On March 15, Gov. Eric Holcomb announced that the Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) and the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) will co-locate on the 67-acre ISBVI site at 7725 N. College Ave. “The modernization of both schools are long overdue. This new campus willhave facilities that promote safer and positive learning experiences for future ISD and ISBVI students,” Holcomb said in a statement. The Indiana General Assembly established a task force and advisory committee in 2019 and required it to “[E]valuate and make recommendations to the budget committee relating to the operation of the physical plants of the Indiana School for the Deaf and the Indiana School for the Blind or Visually Impaired.”
The ISBVI site was selected after considering alternative location. According to the Governor, the goal is to support each school independently while allowing the sharing of resources and maintaining each institution’s unique identity. As part of the biennium budget passed in 2021, the General Assembly authorized the appropriation of $225 million to renovate buildings on the ISBVI campus and to add new buildings for dedicated programming for each entity. The State of Indiana Constitution requires the General Assembly to offer education to both deaf and blind communities. Disposition of the ISD campus at 1200 E. 42nd St. has not been determined though the nearby Indiana State Fairgrounds already makes use of the site for parking during the State Fair and is reportedly interested in expanding its footprint.