| Oregon School for the Deaf | |
|---|---|
 Main building and school building, 1912 | |
| Location | |
 | |
999 Locust Street NE ,, 97301 | |
| Coordinates | 44°57′56″N123°01′14″W / 44.965556°N 123.020556°W /44.965556; -123.020556[1] |
| Information | |
| Type | State (Public) |
| Superintendent | Sharla Jones |
| Principal | Matthew Boyd[3] |
| Number of students | 120[2] |
| Colors | Purple and gold [3] |
| Athletics conference | OSAA Casco League 1A-2[3] |
| Mascot | Panther[3] |
| Accreditation | NAAS[2] |
| Website | [2] |
 Entrance to the school | |
Oregon School for the Deaf (OSD) is a state-funded school inSalem,Oregon,United States. It servesdeaf andhard of hearing students from kindergarten through high school, and up to 18 years of age.
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Established in November 1870 by theOregon Legislative Assembly as theOregon Institute for the Deaf and Dumb[4] to provide free public education to deaf children,[5] it is one of the oldest continuously operating schools in Oregon.[6] OSD was the first school for deaf children in Oregon.[4] OSD also served children fromWashington until 1886, when theWashington School for the Deaf was founded.[4]
OSD was founded by William S. Smith, a deaf teacher, in Salem, Oregon. OSD rented buildings for its operations until 1879, when it bought property at Church and Mission streets.[4] In 1880, the school's name was changed to theOregon School for Deaf-Mutes.[4] In 1895, the school moved to a site southeast of Salem on state-owned property near Turner Road. The school moved to its current location on Locust Street in 1910.[4] The Turner Road building is still standing and was repurposed first as theOregon State Tuberculosis Hospital, and later as part ofCorban College.
The terms "deaf and dumb" and "deaf-mute" became outdated and were considered derogatory.[4] In 1913, the name was changed toOregon State School for the Deaf. In 1989, the name became Oregon School for the Deaf.
In 1988, G. I. Wilson became the school's director.[7]
In 1987, the Nightmare Factoryhaunted house attraction was founded as a way to raise money for the school.[8]
InEpisode 172 ofExtreme Makeover: Home Edition, a special Halloween episode, Ty and the other cast members helped renovate the school's Nightmare Factory. Instead of Ty shouting with his bullhorn to surprise the school, he sent a small plane with a visual message while the staff and students were having their annual barbecue. While the students were in Minnesota getting new hearing aids, the team built a new dormitory for the boys as their old dorms, along with the Nightmare Factory building, were considered unsafe to occupy. Guest stars included actressMarlee Matlin andRob Zombie.
The school is operated by theOregon Department of Education, and has been accredited byNorthwest Association of Accredited Schools since 2004[2] and also by the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf.
ESP is a program to teach living skills to students who have modified diplomas or certificates. OSD offers honors, AP, and career courses. It serves students who are deaf or hard of hearing 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 theOregon School for the Blind to the OSD campus.[9]Oregon Superintendent of Public InstructionSusan Castillo rejected a proposal for services now provided by the school to be provided instead through contracts with other public or private institutions.[10]
The school has a dormitory facility.[11]
