BANGOR – The Bangor School Department last year identified a significantly lower percentage of special needs students than the state average, largely because it has a general education program that is able to accommodate them, the director of student services said Monday.

Murray Shulman told the Bangor School Committee that during the 2003-2004 school year, 12.8 percent of students in kindergarten through grade 12 here were identified as needing special education services, compared to more than 18 percent statewide.

Out of 227 referrals handled by the school system, 84 students – or 37 percent – were determined not to need either special education services or special accommodations, he said.

“Bangor has a low identification rate compared to most school systems” despite the fact that it’s a service center with a disproportionate number of state wards and state agency clients, Shulman said.

One possible factor contributing to Bangor’s low identification rate “is the effectiveness and diversity of our regular education instruction programs,” he said.

For example, pupils in the elementary grades can receive specialized instruction in reading and math thanks to Reading Recovery and other Title I programs. The high school also has a number of programs for students who need individual instruction.

Another reason that Bangor has a low identification rate is that the identification process is similar throughout the system “so as much as possible people are on the same page,” Shulman said.

Last year, 70 students out of the 227 – or 31 percent – were identified as needing special education services, while 22 students – or 10 percent – were identified as needing special accommodations.

At the end of the year, 39 students – or 17 percent – were still under consideration. Meanwhile, eight students – or 3 percent – moved during the evaluation process and four students – or 2 percent – withdrew or refused their referral, according to Shulman.

“The system in Bangor is operating in good fashion,” he said.

Students were identified in six categories: autism, emotional disability, learning disability, other health impairment, speech and language impairment, and traumatic brain injury.

The identification process typically takes 60 days, and includes face-to-face assessments and classroom observation, Shulman said. Sometimes a student will be assessed by professionals in the community, he said.