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Best Special Needs Schools in Wasilla, Alaska (2026)

Compare 2 special needs schools in Wasilla. Explore the ranked list and find a program that feels right for your child.

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School listings in Wasilla

1

Mat-Su Day School

Listed
Wasilla, AKGrades K-12 & up to 22Tuition-free

Mat-Su Day School is the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District's non-traditional program for special education students from elementary through high school. Our main campus in Wasilla is an alternative, transitional school that teaches behavioral, social and emotional skills in a therapeutic setting while keeping a strong focus on academics. The goal is to prepare each student to succeed back at their boundary school. We also run programs beyond the main campus. Project Life is a community-based transition program for young adults with an IEP who are at least 18 and have completed four years of high school. Depending on need, a student's day may include work at a community job site, grooming and hygiene, meal planning and lunch preparation, budgeting, public transportation practice, household safety and self-advocacy, with IEP goals written around employment and independent living. We also take applications for Project SEARCH, and our RTC program provides academic and special education services to students living at a residential treatment center. A school nurse and counseling services are on site, and students can get breakfast and lunch through the district's USDA meal program.

  • Public special education day school
  • Emotional/behavioral support
  • Therapeutic program
  • Social-emotional learning
View details
2

Twindly Bridge Charter School

Listed
Wasilla, AKFree (public school)

Twindly Bridge Charter School is a K-12 program that provides support, resources, and opportunities for homeschooling families in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. With the help of a certified teacher advisor, parents design and manage their student's education through an Individualized Learning Plan. Students may work entirely at home or come to the school building for supplemental instruction. On-site sessions include K-12 biology, chemistry, and physics science labs, along with music, art, pottery, robotics, archery, physical education, geography, foreign languages, business classes, and beginning construction trades. Families also have access to field trips, educational summer camps, parent and student workshops, a homeschool parent mentor program, and Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District schools, sports, and activities. Graduates earn a Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District high school diploma. Special education is family-supported and coordinated by a K-12 certified special education teacher and advisor. Services follow an IEP developed by the team through evaluation and data. Speech and language services are delivered by a district-contracted speech-language pathologist through teletherapy in the home, and allotment funds may be used to buy the equipment needed to access sessions. Other related services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, adapted PE, and counseling are provided at the neighborhood school. Families with reading concerns work with their advisor on an Individual Reading Improvement Plan under the Alaska Reads Act, and Special Olympics participation is available.

  • Public charter school with homeschool support
  • Learning differences
  • Speech therapy
  • K-12
View details

Nearby school options

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Planning guides

Plan your next school conversation in Wasilla

Use these guides before you contact programs, schedule tours, or ask your IEP team how a proposed setting will support your child's goals.

How to choose a special needs school

Prepare school-tour questions, compare supports and family communication, and record what each program can show you.

IEP process guide

Bring your IEP, progress evidence, and focused questions to conversations about evaluations, services, or placement.

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Comparing school options in Wasilla

Both Wasilla schools on this page belong to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, but they could hardly be more different: Mat-Su Day School on North Tait Drive is a therapeutic alternative school for special education students, and Twindly Bridge Charter School on East Seldon Road supports homeschooling families.

In 2021-22 federal civil rights data, 54 of Mat-Su Day School's 67 students had IEPs. Twindly Bridge enrolled 592 students in 2023-24 and keeps a certified special education teacher advisor on staff. Below: alternative placements, homeschool allotments, evaluations and preschool help in the Mat-Su.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in Wasilla

Are there special needs schools in Wasilla, AK?
Mat-Su Day School is the closest thing to one. The district describes it as a non-traditional program built for special education students from elementary through high school. In 2023-24 it enrolled 81 students with about six students per teacher, so staff can work closely with each child. Most other students with disabilities in Wasilla receive services through an IEP at their neighborhood district school.
Is there an alternative school in Wasilla for kids with behavior problems?
Yes. Mat-Su Day School's main campus is an alternative transitional school that teaches behavioral, social and emotional skills in a therapeutic setting while keeping academics central. Its stated mission is to prepare students to succeed back at their own boundary school, so it works as a step, not a permanent placement. It also runs a classroom inside the Summit Psychiatric Residential Treatment Center for boys ages 11 through 18. Placement runs through your child's IEP team.
What is Twindly Bridge Charter School?
Twindly Bridge is a K-12 public charter for homeschooling families. A certified teacher advisor helps each parent design an individual learning plan, and students can learn entirely at home or join on-site classes such as science labs, music, art, robotics, foreign languages and construction trades. The school lists student allotments of $2,600 for K-8 and $3,000 for grades 9-12. It is currently taking waitlist applications for 2027-28.
How does special education work at Twindly Bridge?
Special education is a district service, and Twindly Bridge runs it as a parent-led model. An evaluation decides services, which go into an IEP alongside the student's learning plan. The parent provides the academic support and records goal data for quarterly progress reports. Speech therapy comes from a district-contracted speech-language pathologist by teletherapy at home, while occupational therapy, physical therapy and adapted PE happen at your neighborhood school.
What can an Alaska correspondence allotment pay for?
Alaska's allotment law, AS 14.03.310, lets parents in a district correspondence study program buy nonsectarian services and materials from public, private or religious organizations. Purchases must be required by the student's individual learning plan, approved by the district, appropriate for the student and aligned to state standards, and the money cannot pay a family member. Twindly Bridge requires advisor approval for all curriculum, so clear tutoring or therapy materials with your advisor first.
How long does a special education evaluation take in Mat-Su?
Alaska gives districts more time than many states. Under 4 AAC 52.115, Mat-Su Borough School District has 90 calendar days from your signed consent to evaluate your child, write an IEP if your child qualifies, and begin services. Put your request in writing to your child's school or the district Special Education Office in Palmer. Dyslexia can qualify as a specific learning disability and ADHD as an other health impairment.
Where are special education preschools near Wasilla?
For 2026-27, the district runs Early Childhood Special Education preschools at 14 elementary schools, including Cottonwood Creek, Iditarod, Snowshoe, Tanaina, Shaw and Sherrod. Each has an early childhood special education teacher and paraprofessionals, speech, occupational and physical therapy happen on site, and special transportation is provided. Children reach these classrooms through the move from Infant Learning or through a free Child Find screening.
My toddler in Wasilla is behind. Who do I call?
Call the Infant Learning Program run by Mat-Su Services for Children and Adults on East Shennum Drive in Wasilla. It runs Child Find jointly with the school district, and the screening is free. A Child Find team checks speech and language, pre-academic skills, fine and gross motor skills, vision, hearing, social and emotional development and general health. Bring or wear tennis shoes to the appointment.

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