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Discover Colorado schools and centers with individualized instruction, low student-teacher ratios, and integrated social-emotional support. Browse programs across 43 cities with 280 total programs.
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Cities with Schools in Colorado
Explore schools across 43 cities in Colorado. Use search to quickly find schools in your area.
Popular Cities
Cities with the most schoolsCastle Rock
1818 schools
Castle Rock, Colorado
Colorado Springs
1717 schools
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Parker
1717 schools
Parker, Colorado
Denver
1616 schools
Denver, Colorado
Longmont
1414 schools
Longmont, Colorado
Grand Junction
1212 schools
Grand Junction, Colorado
Wheat Ridge
1212 schools
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Greeley
1111 schools
Greeley, Colorado
All Cities A-Z
43 cities totalA
Cities Starting with A
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7 citiesCastle Pines
11 school
Castle Pines, Colorado
Castle Rock
1818 schools
Castle Rock, Colorado
Cañon City
1010 schools
Cañon City, Colorado
Centennial
55 schools
Centennial, Colorado
Clifton
33 schools
Clifton, Colorado
Colorado Springs
1717 schools
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Commerce City
99 schools
Commerce City, Colorado
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3 citiesSpecial Education in Colorado: What Parents Need to Know
Colorado runs a single 60-calendar-day clock from evaluation consent to eligibility decision, which is faster on paper than the two-step timelines many states use, but families still need to plan around it. The state also has a placement route most states do not: an approved Facility School system for students placed outside their home district, run separately from the private-school market. And because Colorado has no voucher or education savings account program, most families paying for a specialized placement are combining district-funded IEP services with a Medicaid waiver rather than a state tuition benefit.
We currently list 280 specialized schools and programs across 43 communities in Colorado.
Evaluation and IEP timelines in Colorado
Colorado’s Exceptional Children’s Educational Act rules (1 CCR 301-8) set one deadline that covers both the evaluation and the eligibility decision: once a special education referral is initiated, the initial evaluation must be completed within 60 calendar days. That clock starts when the parent is informed of a referral and gives written consent, or when the parent’s own request for evaluation is met with written consent, whichever applies. Because it is calendar days, not school days, school breaks count against the deadline, and because eligibility determinations fall under the same rule section as the evaluation itself, most Colorado districts fold the eligibility meeting into that same 60-day window rather than adding a separate clock on top of it.
- 60 calendar days from written consent to complete the initial evaluation and reach an eligibility determination, per 1 CCR 301-8, Rule 4.02(3)(c)
- The clock is calendar days, so it runs through school breaks, unlike some states that pause for holidays
- The referral clock does not start until a parent has been informed of a referral or has requested one, and has given written consent
- An exception pauses the clock if a parent repeatedly fails to produce the child for evaluation, or if a child transfers to a new district mid-evaluation
How Colorado families pay for a specialized placement
Colorado has never had a state-funded voucher or education savings account program. Voters rejected Amendment 80, a constitutional right-to-school-choice measure, in November 2024, continuing a pattern of rejecting statewide school choice measures. The newer wrinkle as of 2026 is federal, not state: Governor Polis opted Colorado into a federal tax-credit scholarship program that gives donors a federal tax credit for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations, and families can use those scholarships for private tuition, tutoring, or after-school programs. A 2026 bill that would have added state-level nondiscrimination and disability-law protections for schools accepting that money, HB26-1292, died in the legislature at the end of April, so as of this writing there is no Colorado-specific accountability layer on top of the federal program. For most families, the more reliable funding route runs through Medicaid: the Children’s Extensive Support (CES) waiver funds home and community-based supports, such as behavioral support and respite, for children under 18 with a developmental disability who meet an institutional level of care and live in the family home. It has its own waitlist dynamics like other Health First Colorado waivers, so an early application matters even before a placement decision is final.
- No state voucher or ESA program exists; Amendment 80 (2024) failed with about 48% of the vote against a 55% threshold
- Colorado opted into a federal tax-credit scholarship program in 2025-26 for private tuition, tutoring, and after-school costs, funded by donor tax credits rather than state dollars
- HB26-1292, which would have added state disability-law and nondiscrimination requirements to that federal program, died in the legislature in April 2026
- The Children’s Extensive Support (CES) Medicaid waiver funds home and community-based supports for children under 18 with a developmental disability who meet an ICF/IID level of care and live at home
- CES eligibility also requires meeting Health First Colorado’s financial rules for long-term services and supports, separate from a family’s regular Medicaid eligibility
- For children under three, start with Early Intervention Colorado rather than the school district or a Medicaid waiver
Types of Special Needs Schools in Colorado
Not every placement type exists in every state. These are the settings families actually find in Colorado.
Approved Facility Schools
A category unique to Colorado: residential, day treatment, and hospital-based programs approved by the Colorado Department of Education’s Office of Facility Schools to receive school finance funding and hire their own teachers. Students are placed there by a public agency, such as a school district, county human services department, or the courts, rather than enrolled directly by a parent the way a private school works. Roughly 6,000 placements happen statewide each year across around 80 districts.
