How the funding fits
Every Arizona student from kindergarten through 12th grade can open an Empowerment Scholarship Account. The latest ADE chart, labeled 2025-26 (ADE estimate; the 2026-27 chart isn't posted yet), puts the range for the grades Autism Academy for Education & Development serves at $7,105–$10,540; where a student lands depends on grade and the public school they would otherwise attend. A qualified private school is paid from the account once it is set up as a ClassWallet vendor, and because the state keeps no list of those schools, ask Autism Academy for Education & Development directly before you count on it.
Takes STO scholarships from: APSTO, School Choice Arizona (per each STO's published school list, Oct 2026). Each STO decides its own awards, so apply separately to each one and expect no guarantee. Keep in mind that STO aid is the alternative to the ESA: a parent who signs an ESA contract agrees not to take an STO scholarship for that child in the same year.
Records point to a special-education or learning-differences focus here. For a student with a qualifying IEP, MET report or 504 plan, the ESA amount follows the disability category and is often well above the base range.
Independent schools in Tucson set their own aid budgets, which are often the biggest lever for families whose tuition sits above the ESA range.
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From the public records
According to the federal Private School Survey (2021-22), the school had 99 students, 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, a 9.9:1 student-teacher ratio and grades 1-12.
Questions for your visit
- Is Autism Academy for Education & Development set up as a ClassWallet vendor so ESA tuition can be paid directly?
- What does tuition cost for my child's grade, and which required fees can the ESA cover?
- Which STOs do your families apply to, including CTSO or IBE, and what are their dates?
- Do you offer member, parish, sibling or need-based discounts on the remaining balance?
- Which disabilities do you serve, and how would you use my child's IEP, MET report or 504 plan?
- Do students take Pima Community College or other dual-enrollment courses, and which costs can the ESA pay?
Nearby schools with full profiles
- St. Michael's Parish Day School: Christian School, grades PK-8, 0.9 mi · 5 STO lists
- Family Life Academy: Christian School, grades K-8, 1.2 mi · 3 STO lists
- The Abbie School: Independent School, grades 2-12, 1.3 mi · 4 STO lists
- Desert Christian School: Christian School, grades PK-12, 1.4 mi · 5 STO lists
- Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic School: Catholic School, grades PK-8, 1.5 mi · 3 STO lists
- St. Joseph Catholic School: Catholic School, grades K, 1.7 mi · 2 STO lists
We list 24 private schools in Catalina Foothills & the East Side, and 22 of them are on at least one STO school list.