When the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind closed its Tucson campus in June, music teacher Kate Scally Howell was worried — and not just because the closure put her out of a job.
She worried particularly about the school’s blind students. While the ASDB’s deaf population transferred to the school’s Oro Valley campus, its visually impaired students faced limited options.
Some were placed in Tucson Unified School Districts ‘cooperative sites’ – separated school locations offering teaching to blind and visually impaired students. But many parents wanted another option unaffiliated with ASDB.
That’s when Scally Howell decided to step up and fill the void. Her new nonprofit private school, Tucson School for Blind, just wrapped up its first week of classes.
“I think we're really hoping that Tucson School for the Blind will be that resource for parents, students, and then post-school,” Scally Howell said.
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