Binet School

A JCPS specialty ECE school serving students ages 5–21.

Districtwide specialty program · Placement through the IEP and ARC process · 7:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Grades: Ages 5–21
How to get in: IEP / ARC placement
School day: 7:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Binet is a districtwide specialty school for students with low-incidence disabilities. Placement is decided through the student’s IEP and Admissions and Release Committee, not through the regular Elementary Application.

Gilmore Lane in the Newburg area of south-central Louisville

Official starting points

School Choice:(502) 485-6250 schoolchoice@jefferson.kyschools.us

What Binet is

Binet serves students ages 5–21 with low-incidence disabilities. It is a specialty ECE campus, not a neighborhood or zone elementary school.

The school provides personalized instruction from readiness skills through functional and work-transition skills. Its stated focus includes students’ academic, social, behavioral and functional potential.

The school motto is “One Focus,” and its mission is “Learning for Life.” Binet was founded in 1961.

School leadership

Trisha Gallagher

Trisha Gallagher is listed as principal for 2026–27.

The guide also lists Denise Staples and Jeffrey Shelton as assistant principals, Ryan Rembold as counselor, Elycia Pettaway with the Family Resource Center, and Karla Lewis as the mental health practitioner. Confirm staff names when arranging a visit because assignments may change.

School details

Address: 1281 Gilmore Lane, Louisville, KY 40213
Phone: (502) 485-8209
Official JCPS site: Official Binet School site(opens in a new tab)

Serves ages 5–21.
School day: 7:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Districtwide placement through the IEP and ARC process.
Confirm current enrollment, capacity and Title I status with the school.

How families get in

Families do not rank Binet through the regular Elementary Application. Placement is determined through the student’s IEP and Admissions and Release Committee.

Begin with the current IEP team or ARC rather than School Finder.
Ask whether the IEP calls for a low-incidence MSD or autism setting instead of supports within a comprehensive school.
If the student is new to JCPS, ask Exceptional Child Education how referral, evaluation and placement work.
Tour during the school day and ask about staffing ratios, therapies, behavior supports and communication systems.
Discuss community-based instruction, work-transition skills and the path toward a less restrictive setting.

Placement path

Binet is not a neighborhood resides school.
The regular Elementary Application window does not place a student at Binet.
The student’s IEP and ARC guide referral and placement.

Transportation is addressed after ARC placement and may be written into the IEP. Eligibility rules can change, so do not assume a regular elementary or magnet bus. Complete the JCPS Transportation Verification form and confirm the actual stop.

Who it tends to fit

A good match when

The ARC is considering a dedicated MSD or autism specialty campus.
The 7:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. schedule works for the household.
The family wants to understand how therapies, behavior supports, communication systems and Family Resource Center services fit into the school day.
Functional, community-based or work-transition instruction is part of the student’s plan.

Think twice when

The family needs a neighborhood K–5 resides school.
The decision is based mainly on elementary test-score rankings.
The family expects School Finder or the regular Elementary Application to assign Binet.

Placement must follow the student’s IEP and ARC decision. Ask what services can be delivered in a comprehensive school and what a return to a less restrictive setting would require.

Students

Enrollment changes during the year as students arrive and transition out. The guide does not provide a current headcount or a reliable race, multilingual learner or capacity table.

Diversity index

n/a

Confirm current enrollment and demographic information with Binet or JCPS Exceptional Child Education.

Gender: Confirm with school No current gender breakdown is provided in the guide.

Current enrollment should be confirmed with the school because counts move with ARC placements.
Current race and multilingual learner counts should be confirmed with Binet or Exceptional Child Education.
Capacity should be confirmed with the school.
Economically disadvantaged counts should be confirmed with the school.
Title I status should be confirmed with the school.

Academics

Binet should not be compared with neighborhood K–5 schools using standard elementary proficiency banners. Families should focus on IEP goals, functional growth, transition planning and the services identified by the ARC.

Ask how progress on each IEP goal is measured and reported.
Ask how instruction moves from readiness skills into functional, life and work-transition skills.
Ask how community-based instruction is scheduled.
Ask how the school plans for a possible return to a less restrictive setting.
Review the Kentucky School Report Card, while recognizing that Binet’s elementary-style reading and math banners are blank.

Awards and recognition

Location and daily life

Binet is at 1281 Gilmore Lane in ZIP code 40213.

The campus is in the Newburg area of south-central Louisville.

The school day begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 1:00 p.m.

Transportation arrangements follow placement and must be confirmed with JCPS.

Compare before you commit

Comprehensive JCPS school with ECE supportsThis may provide a less restrictive setting when the student’s IEP can be implemented there.
Other JCPS special schoolsPrograms may have different disability focuses or age bands. Ask Exceptional Child Education and the ARC rather than using the Elementary Choices list.
Home school or resides elementaryThis is an option only when the student’s IEP can be implemented there. Binet is not a rank-order elementary choice.

Questions to ask on a tour

1.Is Binet the ARC-recommended placement, or does the IEP keep the student at a comprehensive school?
2.What are the current staffing ratios in the classroom we would visit?
3.Which therapies and related services, including speech, occupational therapy and nursing, are delivered on site?
4.How are ABA, behavior supports and BCBAs used during the day?
5.How does the school support students who are non-speaking or limited-speaking?
6.What do functional, life and work-transition skills look like at this age?
7.How is community-based instruction scheduled, and how is progress on IEP goals reported?
8.How is IEP transportation arranged?
9.What would a return to a less restrictive setting look like?

What to do next

1.Talk with the current IEP team or ARC before treating Binet as a School Choice option.
2.Ask Exceptional Child Education how referral and placement work if the student is new to JCPS.
3.Tour during the 7:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. school day and observe staffing, therapies and communication supports.
4.Ask how transportation will be addressed after placement and whether it will be written into the IEP.
5.Ask what would be required for a move toward a comprehensive school.
6.Ask how the Family Resource Center can help if barriers are part of the family’s plan.
7.Confirm current enrollment, Title I status, staffing and transportation details directly with JCPS.