Best Special Needs Schools in Valparaiso, Indiana (2026)

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

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Porter County Career Center

Listed

Valparaiso, INGrades 9-12Tuition-free (book and lab fees apply)

Porter County Career and Technical Education began in 1971, when four school corporations joined forces to coordinate vocational programs across the county. Today 11th and 12th graders from 10 partner high schools spend half the day at their home school and half in one of more than 30 career courses, and most programs carry dual credit through Ivy Tech Community College or Vincennes University. Our Valparaiso center on North Franklin Street houses automotive technology, CAD and animation, construction trades, cosmetology, electrical maintenance technology, health science education, marketing and sales, precision machining, and radio and television. Other programs meet at partner sites, from culinary arts and early childhood education at Boone Grove to welding and HVAC at Ivy Tech, dental careers and diesel technology at Portage, and fire and rescue services at the MAAC Foundation. Coursework prepares students for industry certifications such as ASE, CNA, Certified Dental Assistant and the Indiana cosmetology license, and students can work toward the Indiana Core 40 with Technical Honors diploma. Most partner schools run buses to the center, and two counselors and two student success coordinators work on site.

Public career and technical education center (grades 11-12)
Career and technical education
Dual credit
Industry certifications

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Staff member helping a student with a written math assignment.

Special Education Learning Facility

Listed

Valparaiso, INAges 3-22No tuition for students with an IEP. Community Preschool for Porter County children ages 3-5 without an IEP is $100 per month.

The Special Education Learning Facility, known as SELF, is a public special education school in Valparaiso operated by Porter County Education Services. It houses programs provided through interagency agreements with Duneland, East Porter County, MSD of Boone Township, Portage Township, Porter Township, Union Township, and Valparaiso Community Schools. Special education services cover Porter County children from age 3 through age 22. SELF holds special education preschool, plus elementary, middle, and high school classrooms for students with more severe disabilities and more intensive needs. Each program is individualized through an IEP. Speech services, occupational therapy, and physical therapy are provided based on eligibility. SELF also runs a Community Preschool for Porter County children ages 3 to 5 who do not have an IEP. Those students attend the Early Childhood Program alongside students with disabilities, five days a week, for $100 per month.

Special education school
Severe disabilities
Intensive special education needs
Intensive special education

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Nearby school options

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Planning guides

Plan your next school conversation in Valparaiso

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

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.

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Comparing school options in Valparaiso

Valparaiso Community Schools is one of seven Porter County school corporations served by Porter County Education Services (PCES). PCES runs preschool special education assessments at its Special Education Learning Facility, 750 Ransom Road in Valparaiso, with no fee for residents once residency is verified. The preschool line is (219) 464-9607, extension 3.

PCES offers screening and full evaluation sessions for preschool-age children. A full evaluation takes about two and a half hours over two days, with a core team of a school psychologist, educational diagnosticians, and a speech-language pathologist. The report reaches parents about a week before the case conference. For district questions, Valparaiso Community Schools lists a Director of Special Education Services at (219) 531-3140, extension 6215. Charter schools in Porter County provide their own special education and are not served by PCES.

Local resources checked October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in Valparaiso

When do preschool services start after my child qualifies?

PCES says that once the case conference finds a child eligible and you sign, services begin within 10 school days or by the child's third birthday. The report uses Indiana's Article 7 eligibility guidelines and is sent about a week before the conference, so you have time to read it and prepare questions.

We are moving to Valparaiso with an IEP. What happens?

First establish residency through your neighborhood school and tell the school about past special education services. The corporation forwards the enrollment to PCES, whose supervisor reviews the IEP and requests records if needed. A case conference is offered within 10 days of enrollment, and placement decisions are made by the case conference committee.

Do I stay with my child during a PCES preschool evaluation?

A parent or guardian must be available to sign forms first. After that, an adult waits in the parent area during the sessions, though sometimes staff ask the adult to stay in the room. Sessions include play time, individual testing, and hearing and vision screening, usually with two or three other children present.

Who handles special education at Valparaiso Community Schools?

The district lists an Assistant Superintendent for Support Services at (219) 531-3000, extension 5306, and a Director of Special Education Services at (219) 531-3140, extension 6215. For evaluation logistics, PCES staff also answer questions. Our evaluation request guide explains how to put a concern in writing.

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