Best Special Needs Schools in Paducah, Kentucky (2026)

Easterseals Disability & Community Services stands as a beacon of support for individuals with disabilities and their families, offering a comprehensive range of essential services tailored to meet diverse needs. The organization is dedicated to empowering children and adults, including those with language-based learning disabilities and twice-exceptional students, by fostering independence and enhancing quality of life. With a mission grounded in inclusivity, Easterseals provides specialized programs across various domains such as education, health, employment, and community engagement. Its innovative therapeutic methodologies focus on building confidence and personal agency through supportive relationships and community involvement. What sets Easterseals apart is its extensive national network of affiliates that have earned trust over more than a century, ensuring that families can access multiple services seamlessly while benefiting from a low student-to-teacher ratio and strong partnerships with families. This holistic approach not only addresses immediate challenges but also cultivates an environment where individuals can thrive and achieve their fullest potential.

• Education center
• Learning differences
• Twice-exceptional
• Private school

St. Mary School System has offered Catholic education in Paducah since 1858, and our campus sits behind Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital, close to I-24. St. Mary Elementary serves preschool, starting at age three, through 5th grade, and our students help lead weekly Mass and take religion class every day. Students receive standards-based instruction in math, language arts, STEM science, social studies and religion. We are a 1:1 Chromebook school with SMART Panels in classrooms, and LEGO Education WeDo, a Robotics Club and a Coding League bring technology into activities. Students get two recesses a day, and Faith Families group K to 5 students for monthly prayer and activities. Resource teachers and a Title 1 teacher work with small groups who need extra help or more challenge, and Success Labs group 1st through 5th graders by skill. An on-site speech-language pathologist serves students at school. After-school care runs until 5:30, and tuition assistance and parish subsidies are available.

• Catholic school (preschool to grade 5)
• Catholic education
• STEM
• Robotics and coding

Since 1858, St. Mary School System has educated Paducah students from preschool through high school. Our campus sits behind Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital, next to I-24, with St. Mary Preschool and Elementary School and St. Mary Middle and High School on one site. Preschool begins at age 3, with teachers who hold bachelor's degrees or a Child Development Associate credential. Our preschoolers use The Letter People curriculum and attend computer lab, library, and Spanish. In elementary, a resource teacher and a Title 1 teacher help students reach grade level, and our Success Lab, a modified RTI program, groups students by skill. For students with a diagnosed disability, we write an Education Plan based on the psychoeducational report. Advanced elementary students take part in pull-out project-based enrichment, middle schoolers can qualify for advanced math, and eighth graders can earn high school credit. Our high school offers honors, Advanced Placement, and dual credit courses. Students take MAP assessments in grades K-7, Pre-ACT in grades 8 and 9, and the ACT in grades 10 to 12. Tuition assistance is available for kindergarten through 12th grade.

• Catholic school system (PreK-12)
• Learning differences
• Catholic education
• Advanced Placement