Best Special Needs Schools in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois (2026)

Lake Zurich Middle School North serves sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in Community Unit School District 95 from our campus on Hubbard Lane in Hawthorn Woods. In 2024 the U.S. Department of Education named us a National Blue Ribbon School, the same year Lake Zurich High School earned the honor. Our sports program runs through the year, with cross country, soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, poms, and track, along with a Scholastic Bowl team. Students also join Battle of the Books, chess club, First Lego League, German club, jazz band, chamber choir, a literary magazine, yearbook, and student council, and they stage a fall musical and a spring play. A late bus runs for students staying after school, and our Literacy and Innovation Hub stays open for homework after dismissal. Our staff includes resource and consultative special education teachers, special education and one-on-one paraprofessionals, a school counselor, and a nurse in our health office. Each year we recognize students with the Distinguished Member of the Wolf Pack Award, and parents can meet the principals at monthly Principal Chats.

• Public middle school (6-8)
• Public school

Parents can review the logs of related services their child receives in District 95 and participate in the IEP planning process. At Spencer Loomis Elementary, we connect Hawthorn Woods families with the school team responsible for their child's educational support. Eligible students with disabilities receive Individualized Education Programs; students who need accommodations may also qualify for Section 504. Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 uses a multi-tiered support system that connects classroom teaching with more focused academic and social-emotional interventions. Student Services helps organize that work, with related services following the plans school teams develop. For day-to-day school information, families can use ParentVUE, Canvas for Parents, the virtual backpack, school communications and the parent-student handbook. These tools give parents access to the school resources that accompany their child's education. The district also provides information about social-emotional wellness and connections to school and community resources. Our Hubbard Lane campus brings classroom teachers, building leaders and the parent-teacher organization into the Spencer Loomis school community. Parents can take part through school activities and volunteering as well as through their child's educational team. Parents can take part in IEP planning and review their child's related-service logs, alongside participating in school activities and volunteering through our campus community.

• Elementary school
• Learning differences
• Twice-exceptional
• Private school