SPECIAL EDUCATION LOCAL PLANNING AREA SENIOR DIRECTOR, NICOLE WELLS

Lake County, CALIF. (May 25, 2023) - Nicole Wells joins the Lake County Special Education Local Planning Area (SELPA) as their Senior Director starting June 1, 2023.

Wells has over 15 years of experience working in special education and alternative education settings, where she has advocated for the success of all students.

As the Senior Director of SELPA, Wells is looking forward to re-establishing relationships with community partners to better support the students of Lake County.

“Our SELPA team has been working hard to rebuild the structure and services available to our Lake County districts and students. In this work we are expanding our SELPA team to include additional staffing that will support higher quality programming and services for various opportunities in our community,” Wells said.

Wells said her hope is to offer engaging community sessions and trainings for special education staff, students and families.

Wells has served as the Interim Senior Director of SELPA since November 2022. Before taking the Interim position, she joined the Lake County Office of Education as the Director of Student Services in July 2022.

Previously, Wells served as the Director of Special Education at the Lakeport Unified School District (LUSD). She was the director there for five years but held various other positions at LUSD since 2012.

Before starting her journey working in education, Wells received her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies at Chapman University. She then went on to receive her Master of Arts in Special Education in 2009.

She also holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, an Education Specialist Credential with Autism Authorization and an Administrative Services Credential.

“Our team is excited for the opportunities to grow a more inclusive learning environment for all students and families that we serve!” Wells said.

SELPA is made up of the six Lake County school districts and the County Office of Education. These Local Education Agencies (LEAs) collaborate to offer free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to every individual with exceptional needs.

SELPA is a state-mandated consortium that provides for all the special education service needs of children residing within the regional boundaries. There are approximately 116 SELPAs in California. Each SELPA develops and is governed by a Local Plan describing how it provides special education services.

To learn more about the SELPA program, visit the Lake County Office of Education website at lakecoe.org/SELPA.