Central Education Center
At the Central Education Center (CEC), we are committed to providing a physically and emotionally safe learning environment so that our students can learn and demonstrate new behaviors and skills within an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
CEC operates on behalf of the 22 public school districts in Lancaster and Lebanon counties, serving the diverse, individual needs of students in the following IU13 Early Childhood and Special Education Services (ECSES) programs: Preschool Early Intervention, Autistic Support, Emotional Support, and the Integrated Emotional Support at CEC which serves students who are dually diagnosed.
About the CEC Programs
The Autistic Support program serves students from kindergarten through 21 years of age who have struggled in a traditional Autistic Support classroom in the regular school setting. The program is designed to meet the students’ academic, functional, and behavioral needs while preparing them for a possible return to their home school district or transition to a community setting.
- Contact: Bonnie Rudi, 717-606-1775 or bonnie_rudi@iu13.org
The Emotional Support program serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade who struggle behaviorally in a traditional school setting. The program is designed to meet the students’ academic, functional, emotional, and behavioral needs while preparing them for a return to their home school district.
- Contact: Bonnie Rudi, 717-606-1775 or bonnie_rudi@iu13.org
This program, known as the “Integrated Emotional Support at CEC” serves students diagnosed with two or more disabilities, including: Intellectual Disabilities, Autism, Specific Learning Disabilities, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and Other Health Impairments. The program offers a low student-to-staff ratio and specialized instruction to meet the needs of the students. The focus of the program is to support the students’ behavioral needs while providing individualized academic instruction at the students’ ability levels.
- Contact: Krista Buckwalter, 717-606-1372 or krista_buckwalter@iu13.org
The Preschool Early Intervention program provides supports and services for preschool children (ages 3-5 years) meeting the criteria for one of the following disability categories: Deaf/Blindness, Autism, Developmental Delay, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment (including Deafness), Intellectual Disabilities, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Speech or Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Visual Impairment (including Blindness), and Other Health Impairment.
- Contacts: Amy Stitzel, 717-606-1744 or amy_stitzel@iu13.org; Jill Gerhart, 717-947-1297 or jill_gerhart@iu13.org
History of the CEC
The H.C. Burgard Elementary School was built in 1955 to serve the Manheim Central School District. Expansions and renovations were completed in 1963 and 1989, at which time nearly 700 students and 75 staff occupied the building. Manheim Central School District closed the building in 2019 and sold it to IU13. The building was renovated again in 2021 to create a central location for students being served by IU13 on behalf of the Lancaster and Lebanon county school districts.
CEC serves as a home to four IU13 programs: Preschool Early Intervention, Autistic Support, Emotional Support, and Integrated Emotional Support, which serves students who are dually diagnosed. The building was modified to meet the unique needs of IU13 programs and students, and to
serve as a permanent location for these programs. CEC holds 36 classrooms, a full gymnasium, cafeteria/multi-purpose room with stage, and school-age and preschool early intervention playgrounds. IU13 classrooms from two different locations were relocated to the building and welcomed students to their new location in August 2021.
- First Built: 1955
- Renovations/Expansions: 1963, 1989, and 2021
- Square Footage: Main Building – 69,000; Annex – 1,149
- Purchased by IU13: November 2019
- Doors Open for IU13 Students: August 2021
- Total Renovation Cost: $2.6M
- Length of Renovation: 8 months; new preschool early intervention playgrounds will be available in spring 2023
- Number of Classrooms: 36 classrooms, a full gymnasium, cafeteria/multi-purpose room with stage, school-age and preschool early intervention playgrounds
- Number of Staff: 150
- Number of Students: 230