Best Special Needs Schools in Sebastopol, California (2026)

Greenacre Homes and School is a comprehensive and innovative agency located in Sebastopol, California, dedicated to providing trauma-informed care for boys and young men aged 10 to 21. The core mission of Greenacre is to create a specialized environment that fosters healing from trauma and loss, stabilizes behaviors, and prepares youth for successful transitions to family-based care. Key offerings at Greenacre include a licensed short-term residential therapeutic program (STRTP), a year-round non-public school catering to students aged 6 to 22, and a vocational training program that equips students with essential life skills. The educational curriculum is designed to meet diverse learning needs, incorporating methodologies such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), speech and language therapy, and social skills development. Additionally, Greenacre emphasizes a strengths-based and culturally relevant approach, ensuring that each child's unique background and experiences are respected and integrated into their care. What sets Greenacre apart is its commitment to maintaining low student-teacher ratios, which allows for personalized attention and tailored educational experiences. The campus environment is designed to be nurturing and supportive, featuring specialized technology and resources that enhance learning. Greenacre also offers vocational training opportunities that prepare students for future employment, alongside summer programs that promote community integration and social engagement. This holistic approach ensures that every child receives the support they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

• Special education school
• Behavioral issues
• Trauma
• Private school

Greenacre School has worked with boys and young men in Sebastopol since 1975. Today we run a year-round non-public school for students ages 5 to 22 placed by their home school districts, currently serving students from 24 districts across Northern California. Many of our students have emotional, behavioral, or learning disabilities and are healing from trauma and loss. Our approach is trauma-informed and strengths-based. Students receive individual, group, and family counseling, plus speech and language services and occupational therapy on site. Special education teachers, licensed social workers, and registered therapists coordinate each student's care, and we review progress every quarter with the goal of returning students to a less restrictive setting. Courses follow a catalog we wrote with the Sonoma County Office of Education, and each student's schedule is set through testing, conversations with home district counselors, and IEP meetings. Students earn credits toward graduation, and their district of residence awards the diploma. Older students can also join our vocational training and life skills program.

• Private special education day school (non-public school)
• Emotional/behavioral support
• Learning differences
• Trauma

Plumfield Academy is a private non-public school located at 9360 Occidental Road in Sebastopol, California. It provides daytime academic instruction and therapeutic support to boys in grades K-12 who have IEPs and experience social, emotional, behavioral, or learning challenges that affect their success in typical school settings. The school uses an individualized approach based on California Common Core Standards in small classes of 3-6 students. Its 5 Pillars program supports the development of social skills, responsibility, and respect within a calm, inclusive campus environment that includes enriched offerings in music, art, theater, technology, land stewardship, and athletics. Therapeutic staff include licensed therapists for individual, group, and family counseling, a speech and language pathologist, an occupational therapist, behavioral support specialists, and a social worker for case management and transition services. Placement is through referral from school districts or professionals for students with IEPs. There are no tuition fees charged to families; the school is funded primarily by referring districts as a certified non-public school. It operates as a day program only following the closure of its prior residential component.

• Private special education day school for boys
• Social-emotional challenges
• Learning differences
• Behavioral challenges