Top 6 Best Special Needs Schools in Strongsville, Ohio (2026)

Chapman Elementary School on Drake Road in Strongsville is home to nearly 375 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, plus two preschool classrooms, and is one of five SCS elementary schools. Preschool meets four days a week in a morning session (8:10 to 10:45 a.m.) or an afternoon session (11:40 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.), and a half-day morning kindergarten option is also offered. All students receive instruction in language arts, math, science and social studies, plus encore classes in art, music, physical education, and media and technology. Starting in fifth grade, interested students can join band or orchestra. Students can join student council and the student newspaper club, and our building uses Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). A school counselor and a school psychologist work on site, our clinic handles daily health needs, and district buses serve the school. Families gather for events like Bingo Night, the Chapman PTA supports the school, and fourth graders head out on field trips.

• Public elementary school with preschool
• PBIS
• Encore arts and technology classes
• Public school

About 500 students in kindergarten through fifth grade attend Muraski Elementary School on Royalton Road, one of five elementary schools in Strongsville City Schools. Classes cover language arts, math, science and social studies, and students rotate through encore classes in art, music, physical education, library and technology on our Red, White and Blue schedule. Starting in fifth grade, students can join band or orchestra through our instrumental program. Clubs include choir, Tech Club, Mindful Movement Club and Student Council. Our media center pairs its book collection and research databases with a MakerSpace. A school counselor and a school psychologist work in our building, and we use Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) across the school. District bus transportation serves our families, and our PTA supports events throughout the year.

• Public elementary school (K-5)
• Instrumental music
• MakerSpace
• Public school

Strongsville Academy focuses only on kindergarten, first and second grade, so our small classes, teachers and resources all center on the years when children learn to read, count and work together. Any Ohio student can attend our tuition-free public charter school in Strongsville, which is managed by ACCEL Schools and sponsored by Charter School Specialists. Students learn through hands-on, project-based lessons in reading, math, science and social studies, with art, music, daily physical education and an enrichment class built into the week. Every classroom has Chromebooks, and social-emotional learning runs through the whole school day. School-based counseling is available through Guide Stone, and a positive behavior system lets students earn points for good choices and attendance. We share our building with Creative Playrooms, which provides before and after school care and summer programs. Breakfast and lunch are prepared on site, transportation is available to qualifying families, and the year brings field trips to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, a fall festival, field day and kindergarten graduation.

• Public charter school (K-2)
• Early elementary focus
• Project-based learning
• Social-emotional learning

Strongsville Early Learning Preschool is dedicated to fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment for young learners, particularly those with unique needs. Serving children in the early developmental stages, this preschool focuses on supporting students with language-based learning disabilities and other developmental challenges. The school's core mission revolves around creating a foundation for lifelong learning through tailored educational experiences that cater to each child's individual strengths and needs. The approach at Strongsville Early Learning Preschool incorporates specialized programs and therapeutic methodologies designed to enhance communication skills, social interactions, and emotional development. With a commitment to low student-teacher ratios, educators are able to provide personalized attention, ensuring that each child receives the support they require to thrive. What sets Strongsville Early Learning Preschool apart is its strong emphasis on building partnerships with families, recognizing that collaboration is key to a child's success. Additionally, the school offers specialized facilities that foster an engaging and safe learning atmosphere. Through community events and activities designed to involve families, the preschool not only supports educational growth but also builds a strong sense of community among parents and guardians.

• Preschool
• Learning differences
• Private school

Surrarrer Elementary serves roughly 320 students in kindergarten through fifth grade in Strongsville City Schools. Kindergarten includes a morning half-day option, and our staff includes a school counselor and a school psychologist. Every student studies language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, plus encore classes in art, music, physical education, library, and technology. Starting in fifth grade, interested students can join the instrumental program and play in band or orchestra. Our building uses Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and our counseling program teaches a classroom lesson series for each grade: Proud to be Polite in first grade, Kelso's Choices for handling conflict in second, Getting Along in third, anti-bullying strategies in fourth, and handling peer pressure in fifth. Families can count on district bus transportation, a media center, and an active PTA.

• Public elementary school
• PBIS
• Public school

Wishing Well has taught young children for more than 50 years, and our Strongsville center on Royalton Road focuses on preschool for children who are 3, 4 and 5 years old. Families come to us from Strongsville, Brunswick, Columbia Station and nearby communities. Our literature-based curriculum is updated regularly to stay developmentally appropriate, and we pair it with play-based learning. Children build fine and gross motor skills, link sounds and letters as they begin to read and write, practice counting and simple addition and subtraction, and learn kindness, cooperation and independence. Families choose a morning class from 9:00 a.m. to noon or an afternoon class from 12:45 to 3:45 p.m. Morning students can add Lunch Bunch or Curriculum Enhancement Afternoons. Our sister center in North Royalton has cared for children since 1973.

• Preschool
• Kindergarten readiness
• Play-based learning
• Private school