Teacher Layoffs and Service Cuts Hit Indiana School for the Deaf

A Indiana School for the Deaf alumni and deaf community advocate has expressed concerns that layoffs at the school will have a significant impact on students beyond the classroom. The school is set to receive nearly $1 million less in each of the next two budget years, resulting in cuts to 26 positions, including nine teachers.

Jeffrey Spinale, a 2014 graduate of the school and president of the Indiana Association of the Deaf, emphasized that these teachers are deaf themselves and serve as role models for students. "In a public school, you don't have deaf students who are learning ASL (American Sign Language). Here, we can provide Deaf students their language," he said. "With these layoffs, they're losing access to those Deaf professionals."

The school provides tuition-free education from early childhood through 12th grade for about 350 students, with roughly 60% living on campus during the academic year. The state cut funding for the school by about 5% as part of a larger effort to make up for a $2.4 billion revenue shortfall.

In addition to layoffs, the school will reduce hours at the health center and discontinue overnight health care services. Staff will be responsible for cleaning classrooms, hallways, and offices, with only restroom cleaning being contracted out. The school can no longer contract out for third-party ASL interpreters for field trips and other events.

"We have residential students who stay here on campus," Spinale said. "If something happens in the middle of the night, we don't have anyone to take care of that. They would have to go somewhere off campus to receive those health services."

Spinale noted that parents are upset but not surprised by the cuts, as lawmakers never consulted with the Deaf community before making them. He emphasized that if the cuts are maintained, students will be left without instruction and resources tailored specifically to their needs.

"It's already almost impossible for Deaf children to find the quality education that they deserve," he said. "Indiana School for the Deaf provides specialized service and care that other schools all over the state are not able to offer."