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Best Special Needs Schools in Shirley, New York (2026)

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

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School listings in Shirley

1

Just Kids Learning Center

Listed
Shirley, NYAges 2-5Low preschool class ratios (6:1:2, 8:1:2, 10:1:2) with special ed faculty and assistants ratio

Our Shirley site runs inside Nathaniel Woodhull School through a long partnership with the William Floyd School District, where Just Kids Early Childhood Learning Center operates one of Suffolk County's largest Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) programs across several district elementary schools. At Woodhull we have seven classrooms: four integrated classrooms that combine UPK children with preschoolers who have special needs, and three standalone UPK rooms. The Woodhull student day runs 9:00 to 3:00, with an 8:30 to 2:30 summer schedule. Speech, physical and occupational therapy and counseling are delivered on site for children whose IEPs call for them. Classes use The Creative Curriculum, aligned with New York's Prekindergarten Early Learning Standards, and teachers track growth with the Brigance screener in September and June, portfolios and Teaching Strategies Gold. District nurses cover the school year, with a contract nurse in summer. Just Kids serves young children with and without disabilities in inclusive settings and is licensed and approved by New York State's education and health departments and the Nassau and Suffolk County health departments. Services for eligible children come at no out-of-pocket cost to families.

  • Preschool special education and UPK program
  • Integrated preschool classrooms
  • Inclusion classrooms
  • Financial aid
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2

William Floyd Elementary School

Listed
Shirley, NYGrades K-5Tuition-free

William Floyd Elementary is a K-5 public Title I school on Lexington Road in Shirley, part of the William Floyd School District. Our student support team includes two school social workers, a school counselor and two school psychologists, one for grades K to 2 and one for grades 3 to 5, working alongside our nurse and library staff. We also have Dignity for All Students Act coordinators who handle bullying and harassment concerns. Children who need more help can be referred to the district's Committee on Special Education, which oversees services for students ages 3 to 21 once general education interventions have been tried. Families join us for events such as a fall book fair and Hispanic Heritage Night.

  • Public elementary school
  • Public school
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Planning guides

Plan your next school conversation in Shirley

Use these guides before you contact programs, schedule tours, or ask your IEP team how a proposed setting will support your child's goals.

NY OPWDD services guide

OPWDD eligibility, the Front Door, care managers, and planning the move from school to adult services at 21.

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.

Comparing school options in Shirley

In Shirley, special education for most children runs through the William Floyd School District, whose buildings here include William Floyd Elementary on Lexington Road and Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary on Francis Landau Place. Inside Nathaniel Woodhull, Just Kids Early Childhood Learning Center runs pre-K classrooms where children with and without special needs learn together.

This page lists William Floyd Elementary School and Just Kids Early Childhood Learning Center's Shirley site. The answers below cover the Shirley school district, Early Intervention for infants and toddlers in Suffolk County, integrated pre-K, nearby autism classes, evaluations and how New York serves children in private schools.

Local resources checked .

Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in Shirley

What school district is Shirley, NY in?
William Floyd School District runs public schools in Shirley, including William Floyd Elementary on Lexington Road and Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary on Francis Landau Place. Its other buildings include Tangier Smith, John S. Hobart and Moriches elementary schools, two middle schools, William Floyd High School and the William Floyd Learning Center. Hamlet names and school district lines do not always match on Long Island, so confirm your district from your tax bill before you register or request services.
Is there an infant program for special needs babies in Shirley?
For a child under 3, start with Suffolk County's Early Intervention Program, run by the county Department of Health at 631-853-3100. Babies and toddlers qualify with a confirmed disability or a delay in physical, cognitive, communication, social-emotional or adaptive skills, and services can come to your home. Just Kids is a state-approved Early Intervention home-based program, and its early childhood classes serve children from 18 months to 5 years.
What is the Just Kids pre-K program at Nathaniel Woodhull?
Just Kids has a long partnership with William Floyd to run one of Suffolk County's largest universal pre-K programs, housed in several district elementary schools. Its William Floyd program, based at Nathaniel Woodhull, also runs integrated classrooms that combine pre-K children with children who have special needs, with speech, physical and occupational therapy and counseling. Teachers use The Creative Curriculum and screen children with the Brigance in September and June.
Are there special needs schools near Shirley for kids with autism?
Just Kids runs a New York State licensed K-2 program for children on the autism spectrum at its Middle Island site. Students get 1:1 instruction, small groups and independent workstations, with skills assessed through the VB-MAPP, plus speech, occupational and physical therapy, counseling, a sensory room and a movement gym. Just Kids belongs to NAPSEC. A district Committee on Special Education recommends this kind of placement through the IEP.
How many William Floyd Elementary students have IEPs?
Federal civil rights data for 2021-22 counted 160 students with IEPs and 36 with 504 plans among 782 at William Floyd Elementary, about one child in five with an IEP. The 2023-24 federal count lists 744 students and roughly 13.3 students per teacher. Ask which special class and integrated co-teaching options the building offers, and how speech and occupational therapy fit into the school day.
How do I get my child evaluated in the William Floyd School District?
Send a dated letter to your child's principal or to the William Floyd Committee on Special Education asking for an initial evaluation, and describe your concerns. For a 3- to 5-year-old, address the letter to the district's Committee on Preschool Special Education. Dyslexia counts as a specific learning disability under federal rules and ADHD as an other health impairment, so either can lead to an IEP when it gets in the way of learning.
What if my Shirley child attends a private or religious school?
Yes, through New York's dual enrollment rule. Once you enroll your child in a private or religious school, the Committee on Special Education in the district where that school is located, which may not be William Floyd, builds an Individualized Education Services Program (IESP) that mirrors an IEP. Education Law 3602-c sets the deadline: put your request in writing by June 1 before the school year, with limited exceptions for children identified later. For its own programs, Just Kids reports no out-of-pocket cost to families of eligible children.
What should I ask a Shirley preschool or school about my child?
Ask how many children in the room have IEPs and how many adults work there. Ask whether therapy happens inside the classroom or in a separate room, and how often you get progress notes. At an integrated pre-K, ask how teachers adapt group activities for a child who needs more support. Before kindergarten, ask who leads the transition meeting and when it happens.

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