Louisiana School for the Deaf

The Louisiana School for the Deaf is a school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Louisiana located in Baton Rouge. It was established in 1852.

The old "Baton Rouge College" was the first house used as the State School for the Deaf in Louisiana. The school opened on December 8, 1852, with eleven pupils in attendance. It was located on the northwest corner of the former grounds of the Institute for the Deaf which were purchased by the State in 1852.

The mission of the Louisiana School for the Deaf is:

• To enhance the academic, vocational, physical, emotional, social and cultural development of each student.
• To provide a visually accessible, positive and nurturing environment that emphasizes literacy and effective communication skills.
• To be a caring community where students can achieve personal excellence and become independent lifelong learners.

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Admission/Enrollment

Louisiana School for the Deaf offers a comprehensive PreK-12 education for Louisiana's deaf and hard-of-hearing children ages 3 - 21 at no cost to their families.

How to Enroll at Louisiana School for the Deaf

• Parental Application: At each IEP conference, parents have the right to review the choices of educational placements available to their child. Louisiana law (Act 433) empowers parents to choose between the program offered by their local school system and the program offered by LSD. Parents can apply directly to LSD at any time during the school year.

• State Department of Education (SDE) Referral: The local school system can refer a deaf/hard-of-hearing student to LSD through the SDE.

• More Restrictive Environment Evaluation (MRE): The local school system can refer a deaf/hard-of-hearing student to LSD for an evaluation by the LSD Statewide Assessment Center for the Hearing Impaired (SWAC-HI) to determine current levels of performance and program needs. The student would attend LSD during the evaluation process.

• For more information, contact the Office of Admissions and Records by calling (225) 757-3312 or toll-free from within the state of Louisiana at (888) 769-8111, extension 312. Or visit us at our beautiful 152-acres LSD campus at: 2888 Brightside Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70821 / 70820, (225) 769-8160, (888) 769-8111 (in-state toll free), (225) 757-3424 (fax)

Location

Direction to the campus can be found on MapQuest at: Click on this link - 2888 Brightside Lane, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70820 (For better idea to view whats the campus looks alike, click "Aerial View" on the MapQuest).

History of Louisiana School for the Deaf

ERA OF 1800s

The Founding of the Louisiana School for the Deaf

Before 1838, wealthy families provided tutors for their deaf children or paid tuitions for the children to attend a school for the deaf outside Louisiana.

The 1838 Louisiana legislature passed an act on January 16, 1838 to provide state supported education of deaf children in Louisiana. As a result of this act, eleven children from Louisiana were enrolled at the Kentucky School for the Deaf.

In 1852, a member of the General Assembly, Mr. Francis Dubose Richardson, introduced a bill. The purpose of the bill was to provide $25,000 and empowered a Board of Administrators to oversee the establishment of the “Louisiana Institute for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind.” The bill was passed on March 1852 and approved by the Governor. The seven board members were authorized to buy land, make contracts, or do whatever was necessary to begin the school.

The first school was the formerly Baton Rouge College (located where the Mayflower campus is). The board recruited James S. Brown from the Indiana Asylum of the Deaf and Dumb as superintendent. On December 8, 1852, the eleven Louisiana students and Mr. Brown arrived in Baton Rouge.

Notable achievements during the years 1852 – 1860 were completion of the state Administration Building which was acclaimed as one of the most elaborate and elegant buildings for that era, the hiring of a woman teacher, and including vocational training as part of the students’ program.

The new Administration Building was completed in 1858 and stood for ninety-nine years, Money was appropriated for the purchase of a printing press and fonts, thus printing as a vocational skill began. A carpenter on campus was enlisted to teach carpentry skills.

In 1860, the school had sixty students. By 1862, there were seventy-two students. As the war drew closer to Baton Rouge, the only ones at the school were the orphans. Early in 1862, gunboats were sighted on the Mississippi as they made their way to Vicksburg where General Grant and his army were fighting. The school was an easy target. It is said that a cannon ball shot through the wide ball and landed at the rear of the school. The front facade was shot at many times before Principal Martin and Matron Mary Dufrocq could run the half-mile to the riverbank and beg the commander of the fleet to save the school. The soldiers were ordered to stop shooting and ordered to convert the school into a hospital to care for the federal soldiers that became ill in the swamps near Vicksburg.

In January 1863, the federal troop again seized Baton Rouge and the school, using the building for hospital purposes again. Schooling continued. The soldiers ruined the printing equipment. But one advantage – General Augur permitted full rations to the school. From 1863 – 1867, the children had enough food and fuel.

On October 15, 1869, a fire destroyed the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy at Pineville. After the fire, Governor Warmoth asked the board and Administrators and Superintendent J.A. McWhorter for the use of half of the school building for the Seminary.

Major John Patton, professor of Greek at Louisiana State University, was appointed superintendent. Among his first tasks, was to arrange for the deaf students to be removed to another location. The old Heroman Building on Church and Florida Streets (opposite the former State-Times and Morning Advocate building) became the third location of the school.

In 1884, there were only fifty-six students and Dr. John Jastremski was appointed superintendent. Dr. Jastremski assumed superintendence in 1885. He immediately appointed Edith S. Rambo who was trained at the Clarke School for the Deaf as the first oral teacher. The Deaf Mute Pelican, the forerunner of The Pelican, began publication in 1859. In 1892, the print shop and sewing department were enlarging. Carpentry, cabinet making, and glazing were taught. In 1892, another articulation teacher was hired and a shoe shop installed.

The 1898 act separated the two schools, set up two boards, and specified that the children receive a good education, instruction in hygiene and physical culture (physical education), and industrial training. Basketball was bought for the girls and the boys played football.

Superintendent S.T. Walker lobbied for changing “The Louisiana Institute for the Deaf and Dumb.” On July 8, 1908, a bill changing the name to the Louisiana School for the Deaf became law.

The goal has been to prepare the students for full, useful and happy lives in the surroundings they find themselves after finishing school.

Southern School for the Deaf (1938-1978)

Louisiana's only black school for the Deaf (SSD) was founded in 1938 and located on Southern University campus. In 1978, State of Louisiana forced SSD to merged with LSD and relocated to Mayflowers Campus (North Campus).

The State School for the Blind and Deaf for Blacks, which was also under the supervision of Southern University, was separated into two schools – the School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf. In 1938, Dr. J.S. Clark was succeeded by his son, Dr. Felton G. Clark.

History of School Mascots

MUSTANGS (1???-1978)

This is the first school mascot was introduced.

WOLVES (1938-1978)

Southern School for the Deaf, known as SSD, mascot.

WAR EAGLES (1978-Present)

When LSD and SSD was forced by State of Louisiana to merged into one deaf school in 1978. School official decide to ask the students to vote the new mascot. "War Eagles" was the result that students voted and billed as new LSD's mascot in 1978 to the present year.

Superintendents/Directors

Keynote: (*)Died in Office (#)Reappointed (^)Longest years in service (@)Acting (%)Superintendent title has been dropped and renamed Director to the title as of 2006

Athletics

FOOTBALL

Information and Schedule is in works.

VOLLEYBALL

Information and Schedule is in works.

Annual Homecoming

LSD vs GSD / OCTOBER 20, 2007 / 6:30 PM

GSD (Georgia School for the Deaf) defeated LSD (Louisiana School for the Deaf) 66-50.