Top 4 Best Special Needs Schools in Crystal, Minnesota (2026)

Early Steps Learning Foundation is a nonprofit child care center in Crystal serving children from 16 months to 5 years old. Meals are included in our weekly tuition, our teachers and support staff are CPR and first-aid certified, and our staff continue their early childhood training through Think Small. Our toddler room, for children 16 to 33 months, introduces baby sign language so young children can express their needs before they have the words. Younger preschoolers, from 33 months to 4 years, rotate through interest centers in small groups and start each morning with calendar, weather, and story time. Our older preschoolers write in journals, practice simple addition and subtraction, and graph results from science activities, and families can request a small homework packet. We teach with the Mother Goose Time curriculum, built up in steps from one classroom to the next, and we borrow some Montessori techniques so children take an active role. Daily small-group time gives each child one-on-one time with a teacher. We also run a summer camp.

• Nonprofit child care center and preschool
• Mother Goose Time curriculum
• Speech therapy
• Small group instruction

Evergreen Montessori is a dedicated non-profit preschool that has been nurturing the growth of children aged 33 months to 6 years for over 50 years. Rooted in the principles of the Montessori Method, the school focuses on fostering emotional, social, intellectual, and physical development through a collaborative partnership with parents. The carefully prepared learning environment encourages children to explore and learn at their own pace within a noncompetitive atmosphere. Unique educational offerings include introductory Spanish and American Sign Language, along with Stretch-N-Grow, a weekly physical education class designed to promote physical fitness and well-being. Evergreen Montessori stands out not only for its commitment to individualized learning but also for its rich history, having evolved from North Hennepin Montessori School since its establishment in 1966. Located within St. James Lutheran Church in Crystal, MN, Evergreen Montessori combines specialized facilities with a strong emphasis on community involvement, making it a distinctive choice for families seeking an enriching educational experience for their children.

• Preschool
• Private school

Our main office doubles as Forest Elementary School's Welcome Center, where families can ask questions and connect with the Wolfpack team. Teachers build relationships with children and look at their strengths and learning needs across academic, social and emotional development. Our annual School Improvement Plan sets priorities for that work. Explicit instruction in the skills children need to read forms part of Robbinsdale Area Schools' structured literacy approach. We use curriculum resources grounded in the science of reading as part of our school learning. Families can also explore gifted and talented programming through the school and connect with district special education services. State and federal eligibility criteria govern access to special education. A qualifying child's individualized education plan team decides the type and setting of support, which may include classroom, small-group or individual instruction. The district works with families to provide services in the neighborhood school and regular classroom when appropriate. Our district literacy framework teaches phonemic awareness, phonics and fluency, along with oral language, vocabulary and reading comprehension. We also teach writing in different genres, following that framework's connection between reading, language and written communication.

• Elementary school
• Learning differences
• Twice-exceptional
• Private school

The auditorium railings at FAIR School Crystal follow the Fibonacci sequence, a fitting detail for a STEAM magnet middle school where the arts are woven into every subject. Any student in grades 6 to 8 can enroll, and we continue the magnet programming of FAIR School Pilgrim Lane and the School of Engineering and Arts. Our students go on to Armstrong or Cooper High School. Every student takes literacy, math, science, social studies, physical education and health, French or Spanish, technology education with woodshop and media arts, and an advisory focused on social and emotional learning. Music students choose band, orchestra or choir, and can audition for All-District Band, All-District Orchestra and Honors Orchestra. AVID helps students build college readiness skills. Twice a year we stage a production with Stages Theatre Company. Students join student council, yearbook club or the GSA, and play co-ed soccer, girls volleyball, basketball, track and field, or flag football. A school counselor, school psychologist and social worker support students, and English learners receive language support from licensed EL teachers.

• Public STEAM magnet middle school
• STEAM magnet
• Fine arts integration
• World languages