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Best Special Needs Schools in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (2026)

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

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School listings in Hattiesburg

1

Hattiesburg STEAM Academy

Listed
Hattiesburg, MS

Hattiesburg STEAM Academy is dedicated to providing a nurturing and inclusive educational environment for students with diverse learning needs, particularly those with language-based learning disabilities and twice-exceptional learners. The academy's core mission focuses on equipping all students to thrive as productive citizens in an ever-evolving global community. With a commitment to innovative education, Hattiesburg STEAM Academy employs a unique blend of therapeutic methodologies and specialized programs tailored to meet the individual needs of each student. The school boasts a low student-teacher ratio of 18:1, ensuring personalized attention and support, which fosters meaningful connections between educators and families. Additionally, the academy offers a variety of clubs and organizations that promote engagement and collaboration among students, enhancing their social skills and sense of belonging. This holistic approach, combined with strong family partnerships and specialized facilities, distinguishes Hattiesburg STEAM Academy as a leader in providing quality education for students with special needs.

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

MCHS Cares School

Listed
Hattiesburg, MS

Our CARES School in Hattiesburg provides non-public education for students whose behavioral needs prevent them from succeeding in a traditional classroom. Canopy Children's Solutions operates CARES Schools in Hattiesburg, Jackson and Biloxi. Our schools are accredited by the Mississippi Department of Education, and completed schoolwork transfers to Mississippi public schools. Classes have eight to ten students, with a licensed teacher and a behavioral specialist in each classroom. We combine academic instruction with practice in social, life and leisure skills. Each student participates in a child and family team that coordinates education and behavioral health support. Our classrooms use a trauma-focused approach, and the program includes specialized classrooms for students on the autism spectrum. Admission requires a school district referral after the student has exhausted the interventions available in the public school setting. Eligibility includes a special education ruling in autism, developmental disability, emotional disability, intellectual disability, multiple disability or other health impairment. The sending district provides transportation. Extended school year is part of the CARES School program. The Hattiesburg school expanded into the Trustmark Educational Center in 2024. The center serves students from Pine Belt school districts. Our school program focuses on education and classroom behavioral support; it is separate from Canopy's psychiatric residential treatment program.

  • Special education school
  • Autism
  • Developmental disability
  • Emotional disability
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Planning guides

Plan your next school conversation in Hattiesburg

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 Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg Public School District runs the city's neighborhood elementary schools, Hattiesburg STEAM Academy and Hattiesburg High, and its Office of Exceptional Children and Health Services oversees special education. For students whose behavior keeps them from succeeding in a regular classroom, Canopy Children's Solutions runs CARES School Hattiesburg.

This page lists CARES School Hattiesburg and Hattiesburg STEAM Academy. The answers explain who CARES serves and how referrals work, how to ask HPSD for an evaluation, and what Mississippi's Education Scholarship Account covers.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in Hattiesburg

What is CARES School in Hattiesburg?
CARES School Hattiesburg is an accredited non-public school run by Canopy Children's Solutions, which calls itself Mississippi's largest nonprofit provider of children's behavioral health, education and family support. It serves students in grades 1-12 whose behavior keeps them from succeeding in a traditional classroom. Classes hold 8 to 10 students, each room has a licensed teacher and a behavioral specialist, and the Mississippi Department of Education accredits the school, so coursework transfers back to public schools.
Who can attend CARES School, and how does a child get in?
Students need a special education ruling in autism, developmental delay, emotional disability, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities or other health impairment, an IQ of 60 or above, and a record that the public school has tried every intervention it has. Parents cannot enroll directly. The student's school district makes the referral and provides transportation, so start by asking your child's IEP team to consider CARES.
Does CARES School Hattiesburg serve autistic children?
Yes. Autism is one of the qualifying rulings, and Canopy runs specialized classrooms for children on the autism spectrum inside its CARES Schools, alongside trauma-focused classrooms and an extended school year. Each student also has a child and family team that coordinates academic and behavioral health supports, and Canopy runs a behavioral health clinic on Grand Drive in Hattiesburg for therapy and medication management.
How do I request a special education evaluation in Hattiesburg?
Call the HPSD Office of Exceptional Children and Health Services at 601-582-5078, or fill out the district's Child Find request form and turn it in with a dated note. HPSD's Child Find covers children from birth to 21. A multidisciplinary evaluation brings two or more specialists, such as a speech-language pathologist, school psychologist or special educator, to observe, test and interview caregivers, followed by a written summary and an eligibility meeting.
What is Hattiesburg STEAM Academy like for a student with an IEP?
STEAM Academy is HPSD's bridge school between its six neighborhood elementary schools and Hattiesburg High. Students are grouped into teams of five teachers who teach the same students every day, which gives a child with an IEP a small, steady set of adults. NCES counted 205 students and about 10.8 per teacher in 2023-24, and federal civil rights data showed 27 students with IEPs among 246 in 2021-22.
Can a child with ADHD or dyslexia get school support in Hattiesburg?
Yes. Federal special education rules place ADHD under other health impairment and dyslexia under specific learning disability, so a child with either can qualify for an IEP when it affects learning. A child who needs accommodations without specialized teaching may get a Section 504 plan instead. If ADHD comes with serious behavior struggles that classroom supports have not fixed, other health impairment is also a qualifying ruling for CARES.
Does Mississippi help pay for a special needs private school?
Mississippi's Education Scholarship Account, created by the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act, reimburses private school tuition and other approved costs. Your child needs an active IEP written by a public school district within three years of the application, plus an acceptance letter from an eligible private school. The Office of Special Education sets the amount each spring based on available money; for 2026-27 the maximum reimbursement is $8,421. Awards go first come, first served, with a waitlist when funds run out.
What should I ask a Hattiesburg school about special needs support?
Ask how much of the day your child spends with general education peers and how staff respond when behavior escalates. Ask who provides speech, counseling and occupational therapy, and how often. At a referral-only program like CARES, ask what progress looks like before a student returns to a district school, and how the school keeps you in the loop.

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