California School for the Deaf

Story

The California School for the Deaf, Riverside is a school for deaf children located in Riverside, California. The school educates children from all over Southern California. Its companion school in Northern California is California School for the Deaf, Fremont .HistoryOn March 26, 1946, California assembly bill 75 was signed by Governor Earl Warren, future United States Supreme Court Chief Justice, authorizing appropriations to establish the Southern California School for the Deaf, later renamed the California School for the Deaf, Riverside. In May, 1948, the State Department of Education in Sacramento chose Riverside as the site for the new school on the Arlington Avenue agricultural property. The school began to accept students on February 2, 1953. Perry E. Seely (1886–1949) (himself deaf) is the founding father of today’s CSDR.In 1951, Dr. Richard G. Brill took up the educational leadership to get the new school off the ground. During his 26-year administration, Dr. Brill set up a school system that continues to this day. In 1958, student population reached 500. Dr. Brill was instrumental in bringing CSDR to the forefront of educational excellence.In 1977, Dr. Robert Lennan became the second school superintendent. One of the big changes during his era was the implementation of individualized education plan (IEP) as required by federal law. He instituted new programs, including an assessment center, a computer lab and a work experience program.