Special-needs schools and disability ESA funding in Tucson

For a student with an IEP, MET report or 504 plan, the ESA can be worth far more than the base amount. Here are Pima County schools with a special-education focus and the services the account can cover.

Where this comes from. School listings were checked on October 12, 2026. Enrollment and grades come from the U.S. Department of Education's Private School Survey (NCES, 2023-24 and 2021-22); STO listings come from the published school lists of Arizona School Tuition Organizations. CTSO's list was not part of our match. No public source shows tuition or which schools take ESA payments, so confirm both with the school.

Pima County has only a handful of schools built specifically around disabilities, so many Tucson families blend a mainstream private school with outside therapy paid from the account. The disability ESA makes that possible: the category on your child's evaluation sets the amount, and for autism or multiple disabilities the 2025-26 estimate starts above $34,000.

Start by gathering the current MET report and IEP or 504 plan from your district. Then visit schools with the evaluation in hand and ask how they would use it.

Autism & behavioral support

Tucson schools whose names or records indicate an autism or behavioral focus, and how the ESA's autism category affects the amount.

3 schools →

Learning differences, dyslexia & ADHD

Pima County schools with a special-education or learning-differences focus, plus how the ESA treats specific learning disabilities and other health impairments.

10 schools →

Schools with a special-education or learning-differences focus (6)

School	Type	Community	Grades	STO lists	Students*
Arizona Behavior & Autism Tucson · from STO lists only	Independent Schools	Central Tucson, the University & the West Side	Not reported	1 IBE	—
Autism Academy for Education & Development 6880 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson 85710	Independent Schools	Catalina Foothills & the East Side	1-12	2 APSTO, School Choice Arizona	99
Intermountain Academy 401 N Bonita Ave, Tucson 85745	Independent Schools	Northwest Tucson, Oro Valley & Marana	1-12	1 IBE	101
Renaissance Academy Tucson 4064 E 22nd St., Tucson 85711	Independent Schools	Catalina Foothills & the East Side	4-12	1 APSTO	33
The Abbie School 5870 E 14th St., Tucson 85711	Independent Schools	Catalina Foothills & the East Side	2-12	4 APESF, APSTO, IBE, School Choice Arizona	83
The Village: School of Abilities Green Valley · from STO lists only	Independent Schools	South Side, Sahuarita, Green Valley & Vail	Not reported	2 ACSTO, IBE	—

* Enrollment reported to the NCES Private School Survey (2023-24 or 2021-22). "STO lists" counts the School Tuition Organizations whose published school list included the school (Oct 2026). Arizona has no state list of ESA schools; ask each school whether it accepts ESA payments through ClassWallet.

Special needs guide What the ESA pays for

Raising a child with an IEP or 504 plan in Tucson?

An advisor can walk you through how your child's category sets the ESA amount and which Pima County schools are worth a visit.

Start the funding check →