Best Special Needs Schools in Troutdale, Oregon (2026)

Arata Creek School in Troutdale is run by the Multnomah Education Service District for students on IEPs who have had persistent behavior challenges in school. With Burlingame Creek and Knott Creek, the Creek schools serve students from kindergarten through age 21, and placement comes through a referral from the student's home school district. We serve students from Multnomah County districts and from other districts by contract. Our program runs on a continuum of four phases, each with clear academic and behavioral expectations. Students move to the next phase once they show over time that they can meet the requirements of their current one, and the goal is a return to a regular school placement. Staff teach the social and academic skills students need in school, in the community and in the workplace. Our team includes a behavior facilitator, a counselor, a school nurse and campus safety staff. Intake brings together the district referral, current IEP, functional behavior assessment and positive behavior support plan. Arata Creek holds accreditation from Cognia.

• Public special education day school (behavior)
• Emotional/behavioral support
• Therapeutic program
• Behavior intervention

One of six small Arthur Academy schools in the Portland area, Reynolds Arthur Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Troutdale for kindergarten through 5th grade. The first Arthur Academy charter school opened in 2002. We teach reading, math, spelling and language through Direct Instruction, a structured, research-validated set of programs built on mastery learning. Lessons move in small, carefully sequenced steps so children master each skill before moving on, with the goal of preventing failure in the early grades. Kindergartners and 1st graders learn reading in small groups, and experienced small-group teachers provide extra individualized instruction. Our programs include Direct Instruction beginning reading and Connecting Math Concepts, and our motto is Pay Attention, Work Hard, Get Smart, Be Proud. Classrooms use positive behavior management. Any Oregon resident may apply without an inter-district transfer. Applications open January 8 for the following year, children must turn 5 by September 1 for kindergarten, and a lottery is held in early April when a grade has more applicants than openings, with priority for current students, siblings and in-district families.

• Public charter elementary school (K-5)
• Direct Instruction
• Mastery learning
• Small-group reading instruction