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Best Special Needs Schools in Kentwood, Michigan (2026)

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

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School listings in Kentwood

1

Kentwood Special Education

Listed
Kentwood, MIGrades PreK-12

Kentwood Public Schools is dedicated to fostering excellence and equity in education, serving a diverse student body that includes individuals with unique learning needs. The district's core mission is to create an inclusive environment where every child, regardless of their background or challenges, can thrive academically and socially. With programs tailored for students ranging from early childhood through high school, the schools support those with various diagnoses, including language-based learning disabilities and twice-exceptional learners. The educational approach emphasizes whole-child development, integrating social, emotional, physical, and mental wellness into the curriculum. This commitment is reflected in the low student-teacher ratios, which ensure personalized attention and support for each student. Additionally, Kentwood Public Schools actively engages families as partners in education, fostering strong relationships that enhance the learning experience. Unique community events and initiatives further enrich the school environment, making it a vibrant place for students to grow and succeed.

  • School
  • Learning differences
  • Twice-exceptional
  • Public school
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2

Lighthouse Academy

Listed
Kentwood, MIGrades 9-12 & up to 22Tuition-free

Lighthouse Academy began in January 2005 as a private program with 17 students and became a charter public school academy in 2008. Today we educate more than 1,200 students a year across nine campuses in five West Michigan counties, and our South Campus on 36th Street SE is one of them. We serve students up to age 22 who have been long-term suspended, expelled, court affiliated or IEP placed in coordination with their home district. Our campuses offer full-time in-person and virtual programs, smaller class sizes, daily academic support sessions, blended learning, work-based learning and career pathways. Each student sets goals through an individualized learning plan with guidance from a support team, and staff use positive interventions and restorative practices. Lighthouse Academy is tuition-free, authorized by Ferris State University and fully accredited by Cognia. Our graduates earn a full Michigan diploma that meets Michigan Merit Curriculum requirements and go on to college, the military or the workforce.

  • Public charter school academy (alternative education)
  • Expelled or long-term suspended students
  • Court-involved youth
  • Restorative practices
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Nearby school options

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Planning guides

Plan your next school conversation in Kentwood

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 Kentwood

Kentwood Public Schools runs its own autism, emotional impairment and cognitive impairment programs from kindergarten through transition age, coordinated by the district's Special Education Office on 44th Street SE. Students with the highest needs can also reach Kent ISD regional programs, and Lighthouse Academy runs a tuition-free campus on 36th Street SE.

This page lists Kentwood's Special Education Office and Lighthouse Academy. The answers below explain which Kentwood programs serve learning disabilities, autism and early delays, how to reach Child Find, and why Michigan has no private school voucher.

Local resources checked .

Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in Kentwood

Are there special education schools in Kentwood, Michigan?
Kentwood Public Schools serves most students with disabilities inside its own buildings rather than at a separate school. For students with high needs, the district also uses programs in other Kent ISD districts, including Kent Education Centers. Occupational therapists, psychologists, school social workers, speech-language pathologists and teacher consultants travel between buildings, and a physical therapist is contracted through Kent ISD.
Which Kentwood schools help children with learning disabilities?
Every Kentwood building offers a resource program, where students follow the general curriculum and get academic or social-emotional support from special education staff. Federal rules list dyslexia under specific learning disability and usually place ADHD under other health impairment, so both can qualify a child for an IEP. Kentwood identifies a specific learning disability by looking for a pattern of strengths and weaknesses, and the Special Education Office shares its decision rules on request.
Does Kentwood have an autism program?
Yes. Kentwood runs autism programs from kindergarten through grade 12 that focus on behavior, communication and functional life skills. Students whose needs center on emotions and behavior may fit the emotionally impaired programs, which build behavior skills alongside academics. The moderate cognitive impairment programs cover daily living, communication and functional skills. After high school, a community-based transition program keeps working on daily living and job skills.
What is Lighthouse Academy in Kentwood?
Lighthouse Academy is a tuition-free school with full-time in-person and virtual programs for youth in Barry, Kent, Muskegon, Osceola and Ottawa counties. Ferris State University is its authorizing body, Integrity Educational Services manages it, and Cognia accredits it. The 36th Street SE address is its South Campus and main office, listed under a Grand Rapids mailing address. Its stated approach addresses students' academic, social and emotional needs, and Kent County families apply through a county enrollment request form.
My preschooler in Kentwood has delays. Where do we start?
Call the Kentwood Child Find line if you have concerns about a child from birth to age five. For a child under three, you can also refer through Early On, Michigan's system for infants and toddlers with delays or disabilities. For preschoolers, Kentwood offers evaluations, home services, outpatient therapy and classroom programs, including half-day Early Childhood Developmental Delay sections for ages 3 to 6. Its early childhood campuses are Hamilton and Explorer.
Does Michigan have a school voucher for special needs students?
No. Michigan's constitution bars public money for private schools and specifically rules out tuition vouchers, tax benefits, deductions, subsidies and grants that support a student's attendance at a nonpublic school. That means a private school in Kentwood sets its own tuition and families pay it themselves. Kentwood Public Schools and Lighthouse Academy charge no tuition.
How do I request a special education evaluation in Kentwood?
Call the Kentwood Child Find hotline at 616-871-1000 if you think your child may have a disability, then follow up with a dated written request to your principal or the Special Education Office at 1122 44th Street SE, 616-554-3980. For a child under three, Early On takes referrals at 1-800-327-5966. Michigan's identification duty covers children from birth through age 25, including those in private schools.
What should I ask a Kentwood school before enrolling my child?
Ask which program your child's IEP points toward, whether that program runs in your neighborhood building, and how students move into a less restrictive setting as they progress. Ask how often teacher consultants and therapists see your child. Kent ISD's Parent Advisors for Special Education can help you prepare, and at Lighthouse Academy, ask how in-person and virtual time is split.

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