Original Research by School Decision on Mt Sch for Deaf & Blnd Hs
MT Sch For Deaf & Blnd HS serves a specialized purpose that is entirely distinct from a typical comprehensive high school. Located in Great Falls, it is the high school campus of the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind, a statewide program. The school’s grade configuration is 09 through 12, and its core mission is to serve students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision. This role fundamentally shapes the academic pathway, peer environment, and student support systems in place.
The school’s enrollment is very small, which is expected for a statewide special-purpose program serving a low-incidence population. A handful of students are spread across the four high school grades. The majority of students are white, with a substantial share being American Indian or Alaska Native, reflecting the broader demographics of the state’s student population for this type of program. Every student enrolled qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that reflects the federal meal program’s eligibility guidelines.
Academic performance data, including state assessment results and a four-year graduation rate, were not available in the data provided. This gap is common for a school of this nature and grade band, as standard state accountability measures may not be the primary or relevant metric for evaluating a program that serves students with sensory disabilities. A parent should understand that the school’s effectiveness is likely measured by other outcomes, such as communication skill development, transition readiness, and individualized education plan (IEP) goal attainment, which are not captured in the typical testing framework. A parent considering this school will want to ask the school directly about its outcome data and how it tracks student progress.
The school’s parent district is the Mont Sch for Deaf Blind, a single-district entity. No recent parent-relevant changes to the district were found in publicly reported information. The school has not reported data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or staffing, and no program listings were provided.
Great Falls is a mixed industrial, commercial, and residential city that serves as a central Montana hub. It is bisected by the Missouri River and located near the Rocky Mountains. The city’s largest employer is Malmstrom Air Force Base, and the Montana Air National Guard is also a major presence. Culturally, Great Falls has a notably high concentration of museums, including the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the C. M. Russell Museum. For families relocating for this school, the housing market reflected home values that were somewhat below the state benchmark. Rental costs in the area have been rising. The city’s population was once the largest in the state but has since been surpassed by Billings and Missoula.
For a family of a deaf or blind student in Montana, this school represents the state’s dedicated public educational program. A parent should treat the lack of standard academic metrics as an invitation to look at the school’s own data on student outcomes and program quality. The school is not comparable to a typical district high school on standard measures, because its population and mission are fundamentally different.
See more original research from School Decision →