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Best Special Needs Schools in San Anselmo, California (2026)

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

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School listings in San Anselmo

1

Irene M. Hunt School - San Anselmo

Listed
San Anselmo, CAGrades K-12Tuition-free; students placed by school districts

The Irene M. Hunt School is a nonpublic day school operated by Side by Side that provides kindergarten through twelfth grade students with an individualized education tailored to their specific needs. The school serves children from Marin County and adjacent communities within commuting distance who have emotional and behavioral challenges that make traditional public school settings difficult. It offers a therapeutic environment with a comprehensive state-adopted curriculum supplemented by enrichment activities such as music and theater. Students receive personalized mental health treatment and specialized services matching their individualized education plans. Small class sizes are separated for elementary, middle, and high school. The goal is to equip students with skills to return successfully to their neighborhood mainstream public schools. Placement is through school districts and county SELPAs.

  • Private special education day school
  • Emotional/behavioral support
  • Private school
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Red campus building with white fence and flowering trees at Oak Hill School in San Anselmo.
2

Oak Hill School - San Anselmo

Listed
San Anselmo, CAGrades K-12 & up to 22Funded primarily by school districts through IEPs as a CDE-certified NPS; also accepts private pay

Oak Hill School is a private nonpublic school certified by the California Department of Education in San Anselmo, CA. It provides day program academic and behavioral instruction to students ages 6 to 22 with autism spectrum disorders and related neurodevelopmental differences in grades 1 through 12. The school uses a relationship-based, individualized approach with reduced ratios of 3:1 or 1:1. Services include speech and occupational therapy, counseling, sensory integration, emotional regulation support, AAC, vocational training, and transition services. Most students are placed and funded by their local school districts via IEP; private pay is also accepted. The campus features classrooms, a sensory gym, kitchens, outdoor spaces, and access to athletic fields and a pool. Students must be able to manage toileting with minimal assistance and the school does not use restraint.

  • Private special education day school (NPS)
  • Autism
  • Speech therapy
  • Cognitive impairment
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Planning guides

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How to choose a special needs school

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IEP process guide

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

Comparing school options in San Anselmo

San Anselmo has two special education schools sharing one hillside address on Sunny Hills Drive: Oak Hill School, built for students with autism and related neurodevelopmental differences, and the Irene M. Hunt School, a therapeutic day school run by Side by Side. Public school families in town belong to the Ross Valley School District.

Oak Hill reported 49 students and about 7 students per teacher in 2021-22 federal private school data. Below: how district placements into these schools work, what California pays for, and how to start an evaluation with Ross Valley.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in San Anselmo

Are there autism schools in San Anselmo, CA?
Yes. Oak Hill School on Sunny Hills Drive serves students with autism, speech-language impairment, cognitive impairment, specific learning disabilities and other health impairments in grades 1 through 12, ages 6 to 22. Students range from nonverbal to highly verbal, and classes run at three students per staff member or one to one. It has eight classrooms, a diploma track and an off-campus vocational program. Students need to toilet independently or with minimal help.
What is the Irene M. Hunt School in San Anselmo?
The Hunt School is a nonpublic day school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade who have emotional and behavioral challenges. The youth services agency Side by Side runs it. Classes are small and split into elementary, middle and high school groups, and each student gets mental health treatment plus the services in the IEP. The school's stated goal is a return to the child's neighborhood public school, and it draws students from Marin County and nearby communities.
Can I enroll my child at Oak Hill or the Hunt School directly?
Go through your school district. The Hunt School lists school districts and county special education local plan areas (SELPAs) as its referral sources, and Oak Hill admits students referred by partner districts based on the IEP. Oak Hill says it holds California Department of Education certification as a nonpublic school, and a district-placed student can get transportation through the IEP. If the current program is not working, raise it at your next IEP meeting.
Does California pay for private special needs school tuition?
In one situation only. The California Department of Education says no state program funds private school tuition except when a public school district places a student with a disability in a nonpublic school. State law runs those placements under a contract between the district and the school, and federal rules require them at no cost to parents. Choose a private school on your own and you pay its tuition, though Ross Valley's Child Find duty still covers children with disabilities attending private schools.
Which school district handles special education in San Anselmo?
Ross Valley School District. Every resident of San Anselmo (94960) and Fairfax (94930) belongs to it, and your street address sets your elementary school among Brookside, Hidden Valley, Manor and Wade Thomas. All Ross Valley middle schoolers attend White Hill. The district serves students who qualify under the 13 IDEA disability categories and runs a Special Education Advisory Committee for parents.
How do I request a special education evaluation in San Anselmo?
Put the request in writing to your child's Ross Valley principal or the district office on Shaw Drive, and keep a dated copy. California's Education Code gives the district 15 calendar days to produce a proposed assessment plan, with school breaks over five school days excluded. After you sign, testing and the IEP meeting must be done within 60 days. Babies and toddlers under 3 go through Golden Gate Regional Center, the Early Start provider for Marin County.
Where can a San Anselmo child with dyslexia or ADHD get help?
Ross Valley Student Services handles both. A 504 plan covers accommodations when your child needs no specialized instruction. If reading or attention trouble calls for direct teaching, ask for an IEP evaluation: the federal definition of specific learning disability includes dyslexia, and ADHD sits under other health impairment. A child whose needs outgrow a Ross Valley classroom can be placed at Oak Hill, which lists both categories among the needs it serves.
What should I ask a San Anselmo special education school on a tour?
Ask what share of students return to a district school, since that is the Hunt School's stated aim, and how the school tracks progress toward it. Ask who is on staff: Oak Hill lists counselors, speech and occupational therapists, a vocational coordinator, a job coach and a transition social worker. Find out how the school reports IEP progress to your district case manager and how a student moves from one-to-one support into a group of three.

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