parties

Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites that do not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties, we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.

Report a Website Accessibility Issue

We are committed to your ability to access all content, and we will respond to all requests in a timely manner. If you need assistance or accommodations while accessing content on this website, please contact our Compliance Coordinator via the form below: