State schools for the deaf are schools that are specially designed to teach deaf students only. Generally, hearing students are not accepted at schools for the deaf. One exception to that rule is the Maryland School for the deaf.

Deaf School or Language School?
Recently, MSD contemplated admitting hearing students who were proficient in American Sign Language to the school, according to school Superintendent James E. Tucker. Some educators in the deaf education field believe that their schools should be considered language schools.

There is usually only one school for the deaf per state, and it covers elementary through high school. This is not true for some of the larger states like California and New York. Several states have combined the state schools for the deaf with the state schools for the blind. The two states that are known for this practice are Colorado (Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind) and Florida (Florida School for the Deaf and Blind).

Residential Schools: Bad for Families?
Schools for the deaf often are residential schools, which means that some of the students reside at the school during the week and go home on the weekends. Some students don't even go home until holidays or breaks. This is because they live 3 or 4 hours away and as far as 10 hours away. Sometimes it's not about distance, but because their parents are not able to communicate with them because the parent doesn't sign at all, or isn't proficient in ASL.

Deaf Schools in Small Towns
Oftentimes, the schools for the deaf are in small towns or far away from the big city and this is because the goal when the schools were built was to isolate the deaf students away from the general population. That is no longer the goal but that doesn't mean there has been any effort to move the schools for the deaf closer to the bigger cities.