Where ASL Meets Gold
Raymond Merritt Feb 19, 2026
Raymond Merritt February 25, 2026 in ASL 12 Subscribers Subscribe
The historic 57-acre Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) Tucson campus is at a crossroads. With a five-year lease signed for a move to Copper Creek Elementary in 2026, many believe the "Speedway Campus" is lost. But is the problem a lack of students, or an outdated legal model? In this video, we break down why the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mandate under IDEA is driving institutional decline—and how a "Reverse Inclusion" model could save it.
Key Topics Discussed:
• The Fiscal Reality: Addressing the 75% vacancy rate and the $3M deficit.
• The Hybrid Model: A proposed partnership between ASDB and Tucson Unified School District (TUSD).
• Money Follows the Pupil: How "Group B" weights ($24k+) and Gen-Ed funding ($8k+) can stabilize the budget.
• ASL & Tactile Immersion: Turning a "disability" school into a "Premium Language Academy" for all Tucson children.
• The "Opt-Out" Strategy: Decoupling clinical costs from education to ensure lean, sustainable operations.
Call to Action: Do we settle for downsizing, or do we demand transformation? Watch to see the results of our community poll and the roadmap for the Tucson Sensory Immersion Academy (TSIA).