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Best Special Needs Schools in Clifton, Colorado (2026)

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

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School listings in Clifton

1

Mount Garfield Middle School

Listed
Clifton, COGrades 6-8Tuition-free

Mount Garfield Middle School, home of the Gators, is part of Mesa County Valley School District 51 in Clifton and an IB World School offering the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. Learning is concept-based and organized around global contexts, and students build collaboration, research, communication, self-management and critical thinking skills across subjects, with criterion-based assessment through meaningful tasks. The program continues past our building. After 8th grade, students can complete the final two years of the MYP at Palisade High School and move on to the IB Diploma Programme. Families apply to the program, and an IB bus serves participating students. Day to day, students follow the Big 5 school rules, and our 5 R's support system, Redirect, Remind, Reflect, Reset and Restore, helps them meet school-wide expectations. Our motto says it plainly: Gators learn and rise to the challenge with integrity.

  • Public middle school (IB MYP)
  • International Baccalaureate MYP
  • Public school
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2

Rocky Mountain Elementary School - Clifton

Listed
Clifton, COGrades PreK-5Tuition-free

Rocky Mountain Elementary serves Clifton families from preschool through fifth grade as part of Mesa County Valley School District 51. Our school-wide expectations are summed up in R.I.S.E.: Relationships, Integrity, Safe, Everyone Every Day. Our special services team is unusually broad for a neighborhood school. Resource teachers, a moderate needs teacher and our SOAR program support students with IEPs, and speech-language pathologists, an SLP assistant, occupational and physical therapists, school psychologists, a vision specialist and an adaptive P.E. teacher round out the team. Our preschool includes early childhood special education with speech-language support. Intervention teachers, counselors, culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) teachers, a gifted and talented teacher and an instructional coach work alongside classroom teachers. Our Family Center coordinator connects families with workshops and community resources, and the school runs a monthly food assistance program along with help finding housing, health insurance and scholarships for extracurricular activities. Students also take music, including modern band, along with P.E. and science and technology classes.

  • Public elementary school (PreK-5)
  • Visual impairments
  • Special services team
  • Family resource center
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Planning guides

Plan your next school conversation in Clifton

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

Colorado CES Waiver guide

Who qualifies, what CES covers, waitlist rules, and how to apply through a case management agency.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in Clifton

Which district serves Clifton special education students?
Clifton is part of the Grand Junction valley and typically falls under Mesa County Valley School District 51. Neighborhood schools listed on this page—such as Clifton Elementary, Rocky Mountain Elementary, and Mount Garfield Middle—operate within that D51 continuum. Confirm D51 enrollment before assuming a different Western Slope district applies.
How do Clifton families start Child Find or an IEP evaluation?
Submit a written evaluation request to your school and D51 special education. For younger children, District 51 Child Find screens for educational disabilities that may require services. Use D51 Child Find for official steps.
How is private special needs placement funded for Clifton students?
Public funding generally requires an IEP determination that FAPE cannot be met in a less restrictive D51 setting. Colorado has no statewide special-needs voucher. Ask Grand Junction-area private programs how they would coordinate with D51 if public placement is proposed.
Should Clifton families look at Grand Junction specialized programs?
Yes—many specialized and charter options are concentrated in Grand Junction a short drive west. Compare valley programs on the Grand Junction city page with what D51 proposes locally, and ask how transportation minutes affect instructional time.
What should Clifton parents ask about middle-school transitions?
Ask how IEP supports scale from elementary into Mount Garfield Middle School, how behavior plans transfer, and whether related-service providers change. Request a transition meeting before the first day in the new building.

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