At The Winston Knolls School, we strive to create a welcoming admissions process for all prospective students and families and inform them about the benefits of an education with us. The Winston Knolls School accepts applications for admissions / enrollment through its rolling admissions process providing individual application review on a case-by-case basis anytime of the year.

The admission process to The Winston Knolls School begins with an initial referral being made by the home school district or the special education cooperative that represents the district. Parents who wish to enroll their child may also initiate a referral.

The Winston Knolls School administration will review the student’s records (including the current IEP, the most recent multidisciplinary conference reports, the case study evaluation, and any additional psychiatric or psychological reports.)

Several items will be taken into consideration in reviewing each application such as, but not limited to: new student spot availability; best fit for school – student-family; availability of a specific classroom for the best fit; classroom structures; and family requirements to name a few. If an application is denied, the Admission Committee may decide to place the prospective student and family on a waiting list for future admissions consideration.

Most students are referred to us by their local school districts. At a student’s IEP, the team decides that the most appropriate placement for a student may not be in district. The district then sends us a formal request for placement letter and current IEP. The Winston Knolls School will then learn about the student through parent and teacher interviews and observations in the current placement. If the intake team decides that we are an appropriate placement for the student, the student then is placed on our waiting list. The district and the parents are notified via certified letter.

There is a waiting list at The Winston Knolls School and it is not first-come, first-serve; students are placed on a first-come, first-fit basis. Students are placed into classrooms depending on both their age and their skill level. We will only accept a student if there is an opening in an appropriate classroom. First openings will not always be the appropriate classroom. If a student is on our waiting list, we have already deemed The Winston Knolls School an appropriate place for their education. When a spot becomes available on our student roster in the appropriate classroom, the district and/or family is notified via phone call and an acceptance letter is mailed.

For more information about our school programs, click here or call the main office at (630) 283-3221.