Best for: Students whose IEP team, county, or a judicial placement has determined that a residential or day-treatment setting is needed, not a family shopping independently for a private school
Private day schools for learning differences
Independent schools built around dyslexia, ADHD, and broader learning differences, concentrated less in Denver proper than spread across the Front Range suburbs, including Castle Rock, Parker, and Longmont.
Best for: Students with average or above cognitive ability whose reading, writing, or attention needs are not being met in a general education classroom
Autism and developmental programs
Programs pairing academics with structured teaching and behavior support, often coordinating with a BCBA or partner ABA provider. Colorado Springs and the Denver metro suburbs carry the largest concentration.
Best for: Students on the autism spectrum who need communication support and a predictable, low-sensory environment
Therapeutic and behavioral day programs
Programs combining academics with counseling and behavior intervention for students whose emotional or behavioral needs have made a traditional campus unworkable, distinct from the state-approved Facility Schools that handle residential and hospital-level placements.
Best for: Students with emotional disabilities or a pattern of school refusal, suspension, or crisis, who do not need a residential-level placement
Colorado Special Needs School Questions
How long does an IEP evaluation take in Colorado?
Colorado gives the district 60 calendar days from your written consent to complete the initial evaluation and reach an eligibility determination, since both fall under the same rule section. Because it counts calendar days rather than school days, a request that lands right before winter break still has to be completed on roughly the same timeline as one filed in September.
Does Colorado have a school voucher or ESA program?
No. Colorado voters rejected Amendment 80, a constitutional right-to-school-choice measure, in November 2024. What changed in 2026 is that Colorado opted into a federal tax-credit scholarship program, which lets donors claim a federal tax credit for gifts to scholarship organizations that families can then use for private tuition or tutoring. That is a federal donor-funded program, not a state benefit, and a 2026 bill that would have added Colorado-specific disability protections to it did not pass.
What is a Colorado Facility School, and can I just enroll my child in one?
Facility Schools are residential, day treatment, and hospital programs approved by the Colorado Department of Education to serve students placed outside their home district. Placement comes from a public agency, such as your district’s IEP team, county human services, or a court, not from applying the way you would to a private school. If your child’s needs are severe enough that this kind of setting is being considered, that conversation starts with your district or county, not with the facility directly.
What Medicaid waiver do Colorado families use for autism therapy and supports?
The Children’s Extensive Support (CES) waiver is the main route. It funds home and community-based supports for children under 18 with a developmental disability who meet an institutional level of care and live in the family home, and it runs alongside regular Health First Colorado Medicaid benefits. Like other Colorado HCBS waivers, it can carry a waitlist, so it is worth applying early rather than waiting for a placement decision to be final.
Where are most of Colorado’s specialized schools located?
Unlike many states, Colorado’s listings are not concentrated in the capital. Castle Rock, Parker, and Colorado Springs each have more listings than Denver itself, with Longmont and Grand Junction close behind. That reflects how much of the market sits in the Front Range suburbs rather than downtown Denver, so families outside the city core often have more nearby options than they expect.
My child is under three. Do I go to the school district?
No. Children from birth through age two are served by Early Intervention Colorado, the state’s Part C program, not by the school district. The district takes over developmental services starting at age three, so the transition planning meeting should happen before the third birthday to avoid a gap in services.
Colorado Guides & Resources
Next steps for families comparing schools, requesting an evaluation, or working out how to pay for a placement.
Colorado CES waiver guide
How the Children’s Extensive Support waiver works, who qualifies, and how it pairs with school-based IEP services in Colorado.
Read more →How to request a special education evaluation
The written request that starts Colorado’s 60-day evaluation and eligibility clock.
Read more →Complete IEP guide
What goes in an IEP and how Colorado’s combined evaluation and eligibility timeline plays out in practice.
Read more →504 plan vs IEP
Which one your child qualifies for, and why it matters for accessing Colorado’s Universal Preschool special education placements.
Read more →Choosing a special needs school
What to ask on a tour, and how to tell an approved Facility School placement apart from a private day school in Colorado.
Read more →Early intervention guide
For children under three, including Early Intervention Colorado and the handoff to the district at age three.
Read more →ABA therapy centers in Colorado
Autism therapy providers across Colorado, useful alongside a school placement or while a CES waiver application is pending.
Read more →Autism rates by state
How Colorado compares on autism identification rates, using federal data.
Read more →Sources for this page
- 1 CCR 301-8, Rules for the Administration of the Exceptional Children’s Educational Act, Rule 4.02
- Colorado Department of Education, Office of Facility Schools
- Colorado Department of Education, Facility School Directory
- Colorado HCPF, Children’s Extensive Support Waiver (CES)
- Colorado HCPF, Home and Community-Based Services Waivers
- Chalkbeat Colorado, Amendment 80 election results, November 2024
- Chalkbeat Colorado, Governor Polis on the federal education tax-credit program, May 2026
- Colorado General Assembly, HB26-1292, Scholarship Granting Organizations
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Early Intervention Colorado
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Universal Preschool and Special Education
State rules change. This page was last reviewed against primary sources on July 28, 2026. Confirm current requirements with your school district or the relevant state agency before making a decision.
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With 280 schools and centers across 43 cities in Colorado, we'll help you find the right educational environment for your child's unique needs.