Best Special Needs Schools in Park Forest, Illinois (2026)

Illinois School reopened in 2000 as a Pre-K through fifth grade building that enrolled children from across Matteson Elementary School District 162 through a lottery. The school later grew to include the middle grades, and it now serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Park Forest. As the program expanded, our campus added a primary wing, a library and commons, and a technology lab. Students take music, art, technology and library classes, middle schoolers have their own science program, and students in grades 4 to 8 can join the district's instrumental music program. Parent volunteering has been part of our identity from the start, and families stay involved through our parent-teacher organization. Families apply through the district's annual lottery, which is drawn each spring.

• Public elementary and middle school (K-8, lottery admission)
• Lottery admission
• Public school