TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The closure of Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB) Tucson campus, relocating to a school in Oro Valley, and moving blind or visually impaired (VI) students to public schools has rattled many families and now they are taking legal action.
11 ASDB families have filed a lawsuit in Pima County Superior Court Monday against ASDB, the board of directors of ASDB, and Superintendent Annette Reichman.
Melissa Rueschhoff and Jim Bolin with Signature Law Partners are representing the families.
An application for Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and Motion for Preliminary Injunction has been filed, urgently asking a judge to stop the school’s leadership and governing board from voting on the ASDB's closure on Thurs. Feb. 5 in Phoenix.
"We are waiting on the court to schedule an emergency hearing on the TRO. So it is not currently in effect. We're waiting for a hearing on that motion," Bolin said.
Rueschhoff said these families are not seeking any money.
"They simply just want their children to continue in the same education environment that they've been in and that they've been thriving in under the educators and the teachers and the administration that's been working so well for them for the past, well, you see it's been open for 110 years," Rueschhoff said.
According to Rueschhoff and Bolin, ASDB is in violation of many federal and state laws.
"So we're alleging that proper notice was not provided to the parents, that opportunities to discuss these issues were not provided," Bolin said. "We believe that there's a number of issues related to what's referred to as FAPE, which requires school districts to provide a Free and Appropriate Public Education to all of their students. We believe that a number of these students will not have the resources that they're entitled to based on their disabilities as a result of these school closures. So there's a number of both procedural and statutory violations that we believe are at play here."
KGUN 9 has reached out to ASDB for comment on the lawsuit but has not heard back.
On ASDB's website, Superintendent Annette Reichman says the reason for campus closure is because for the first time in its 114-year history, the school is facing declining student enrollment and revenues, fewer students are being served by their itinerant services, no funds to fix the deteriorating buildings and infrastructure, and more
"Much time has been devoted to thoughtful and due deliberation over different options. Through all of this I was ever mindful of ASDB’s proud history, culture, and community. But I can no longer wait. I am forced to make difficult, but very necessary, decisions in order to maintain our services and continue to educate our students," Reichman said in a statement released on Jan. 14.
The Arizona Association of the Deaf (AZAD) hosted a community forum on ASDB's Tucson campus changes Tuesday Feb. 3 at Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St.
AZAD invited the community to share perspectives, ask questions, and discuss next steps.
"We need people to get angry. This is a good place. We moved here 20 plus years ago. Left our family, our friends, our jobs and moved here for this school," one mother Kerry Hodgkinson said during the meeting.
The forum focused on key issues including what information families need but aren't receiving, who should be involved in decisions affecting students, what students need most right now, and how to rebuild trust in ASDB.
Elizabeth Smith, whose three deaf children attend ASDB, expressed concerns about the uncertainty facing families.
"Our biggest fear, their biggest fear, is losing contact with their friends and losing contact with their teachers, there's a lot of unknown and unexpectedness right there," Smith said in sign language.
While Smith feels more supported by the community, she criticized how the school has handled the situation.
"I still feel frustrated with ASDB not being transparent with families of ASDB, threatening staff members," Smith said.
ASDB board member Bill Koehler attended the meeting, providing what he calls correct data of Arizona Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) birth projections, that he says the legislature doesn't have.
"And I stopped it here in 2025 because it's projected, which means somebody is guessing that these numbers are going to continue to drop. That's a guess. Making a decision about a school on a guess seems to be pretty presumptuous," Koehler said.
Smith encouraged more people to attend Thursday's board meeting in Phoenix when the closure vote will take place.
"Ask them what's happening, asking them to support our school and making sure our kids stay together," Smith said.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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