Best Special Needs Schools in Lawrence, Indiana (2026)

The Nature School of Central Indiana sits on the grounds of Camp Belzer along Fall Creek, next to Fort Benjamin Harrison, and its trails, creek and fields are part of the classroom. Founded in 2021, we are a tuition-free K-8 public charter school that pairs Montessori materials and prepared classrooms with nature-based learning. Enrollment reached 185 learners in 2024. Learners are grouped in multi-grade levels for K-1, 2-3, 4-6 and middle school. Mornings are hands-on, small-group work cycles, afternoons are for projects and practice, and lunch and recess happen outdoors. A weekly Field Study program takes students outside for environmental observation, skill-building and art, and elementary students keep journals of what they learn. Fridays end with a Community Meeting and early dismissal. Admission is by lottery when seats run short. Our preschool, the Shooting Stars, serves children ages 3 to 4 at a 10:1 student-teacher ratio, with half-day ($7,500 a year) or full-day ($9,000 a year) options. K-8 families pay only a $150 supply fee. Aftercare runs until 6:00 p.m., outdoors on the playground when weather allows, with a snack each afternoon; we do not offer before care.

• Public charter school (K-8) with tuition-based preschool
• Montessori
• Nature-based learning
• Outdoor classroom