Rockledge, FL: $21M school for 170 students with "severe mental, cognitive deficiencies opens

Aug 6, 2026, New River Stone Day School opens for special needs students - WFTV

ROCKLEDGE, Fla. — Brevard Public Schools is preparing to open the River Stone Day School in Rockledge, a $21 million campus built for students with complex special needs. The facility is designed to serve approximately 170 students with severe mental or cognitive deficiencies.

The new school replaces a temporary site at Gardendale Elementary on Merritt Island, where students had been learning for years. Leaders modeled the campus after Orange County’s Magnolia School to create specialized spaces for student success.