Find Top Programs in Kansas
Discover Kansas schools and centers with individualized instruction, low student-teacher ratios, and integrated social-emotional support. Browse programs across 15 cities with 38 total programs.
Let us help you find the right fit
Our team can match your child with schools in Kansas.
Cities with Schools in Kansas
Explore schools across 15 cities in Kansas. Use search to quickly find schools in your area.
Popular Cities
Cities with the most schoolsAll Cities A-Z
15 cities totalCities Starting with A
1 cityCities Starting with D
2 citiesCities Starting with E
2 citiesCities Starting with H
1 cityCities Starting with J
1 cityCities Starting with L
3 citiesCities Starting with M
2 citiesCities Starting with O
1 cityCities Starting with R
1 cityCities Starting with S
1 citySpecial Education in Kansas: What Parents Need to Know
Kansas gives families a long evaluation window and a narrow private-school scholarship. The initial evaluation can take up to 60 school days after consent, while the Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship is limited by income and prior enrollment rules and tops out at $8,000. Families should not assume that a disability alone opens the scholarship or that accepting a private placement preserves the public-school IEP.
We currently list 38 specialized schools and programs across 15 communities in Kansas.
The Kansas clock is 60 school days, not calendar days
After the school receives written parental consent, Kansas gives the public agency 60 school days to complete the initial evaluation and determine eligibility. The clock pauses when school is not in session, so a consent form signed late in spring can extend much farther on the calendar than one signed in October. The evaluation must use multiple sources and answer two questions: whether the child has an IDEA disability and whether the child needs special education.
- A parent or school may initiate a referral; request it in writing and keep the delivery date
- The 60-school-day clock starts when the agency receives written parental consent, not on the initial request date
- The evaluation and eligibility decision must be completed within those 60 school days, subject to IDEA’s limited exceptions
- The team must draw on more than one test and cannot use a single measure as the sole basis for eligibility
- If eligible, the IEP must be in effect before special education services begin
Kansas has a targeted tax-credit scholarship, not a universal ESA
Kansas’s Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program is funded by donations to approved scholarship-granting organizations. The current 2026 legislative summary caps a scholarship at $8,000 per school year. Eligibility is narrower than the program name suggests: the child must live in Kansas, meet the income rule (at or below 250% of the federal poverty guideline), and satisfy a prior-public-school or young-kindergarten-entry pathway. A disability is not a separate eligibility route.
- Scholarships are awarded through approved scholarship-granting organizations, not directly by the school district
- The award can cover up to $8,000 of tuition per eligible student per school year
- Household income must be at or below 250% of the federal poverty guideline
- A qualified school must be nonpublic and appropriately accredited, and must notify the State Board that it is participating
- For an IEP-funded private placement, the IEP team, rather than the scholarship program, must determine that the placement is required for FAPE
Types of Special Needs Schools in Kansas
Not every placement type exists in every state. These are the settings families actually find in Kansas.
District special education programs and cooperatives
Many Kansas districts share specialists through interlocal cooperatives. Services may be delivered in the student’s neighborhood school, a district classroom, or a regional program, depending on the IEP and least restrictive environment decision.
Best for: Students who need an enforceable IEP and access to public-school related services without a private tuition commitment
Accredited private schools accepting scholarship students
Participating schools can accept awards from the Kansas tax-credit scholarship program. They vary widely in special education capacity, so accreditation and scholarship participation should be treated as administrative qualifications, not proof that a school can serve a particular disability.
Best for: Income-eligible families whose child meets the enrollment rules and can be supported by the school’s documented program
Autism and intensive-support schools
Specialized programs may offer low student-to-staff ratios, communication systems, behavior support, and life-skills instruction. Ask how restraint, seclusion, crisis response, and family communication are handled in practice.
Best for: Students who need more structure and support than a general private or public classroom can provide
State schools for sensory disabilities
The Kansas State School for the Deaf and Kansas State School for the Blind provide statewide expertise, outreach, assessment, and educational programming. A student’s access route and placement are coordinated with the family, district, and IEP team.
Best for: Students who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind and need specialized communication or access instruction
Kansas Special Needs School Questions
How long does a Kansas special education evaluation take?
Kansas allows up to 60 school days after the agency receives your signed consent. Because school days exclude summer and other days when school is closed, ask the district to state the projected completion date in writing. The deadline covers the evaluation and eligibility determination, not just the testing appointments.
Can every Kansas student use the private-school scholarship?
No. The Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship is targeted, not universal. The 2026 state legislative summary requires Kansas residency, household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty guideline, and an applicable prior-public-school, young-entry, or continuing-participant pathway. Families apply through a scholarship-granting organization, which may have its own application calendar.
How much can the Kansas scholarship pay?
The statutory cap is $8,000 per eligible student per school year. An award may be lower, and the family remains responsible for tuition or fees above the scholarship. Confirm the school’s full cost, renewal terms, transportation, and whether therapies are included before accepting.
Does a disability qualify my child for the Kansas scholarship?
Not by itself. Disability status may affect the kind of school a family is looking for, but the tax-credit scholarship’s eligibility rules are based on residency, income, age/enrollment history, and continuing participation. An IEP-funded private placement is a separate decision made through the public-school special education process.
Where do I start for a Kansas child under three?
For birth through age two, use Infant Toddler Services of Kansas, administered through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The state says eligible children can receive no-cost, in-home early intervention. At age three, responsibility shifts to the local school district’s early childhood special education program, so begin transition planning before the third birthday.
Kansas Guides & Resources
Next steps for families comparing schools, requesting an evaluation, or working out how to pay for a placement.
How to request a special education evaluation
Document the referral and move toward Kansas’s consent-based 60-school-day clock.
Read more →Complete IEP guide
Prepare for the eligibility meeting and understand how placement decisions are made.
Read more →504 plan vs IEP
Compare accommodations with specially designed instruction before changing schools.
Read more →Choosing a special needs school
Verify services, staffing, crisis policies, and the true cost beyond an $8,000 scholarship.
Read more →Early intervention guide
Birth-to-three services and the transition to a Kansas district at age three.
Read more →ABA therapy centers in Kansas
Compare autism therapy separately from school and scholarship eligibility.
Read more →Autism rates by state
Federal identification data for Kansas and neighboring states.
Read more →Restraint and seclusion by state
Federal civil rights data to use when asking Kansas programs about behavior support.
Read more →Sources for this page
- Kansas Special Education Process Handbook, Chapter 3: Initial Evaluation and Eligibility
- Kansas Parent Guide to Special Education (Kansas State Department of Education)
- 2026 Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program (Kansas Legislative Research Department)
- Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program (Kansas State Department of Education)
- Early Childhood Special Education and Infant-Toddler Service Routing (Kansas State Department of Education)
State rules change. This page was last reviewed against primary sources on July 28, 2026. Confirm current requirements with your school district or the relevant state agency before making a decision.
Find Your Perfect Match
With 38 schools and centers across 15 cities in Kansas, we'll help you find the right educational environment for your child's unique needs.