Original Research by School Decision on Elizabeth Delong School of the Deaf
Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf is a specialized public school serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students from preschool through grade 12. It is part of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, a state-run district that operates separate from local school systems. The school is located in Orem, a mid-sized city in Utah County that blends residential neighborhoods with commercial development and is home to a large public university. Although the school’s official grade range spans prekindergarten through twelfth grade, the current enrollment consists entirely of students in prekindergarten through sixth grade; no students are enrolled in grades seven through twelve. This pattern may reflect how the school organizes its programs or how older students access services elsewhere. A family considering the school for an older child should confirm what pathways are available for middle and high school.
The student body is small. Racially and ethnically, the majority of students are white, with a substantial Hispanic share and smaller numbers of students who are American Indian or Alaska Native, or identify with two or more races. A meaningful portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is a common indicator of household income. The school serves students with hearing-related disabilities, and while data on special education classifications is not reported separately here, the school’s mission makes clear that individualized support is central to its work.
State assessment results are reported in the lowest proficiency range for math, English language arts, and science. This is not a surprising outcome for a school that educates students whose primary communication mode may be American Sign Language and who take general state tests designed for the hearing population. Standardized test scores from a general assessment are a limited measure of academic growth for this population. A parent considering the school would want to learn about the school’s own assessment practices and how it tracks student progress in language, literacy, and content areas using tools appropriate for deaf learners. No graduation rate is available, likely because the school does not currently serve high school grades in its building. No data on chronic absenteeism or discipline was reported, so those dimensions cannot be characterized here.
The school’s district, Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, is a statewide entity. Publicly reported information about recent district-level changes is sparse, so there is little to note about budget, leadership, or program shifts beyond the school’s established mission.
Orem, where the school is located, has a suburban, auto-oriented layout with an extensive trail network and a bus rapid transit line connecting to neighboring Provo. Utah Valley University, a major institution with a large undergraduate population, anchors the city. Home values in Orem are above the national benchmark, and the local rental market is similarly elevated. The city has seen a slight population decline in recent years after a long period of growth, and its economy includes tech, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing sectors.
Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf fills a distinct niche. It is not a general-purpose neighborhood school, and its test results do not compare to typical district metrics. Instead, it is a specialized setting where the entire program is built around the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. A family exploring this school should expect small classes, a peer environment of students with similar communication needs, and an instructional approach designed for that population. The absence of high school enrollment and the very low state test scores are not warning signs in isolation but context a parent will want to understand directly from the school.
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