Come See What RSD Can Offer Your Child
Choosing the right school for your child is an important decision, and you don't have to figure it out alone.
Rochester School for the Deaf provides a rich bilingual environment where Deaf and hard-of-hearing children learn, build relationships, develop confidence, and grow as part of a strong school community.
All students who attend RSD do so tuition-free for families.
Whether you are just beginning to explore options or are ready to start the admissions process, we welcome your questions. Families are encouraged to contact us directly and visit our campus. We'll help you learn more about RSD, understand eligibility, and navigate each step of the process.
Admissions isn't always a straight line. The exact process depends on your child's current services, available records, and whether additional assessment is needed, but this will give you a general sense of the order of things.
A family, school district, or service provider can make the first contact.
Children must meet New York State eligibility requirements to enroll at RSD. Our team can help families and school districts understand those requirements and determine the appropriate next steps.
You don't need to manage the process yourself. RSD will help coordinate the steps with your family, the school district, and New York State.
Step 1: Start With a Conversation and Visit
Contact RSD to tell us a little about your child, ask questions, or arrange a visit.
Families can contact us directly—you do not need to wait for your school district or another provider to initiate the conversation.
Families are welcome to visit RSD and experience our programs firsthand.
Step 2: We Review Your Child's Information
RSD will request and review available educational, audiological, and other relevant records. This helps our team understand your child's needs and determine whether additional assessment is needed.
Step 3: We Help With the Initial State Process
Families complete a one-page application form (PHC-10), and we then submit it to the state for the “green light” to proceed with any needed assessments. This is an early step in the process and is not yet approval to enroll at RSD.
Step 4: Visit RSD to Complete Evaluations, If Needed
If additional assessment is needed, we'll schedule a time for your child to come to RSD for evaluations.
Your family is encouraged to visit, meet our team, tour the school, and learn more about what RSD can offer your child if you have not done so already.
Step 5: Determine Whether RSD Is the Right Placement
After reviewing your child's records and any additional assessments, RSD will consider whether our program appears to be a good educational option for your child.
If so, we move forward with an IEP meeting with your child's school district to consider RSD as an educational placement. RSD participates in this meeting and works with the family and the school district to consider your child's educational, language, communication, and support needs.
Families are an important part of this decision.
Step 6: Complete the Placement Approval Process
If RSD is determined to be an appropriate placement, RSD submits the required state application and forms to the school district for signatures.
Once the signed forms are returned, RSD submits them to New York State for final approval. The state has 15 calendar days to make its decision.
Step 7: Welcome to RSD
Once placement is approved, our team will work with your family and school district to prepare for your child's transition and help make the start at RSD as smooth and welcoming as possible.
Families should generally anticipate two to four months from the initial referral to enrollment.
We know that can feel like a long time when your family is eager to get started at RSD. The process involves your family, RSD, your home school district and New York State, and the timeline can vary depending on the records and evaluations needed.
Our team will guide you through the process and work with everyone involved to keep things moving as smoothly as possible.
Yes. We are happy to start the conversation, answer questions and arrange a campus visit before you move.
To move forward with the formal admissions process, however, your child must be a New York State resident with a home school district that can participate in the process.
We know this can make relocation complicated. Many families have moved to the Rochester area to give their children access to RSD and Rochester's vibrant Deaf community. If you are considering a move, we encourage you to contact us early so we can help you understand the process before you make decisions.
No. Students must be New York State residents to enroll at RSD, and enrollment requires the participation of the student's home school district.
Most RSD students live in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region, but our students come from communities across a broad area of New York State, including the Southern Tier and Central New York.
Yes. Enrollment at RSD is a partnership with your child's home school district.
Your district's Committee on Special Education (CSE) or Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) is an important part of determining whether RSD is an appropriate educational placement for your child. Once a student enrolls, RSD continues to collaborate with the home district on the student's educational program.
We have strong relationships with our partner districts and will work with your family and district throughout the process.
Yes. There is no tuition cost to families for students enrolled at RSD.
RSD is one of New York State's 4201 schools. It is a state-supported private school that provides specialized education to children who are Deaf and hard of hearing.
Students must meet New York State eligibility requirements and be approved for placement at RSD, but families do not pay tuition.
Transportation to and from RSD is provided by the student's home school district. Transportation arrangements vary based on where a student lives and whether the student attends as a day or residential student.
We will work with your family and home school district as enrollment plans are finalized.
RSD offers a weekday Residential Life program for eligible students. As part of the admissions process, we can talk with you and your home school district about whether residential life is appropriate for your child.
Residential Life is provided at no cost to families. Students generally arrive at RSD on Monday morning, live on campus during the school week, and return home after school on Friday.
No. Although RSD is located in the City of Rochester, we are an independent, private, state-supported school.
Our students come from many different school districts throughout the region. Students remain connected to their home school districts, which continue to partner with RSD in their educational planning.
Yes. RSD is a bilingual school where American Sign Language (ASL) and English are both central to learning.
ASL provides students with direct, accessible communication throughout the school day and across the RSD community, and it is the language of instruction. Students also develop English through reading and writing across the curriculum, English Language Arts instruction, and individualized services when appropriate.
Our goal is for students to build strong language and literacy skills that support learning, relationships, independence and future success.
No. Students come to RSD with many different language and communication experiences. Some arrive fluent in ASL, while others have had little or no previous exposure to it.
Students who are newer to ASL receive support as they develop their skills within RSD's language-rich environment. We also offer ASL learning opportunities for families so you can continue building communication together at home.
RSD is an ASL/English bilingual school. Cued speech is not used as a communication system at RSD.
ASL is used throughout the school environment to provide students with direct and consistent access to communication and learning. English is developed through reading and writing, academic instruction, and individualized speech-language services when appropriate.
If your child currently uses cued speech or another communication approach, we encourage you to talk with our admissions team about your child's individual language and communication needs.
Sometimes. A student may be enrolled at RSD while also participating in programming through a home school district or BOCES when that arrangement helps meet specific academic, career or transition goals.
Dual enrollment requires careful coordination among RSD, the family and the other educational programs, particularly around scheduling and transportation.
Students must spend at least 50% of their school day at RSD to participate in RSD student life and extracurricular programs.
Yes. Students who use hearing aids, cochlear implants or other hearing technology can attend RSD if they otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for enrollment.
RSD's bilingual approach provides students with full access to ASL while supporting individual communication and educational needs identified through the IEP process.
Absolutely. In fact, we encourage it.
A campus visit is one of the best ways to understand what makes RSD different. You'll have an opportunity to see our classrooms and programs, learn more about our bilingual environment, meet members of our team and ask questions specific to your child.
You do not need to have started the formal admissions process to come see us.
Schedule a visit.
