I wuld NOT take anyone’s word for it that these kids are going to Park for $500 per year.
It is very rare for that kind of money to be given out at the middle school level.
Not for special needs kids. If a local government school cannot provide what’s needed the feds “allow” a school district to “school choice” the kid or kids to a private school that can provide the service, using tax money.
If you know the ropes and get a good IEP or Section 504 plan written up, you can get your kid into an exclusive school and have the govt (that's you) pay.
Google up iep, 504, school choice, sped, and combos of these and you’ll see how it works.
SPED can be anything from severe retardation, significant physical needs, or other serious disability down to dyslexia, ADDHD, or Aspergers (I’m not saying that these conditions are not serious, though I do think thay are over-diagnosed- and if the payoff is getting into an expensive exclusive school, there’s incentive to overdiagnose).