Non-specialized schools may be declared to be innovative schools at the proposal of the Minister of Education and Science. Innovative schools shall be schools which achieve higher quality of education by developing and introducing innovative elements in the organization and/or content of teaching, organizing management, instruction and the teaching environment in a new or improved way, using new teaching methods, developing teaching content, curricula and syllabi in a new way. For the 2020/2021 school year, there are 504 innovative schools in 183 settlements.

In our system there are specialized schools. They could be: sports schools (grades V to XII inclusive); culture schools (grades I to XII, V to XII inclusive); arts schools (grades I to XII, V to XII inclusive). Sports schools provide general education and specialized training in the field of sports and, in the secondary degree course, also vocational training in the vocational field of sports. In the school year 2020/2021 in Bulgaria there are 71 sports classes in 25 sports schools. Culture schools provide general education, specialized training in the cultural sphere, and special profile education. There is National Leraning Complex of Culture  with studying Italian language and culture (with participation of the Republic Italy) in Sofia at the Ministry of Culture and "Konstantin Kiril Filosof" National High School for Ancient Languages and Cultures - associated lyceum at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski”. Arts schools provide general education, specialized training in the sphere of arts, and special profile education in the relevant vocational fields. There are currently 21 art schools in our country. 

There are three types of special schools:  teaching and supporting pupils with sensory disabilities - impaired hearing or impaired vision; correctional boarding schools and social and pedagogical boarding schools. Special schools conduct instruction for the completion of a grade and for  the attainment of primary and secondary education. Special schools provide also instruction for the acquisition of vocational qualifications. The special schools may conduct special profile education. Special schools for pupils with sensory disabilities provide the education and training as well as compulsory training in special subjects. Correctional boarding schools provide instruction to pupils who are juvenile delinquents. Social and pedagogical boarding schools provide instruction to pupils lacking appropriate living conditions in their families, deprived of parental care and supervision, or juvenile delinquents. There are 9 special schools in Bulgaria – 5 teaching and supporting pupils with sensory disabilities - 3 impaired hearing and 2 impaired vision, 3 correctional boarding schools and 1 social and pedagogical boarding school.

There are personality development support centers, which are institutions in the pre-school and school education system, where activities are organized to support the inclusion, instruction and upbringing of children and pupils, as well as activities to develop their interests and capabilities. Personality development support centers do not provide for the completion of a grade and stage and for the acquisition of an education degree, and/or the acquisition of vocational qualifications, except for the special educational support center which may engage also in vocational training for the acquisition of the first level of vocational qualifications and/or for the acquisition of qualifications for a part of an occupation. Personality development support centers carry out activities for the following purposes:  development of interests, capabilities, competences and realization in the field of sciences, technologies, arts, and sports; career orientation and consultation; preventive, diagnostic, rehabilitative, correctional and re-socializing work with children and pupils;. resource support to children and pupils with special learning needs; pedagogical and psychological support; implementation of support and educational programmes for the families of children and pupils with disabilities.  The special educational support centers also operate as personality development support centers for the following purposes: diagnostic, rehabilitative, correctional and therapeutic work with children and pupils which have been assessed by the regional inclusive education support center eligible for training at a special educational support center in accordance with their needs under the terms and conditions laid down in the state education standard for inclusive education;. pedagogical and psychological support;. implementation of support and educational programmes for the families of the children and pupils with special learning needs and pupils with disabilities; training of the children and pupils with special learning needs and pupils with disabilities in the compulsory pre-school and school age bracket and vocational training for attainment of first level of vocational qualifications and/or for the acquisition of qualifications for a part of an occupation. Student hostels which have not been organized by a school shall also be personality development support centers. Astronomical observatories and planetariums shall also be personality development support centers.

Specialized auxiliary units are institutions for the implementation and promotion of activities related to the implementation of educational policies, including the support for the inclusive education process and the information and technical services provided to the pre-school and school education system. Specialized auxiliary units are established for the following purposes: research and information activities; organizational and/or methodological assistance; activities related to the qualifications of educationalists; activities in relation to the organization, preparation and implementation of internal and external assessment and to the participation in international studies related to pre-school and school education; activities in relation to the implementation of the state policy for inclusive education support; activities for the management of international programmes; activities in relation to the preservation and development of education.

Prison schools are opened for the instruction of persons deprived of liberty in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure. They organize and conduct instruction for the attainment of primary and secondary education. They may also provide instruction for the acquisition of vocational qualifications.

Bulgarian schools abroad are established and operate within the territory of another country in accordance with Pre-school and School Education Act and under the terms and conditions laid down in an international treaty or agreement to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party.

49,000 students participate in 5,687 interest clubs created under the Education for Tomorrow project. 37,000 of them have already received a certificate for successfully completed digital skills training. The activity of 503 clubs will be continued until December 31, due to the emergency situation, and 83 of them will function in the school year 2020/2021.