Oregon School for the Deaf (OSD), is a public school in Salem, Oregon

Salem, Oregon

Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...

, United States that serves deaf and hard of hearing

Hearing impairment

-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...

 students from kindergarten through high school and up to 18 years of age.

History

Established in November 1870 by the Oregon Legislative Assembly

Oregon Legislative Assembly

The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...

 as the Deaf and Mute Institute to provide free public education to deaf children, it is one of the oldest continuously operating schools in Oregon. It is operated by the Oregon Department of Education

Oregon Department of Education

The Department of Education of the U.S. state of Oregon is responsible for implementation of state policies with respect to public education at the kindergarten through community college level, including academic standards and testing, credentials, and other matters not reserved to the local...

, and has been accredited by Northwest Association of Accredited Schools

Northwest Association of Accredited Schools

The Northwest Accreditation Commission , formerly named the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, is an organization based in Boise, Idaho which accredits a variety of schools, including K-12, elementary, middle, and high schools; schools offering distance education; non-degree-granting...

 since 2004 and also by the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf.

Academics

There is a program to teach living skills for students who have modified diplomas or certificates called ESP. OSD has honors, AP and career courses. It serves students who are multi-disabled in their Community Based Instruction program.

As of the 2004-05 academic year, the total full-time enrollment of the school, exclusive of cooperative programs with local school districts, was between 125 and 135.

In 2005, by order of the state legislature included in its annual appropriation for the school, study was begun on the potential benefit of moving the Oregon School for the Blind

Oregon School for the Blind

The Oregon School for the Blind , was a state-run public school in Salem, Oregon, United States, serving blind and vision impaired students of kindergarten through high school grades through residential, day school, and part-time enrollment programs. Opened in 1873, the school was operated by the...

 to the OSD campus.
Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction

Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction

The Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes referred to as the State Superintendent of Schools, is a constitutional office within the executive branch of the Oregon state government, and acts as administrative officer of the State Board of Education and executive head of the Department of...

 Susan Castillo

Susan Castillo

Susan Castillo heads the Oregon Department of Education as the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Although she currently holds an elective statewide non-partisan office, she is a Democrat, and served from 1997 to 2003 in the Oregon State Senate as a member of that party...

has rejected a proposal for services now provided by the school to be provided instead through contracts with other public or private institutions.

Buildings in named in honor of staff and alumni

• Clatterbuck Services Facility, in honor of Superintendent Dr. Marvin B. Clatterbuck
• Hokanson Gym, in honor of Conrad Hokanson, pioneering basketball coach whose descendants still attend the school
• Kuenzi Hall, in honor of Lewis Kuenzi, alumni and long-time staff
• Lindstrom Hall, in honor of Thomas Lindstrom, long-time teacher, two-time acting superintendent
• Peck Multipurpose Building, in honor of William "Bill" Peck, long-time teacher and director of school
• Peterson Hall, in honor of Ruth Peterson, long-time girls' supervisor
• Tillinghast Cottage, in honor of Superintendent Edward Tillinghast
• Ulmer Hall, in honor of Thomas Ulmer, long-time teacher
• Wallace Hall, in honor of Ruth Wallace, long-time supervisor of pre-school dormitory
• Wynkoop-Smith Library, in honor of William Stephen Smith and Cora (Wynkoop) Smith, school's founder and his wife

The Main Building and School Building were razed in December 1975 without authorization from the State Legislature.

External links

• State Superintendent Report from 1897