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Best Special Needs Schools in Weirton, West Virginia (2026)

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

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School listings in Weirton

1

St. Joseph The Worker School

Listed
Weirton, WVGrades PreK-8

St. Joseph the Worker runs two programs on one Weirton campus: a Day School for children from infancy through age two, and a Grade School for Preschool 3 through sixth grade. Families come from across Hancock and Brooke Counties and from nearby Pennsylvania and Ohio. Pre-K through fourth grade meet in self-contained classrooms, while fifth and sixth graders change classes by subject. West Virginia classifies us as a First Class school. Students pray daily, take daily religion and family life classes, help plan liturgies and take part in service projects and retreats. We are the only Catholic elementary school in our area with both a full-time school resource officer and a full-time school psychologist, and our staff also includes a counselor and a school nurse. Families can apply for the Diocesan Tuition Assistance Program through FACTS or use West Virginia's Hope Scholarship. Sixth graders moving on to Madonna High School can earn parish scholarships.

  • Catholic school (infant to grade 6)
  • Financial aid
  • Private school
View details
Brick exterior of St. Paul's Catholic School with flagpole.
2

St. Paul's Catholic School

Listed
Weirton, WVGrades PreK-8

St. Paul Catholic School has served Weirton since 1924, when the parish opened it for the immigrant families of a growing industrial town. Our current U-shaped building on Walnut Street dates to 1962 and sits behind St. Paul Church, set back from downtown traffic. We teach children from Pre-K 3 through 6th grade as a school of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Preschool through 4th grade classes are self-contained, while 5th and 6th graders change classes in a middle school setting. Our resource teacher, certified in general and special education, works with small groups from every grade using reading and math inventories and NWEA results. She also helps write service plans and accommodations for students with diagnoses such as ADHD or a learning disability. The diocesan School Based Health Program brings a licensed professional counselor, a school nurse and a prevention educator to our students. Our Literacy Lab and library run Storytime, book studies and the READBowl reading competition. Students also take STEM, art, music and religion, and can join choir, Girls on the Run, basketball, volleyball and soccer. We are Cognia accredited and participate in West Virginia's HOPE Scholarship.

  • Catholic school (PreK-6)
  • ADHD
  • Learning differences
  • Catholic education
View details

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Planning guides

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IEP process guide

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Comparing school options in Weirton

Weirton straddles two county school systems, Hancock County Schools and Brooke County Schools, and the city notes that residents can choose between them, so settle which district your child attends before you ask for an evaluation or an IEP. The city also has two Catholic elementary schools on this page: St. Joseph the Worker on Michael Way and St. Paul on Walnut Street.

Federal private school data for 2021-22 show St. Joseph the Worker with 138 students, about 9.8 per teacher and a 180-day year. Both Catholic schools' websites carry information on West Virginia's Hope Scholarship, which opens to current private school students starting in 2026-27. Cost, support staff and district services are covered below.

Local resources checked .

Frequently Asked Questions About Special Needs Schools in Weirton

Are there autism schools near Weirton, WV?
Weirton has no stand-alone private autism school on this page. Autistic children in Weirton's public schools attend Hancock County or Brooke County schools with an IEP that sets their services, therapies and classroom setting. Of the two Catholic schools, St. Joseph the Worker has a full-time school psychologist on staff, and St. Paul has a resource teacher certified in special education, which can help a child who needs some support but not a separate program.
Is Weirton in Hancock County Schools or Brooke County Schools?
Both. The City of Weirton notes that its schools sit in the Hancock and Brooke County districts, which gives residents a choice of where children attend. The city lists Weirton Elementary, Weir Middle and Weir High on the Hancock side, plus the John D. Rockefeller Career Center, and Lauretta B. Millsop Primary, Follansbee Middle and Brooke High on the Brooke side, whose central office is in Wellsburg. Check your address with each district before you request an evaluation or an IEP meeting.
Which Weirton Catholic school helps kids with ADHD or learning disabilities?
St. Paul Catholic School has a resource teacher who holds West Virginia certification in both general and special education. She pulls small groups from every grade based on reading and math inventories, NWEA scores and teacher input, helps write service plans for students with diagnoses such as ADHD or a learning disability, and keeps a room where students can test with extra time or calm down on a hard day.
What support does St. Joseph the Worker School offer?
St. Joseph the Worker serves Preschool 3 through 6th grade, with a Day School for infants through age two. Pre-K through 4th grade use self-contained classrooms, and 5th and 6th graders change classes by subject, a useful middle step before junior high. The school employs a full-time school psychologist and a full-time school resource officer, and it draws families from Hancock and Brooke counties and nearby Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Can the West Virginia Hope Scholarship pay for Catholic school in Weirton?
Yes. The Hope Scholarship, run by the State Treasurer's Office, gives K-12 West Virginia students money for private school tuition and other qualifying expenses instead of attending public school full-time. Starting in 2026-27, current private school and homeschool students qualify too. Funds arrive quarterly, and when you apply decides whether your child gets the full amount or a reduced rate in the first year, so apply early.
How do I get my child evaluated for special education in Weirton?
Send a dated written request to the special education office of the county district that serves your address, Hancock or Brooke, and copy your child's principal if they attend public school. Federal Child Find rules make the public district where a private school sits responsible for evaluating its students, so St. Joseph or St. Paul families send the request to the county district where the school sits. Bring report cards, private evaluations and teacher notes to the first meeting.
Will my child keep an IEP at a private school in Weirton?
Not as a full IEP. A private school can offer a service plan and accommodations, the way St. Paul's resource teacher does, but the full range of specially designed instruction comes through the public district. Federal special education rules count dyslexia as a specific learning disability and list ADHD under other health impairment, so get your child evaluated by the county district before you choose, then weigh both offers side by side.
What should I ask a Weirton school about my child's needs?
Ask who on staff has special education training and how often your child would work in a small group. At St. Joseph, ask how the school psychologist supports students and families. At St. Paul, ask how the resource teacher's service plan is written and reviewed. At a public school, ask how much of the day your child would spend in a general classroom.

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