The Arizona State Department of Education determined that the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when it restricted placement options for students ahead of relocating its Tucson campus to Oro Valley. In a July 10 letter to ASDB Superintendent Annette Reichman, state officials concluded that the agency predetermined where blind, visually impaired, and residential students would attend school in the 2026-27 school year without providing families the full range of options required by law. The state appointed a special monitor to oversee corrective actions, and ASDB was given until Aug. 28 to respond.
The relocation stems from a projected $3 million budget deficit announced in January, attributed to declining enrollment, increased student needs, deteriorating facilities, and insufficient federal and state funding. ASDB, which currently operates with 114 students across campuses in Tucson and Phoenix, originally told families that students must attend their home school district’s schools following the move. The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law’s Education Advocacy Clinic observed the Individual Education Program evaluation meetings where families reported not receiving information about all available educational placements, as required under special education law.
University of Arizona Associate Clinical Professor of Law Diana Newmark stated that the law requires IEP teams to consider a complete range of placement options based on individual student needs rather than administrative or programmatic decisions. The state determined that ASDB must re-examine each student’s case to properly consider placement alternatives and least restrictive environments. Some affected students came from locations across Arizona where specialized services may be limited, including areas such as Sierra Vista and Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
Families who filed a complaint and pursued legal action view the state’s findings as validation of their concerns. The Tucson Unified School District indicated it would hold new IEP meetings for former ASDB students to review placement options. Additionally, former ASDB staff and teachers launched the Tucson School for the Blind, a new nonprofit serving blind and visually impaired students in grades K-12, which begins operations on Aug. 3 with approximately 15 enrolled students.
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