Students who may not feel accepted elsewhere fit right in at the Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind, which provides an educational experience unlike any other.

When the members of this year’s graduating class from the Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind (FSDB) got a chance during the traditional senior dinner to share feedback about their experiences at the school, one of the recurring themes was the sense of acceptance they felt during their time on the St. Augustine campus. For kids who may have struggled to fit in at previous stops on their educational journey, that tight-knit community was exactly what they needed.

“One of our main messages here is that at FSDB, you belong,” says Tracie C. Snow, who has been on the staff for nearly three decades and has served as president since 2020. “It changes students’ lives: They learn more about who they are and what they’re capable of because those limits are removed. It’s just an incredible community that they can be part of as early as age 3 and all the way to age 22.”

Established in 1885, FSDB is the only school of its kind in the state and one of the few in the country geared solely to students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired or deafblind. With programs ranging from a statewide parent infant program and early childhood to elementary, middle and high schools, as well as opportunities for high school students who defer their diploma to receive additional education as they transition to adulthood, FSDB serves more than 1,000 children per year.

Fully accredited as a state school, it is completely tuition-free for Florida residents, whether they live locally and travel to and from school every day, or come from further out and are part of FSDB’s boarding program. Those kids—who make up about two-thirds of the enrollment—also receive transportation just like the day students, and on a normal schedule arrive on campus around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and head home at 2 p.m. on Friday to spend weekends with their families.

FSDB has a reputation for academic excellence, and as a public school its students take the same courses, follow the same state standards and take the same testing as any other district in Florida. Its teachers are certified in a certain subject area, like math or science, and are also required to be certified in either deafness or blindness, which allows them to focus on an expanded core curriculum and provide specialized instruction.

“In the blind department, those would be aspects of learning how to use a cane in terms of orientation and mobility, learning how to read Braille, learning how to use assistive technology to access computers or print,” Snow says. “They are also learning how to advocate for themselves. In the deaf department, our students are learning those same types of skills with advocacy as well as learning both American Sign Language and English.”

The school also provides a wide array of specialists such as physical, occupational and speech therapists, audiologists, psychologists and more.

Families often tell Snow that athletics are a prized aspect of the FSDB experience, with students having the opportunity to compete in 11 sports, including football, basketball, cheerleading and goalball, a sport specifically for blind/visually impaired students in which the school recently won a national championship.

Blind students participate in a renowned music program that includes chorus, band and instrumental; the show chorus performed at Disney this year and has also sung the national anthem before an Orlando Magic game. Deaf students have a performing arts program as well; the dance troupe does choreography and also has performed at a Magic game.

A wide selection of other clubs is offered, too, from groups focused on robotics or science fairs to the outdoors, chess, math, yearbook, drama and more.

“Pretty much anything a child is interested in, there is going to be something for them here,” Snow says. “That is something that I believe makes us very special in the state of Florida, because a lot of our students just don’t have access or may not feel included in a public school. We truly believe in educating the whole child, so it goes beyond the classroom.”

For all of those reasons, FSDB has proven to be the perfect home for deaf and blind students throughout the state, and many have even moved to Florida from different states or foreign countries to benefit from the school’s offerings. Snow encourages families of prospective students to learn more about FSDB by visiting its website or following its social media accounts, and starting the application and admissions process, which can be initiated any time of year.

Those who end up at FSDB will surely have a memorable experience, like one recent graduate whose mother approached Snow following commencement ceremonies.

“With tears in her eyes she said, ‘Thank you for all that you have done for my daughter,’” recalls Snow, who is also the parent to two deaf sons who graduated from FSDB. “It was so hard for this mother to put her daughter on the bus every single Sunday; it broke her heart. However, she knew it was the best thing for her and she’s so grateful for the experience she had here and the confident young lady she has become. More doors are opened to her for her next chapter than ever would have been if she had stayed where she was.”

Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind
St. Augustine
(904) 827-2200
FSDBK12.org