Top 9 Best Special Needs Schools in Fort Wayne, Indiana (2026)

FWCS Career Academy is the Fort Wayne Community Schools career and technical campus at 1200 South Barr Street. Maps and older references still call the same building Anthis. It is not a special-education school. The academy serves students from 17 partner high schools across Northeast Indiana. Students can choose among 24 CTE pathways in areas such as automotive, construction trades, cosmetology, information technology, culinary arts, early childhood education, health sciences, public safety, and welding. Instructors come from industry and help students earn certifications and dual credit. The campus is an early-college designated school with Ivy Tech associate-degree pathways and partners with the University of St. Francis and Vincennes University. More than 250 business and community partners work with the academy. FWCS students apply through their high school counselor. Non-FWCS applications for fall 2027 are listed for January 1 through April 1, 2027.

• School
• Regional CTE academy
• Early college / Ivy Tech
• Industry certifications

Crossroad Academy is a Cognia-accredited school on the Crossroad Child & Family Services campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for students who are not succeeding in a traditional classroom. Its aim is to prepare each student to be socially and academically ready for the next level of education or vocation. The school serves two groups. Day students live at home and attend as an alternative to public education, and the Day Education program accepts referrals directly from families and from local school corporations. Students in Crossroad's residential treatment programs attend as well. Every student receives a personalized education built from a review of school records, background information, and their IEP where one exists. Certified elementary, secondary, and special education teachers lead each classroom, supported by Crossroad Youth and Family Specialists who assist with behavior management and by Title I assistants who provide extra academic support. A behavior incentive program keeps students focused on behavioral and academic goals, and families receive daily behavior tracking. Instruction follows Indiana State Standards and graduation requirements through project-based and social-emotional learning, with the Edmentum platform used for high school credits. The campus includes a gym, cafeteria, computer lab, media center, playground, and a maker space with a 3D printer, screen printing machine, and podcast studio. Tuition assistance may be available, and qualified students can receive full or partial scholarships.

• Alternative education program
• Emotional/behavioral support
• Alternative to traditional classroom
• Behavior incentive program

Fort Wayne Center for Learning offers intensive, non-intensive, and after-school one-to-one instruction for school-age children. We tailor reading and spelling, math, and comprehension programs to each student’s needs after a pre-assessment. Families can contact us to discuss program schedules, financial aid, or an academic assessment.

• Education center
• Dyslexia
• Learning differences
• Learning difficulties

Hickory Center Elementary is a Northwest Allen County school in Fort Wayne. Our elementary program offers classroom learning and school activities for local families, with a focus on personalized education. Parents can find campus information, academics, activities and community programs through the school.

• Elementary school
• Public school

Levan Scott Academy opened in 1955 as Southern Heights Elementary School and was renamed in 2000 for Dr. Levan R. Scott, who served Fort Wayne Community Schools for 28 years and in 1965 became the city's first African-American principal. Today we are a Title I elementary school, home of the Cadets, and our students go on to Miami Middle School and Wayne High School. Our full-day Cadet Pre-K, funded with federal Title I dollars, runs 8:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for four-year-olds. Children start with breakfast and circle time, rotate through centers for reading, art, construction, and math and science, play outside, and have art, music or gym in the afternoon before rest time. KinderCare Champions provides after-school care for our pre-K students, and Y-Care at Weisser Park serves pre-K through grade 5. English Language Learner support is available for students new to English. Each month we recognize Cadets of Character from every class, students earn CADET Cash for attendance and effort, and families join us for Hispanic Heritage, Black History and Asian/Pacific Islander celebration nights. Our building has a library and flexible common areas for group work.

• Public elementary school with Pre-K
• Public school
• Character education

R. Nelson Snider High School brings Fort Wayne students together around academics, career exploration, and Panther activities. Freshmen enter a supportive house through Schools of Success and connect core classes with real-world projects. As students advance, they can explore Health Sciences & Human Services; Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology & Trades; or Business & The Arts. Snider's health sciences options include biomedical coursework and opportunities to pursue CNA certification. Students can also take AP and dual-credit classes, build experience through internships or work-based learning, and complete a senior capstone or seminar. Eligible juniors and seniors may pursue EMT or CNA preparation through the district career center. Outside class, students can join clubs and service groups, athletics, band, choir, theatre, visual arts, dance, and robotics. These programs give students different ways to connect their interests with future study and work.

• High school
• Public school

St. Peter's Lutheran School is a Christ-centered school of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in northeast Fort Wayne, at Maysville Road and East State Boulevard. The parish and school date to 1855. The program serves ages 2 through grade 8, with more than 280 students. It is not a dedicated special-education campus. The school is accredited by the National Lutheran School Association and the state of Indiana. Preschool classes for ages 2 to 5 offer full-day options Monday through Friday. Kindergarten through grade 8 is the grade-school program. Weekly Wednesday chapel begins at 8:20 a.m. in the church sanctuary. Whole-school devotions open and close the week in the gym. Indiana Choice Scholarships are available for 2026-27 with universal eligibility for qualifying Indiana students. Need-based aid and the Lutheran Scholarship Granting Organization of Indiana also support tuition. A school lunch program runs on school days, with free and reduced-price applications available. Current dollar tuition is not posted.

• Elementary school
• Lutheran preschool-8
• Indiana Choice Scholarship
• NLSA accredited

Study Elementary in Fort Wayne offers full-day prekindergarten, with play-based exploration and structured activities to build early literacy, math and social-emotional skills. In the elementary grades, students learn through classroom instruction and small-group teaching. Our case managers help families stay connected about educational programs and student services.

• Elementary school
• Preschool
• Elementary School

Towles Intermediate School opened in 2006 as the first public school in Indiana to offer Montessori from first through eighth grade. Today this Fort Wayne Community Schools magnet campus runs two programs under one roof: Montessori Elementary for grades 1 to 5 on the first floor, and Towles New Tech Middle School for grades 6 to 8 on the second. Montessori classrooms mix ages, with lower elementary for ages 6 to 9 and upper elementary for ages 9 to 12, and our teachers hold both state licenses and Montessori certification. Students tend the Peace Garden, cook in a Kitchen Lab with five working kitchens, and study one continent in depth each year. Upstairs, New Tech students learn through project-based units, starting with a sixth-grade engineering course built around VEX IQ robotics. There are no bells and no locks on the lockers. Families apply through the FWCS School Choice Lottery, and admitted students follow a guaranteed path to New Tech Academy at Wayne High School. We also offer English language learner support, athletics, peer tutoring led by eighth graders, and traditions like Pumpkin Chunkin, when pumpkins fly from a trebuchet.

• Public magnet school (grades 1-8), Montessori and New Tech
• Montessori
• Project-based learning
• Multi-age classrooms