Arizona State School for the Deaf and the Blind offers first look at new Oro Valley campus

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The Arizona State School for the Deaf and the Blind offered a first look at its new campus in Oro Valley at the former Copper Creek Elementary School site, after closing its longtime campus on West Speedway Blvd. in Tucson. ASDB welcomed nearly 100 students to the campus this August, ranging in age from preschool to high school. Maria Murphy, ASDB’s director of government relations and policy, said moving from the old campus was difficult. “I do want to acknowledge that moving our old campus, because we’ve been there for over a century, was a very difficult decision,” Murphy said. The new campus is smaller than ASDB’s former 54-acre site and does not include dormitories. School administration said the smaller footprint allows staff to focus more on students and their education rather than building maintenance and upkeep. Principal Paul Saunders said the new campus is a better fit for students and staff. “We’re able to see the kids, we were really spread out on the other campus, and so we’re know more consolidated and we have more space for the classrooms,” Saunders said. 11th grader Zamian Little has attended ASDB for years, and said through an interpreter that the transition to Oro Valley was difficult. “It’s a different school, different campus, I’m used to Tucson campus, I do prefer that campus, it was my second home,” Little said. Little now commutes 45 minutes to school each day. ASDB administration said students are coming from as far as Casa Grande and Sierra Vista, though the majority are local to the Tucson area. All 96 students at the Oro Valley campus are deaf or hard of hearing. ASDB confirmed the only blind students at the campus are those who are also deaf. Blind and visually impaired students were told earlier this year they would not be accommodated on ASDB’s new campus and would instead return to schools in their home districts. ASDB Superintendent Annette Reichman said that is why the school built cooperative sites at schools within the Tucson Unified School District. “So we have a resource classroom for students who are blind and visually impaired under TUSD where we come in to provide support and services with specialized instruction,” Reichman said. ASDB was found in violation of U.S. special education law for displacing blind students after the move. Asked about corrective steps ASDB has taken after being appointed a special monitor from the state, Reichman said the school will continue to serve blind ASDB students across the state. “We are, again, committed to the school here at Oro Valley campus. We are committed to our Phoenix Day school for the deaf. At the same, we are also committed to all of the other students throughout the state who are not coming to the brick-and-mortar sites. We are coming to them in collaboration with their school districts,” Reichman said. Little said he is optimistic about the new campus but would prefer to return to the former site. “You know I wish we could go back to the old campus honestly...yeah, that’s my wish,” Little said. Are you streaming 13 News? Watch a free live stream of Tucson Now and 13 News at TucsonNow.Live. Be sure to download the free Tucson Now app which you can find on Apple and Google. If you are using a desktop computer, you can use your mobile device to scan the QR code below. You can submit your breaking news or weather images here. Copyright 2026 13 News. All rights reserved.