• To assure open access to an educational system that not only guarantees the basic core knowledge necessary for citizenship, but also emphasizes excellence in all academic and intellectual undertakings;
• To provide for all of Texas’ transportation needs of the new century;
• To meet the basic health care needs of all Texans;
• To provide economic opportunities for individual Texans and provide an attractive economic climate with which to attract and grow businesses; and
• To provide for the safety and security of all within our border.

The Mission of Texas State Government *

Texas State Government will be limited, efficient, and completely accountable.  It will foster opportunity, economic prosperity, and family.  The stewards of the public trust will be men and women who administer state government in a fair, just, and responsible manner.  To honor the public trust, state officials will seek new and innovative ways to meet state government priorities within its financial means.

The Philosophy of Texas State Government *

The task before all state public servants is to govern in a manner worthy of this great state.  We are a great enterprise, and as an enterprise we will promote the following core principles.

• First and foremost, Texas matters most.  This is the overarching, guiding principle by which we will make decisions.  Our state, and its future, is more important than party, politics or individual recognition.
• Government should be limited in size and mission, but it must be highly effective in performing the tasks it undertakes.
• Decisions affecting individual Texans are best made by those individuals, their families, and the local governments closest to their communities.
• Competition is the greatest incentive for achievement and excellence.  It inspires ingenuity and requires individuals to set their sights high. And just as competition inspires excellence, a sense of personal responsibility drives individual citizens to do more for their future, and the future of those they love.
• Public administration must be open and honest, pursuing the high road rather than the expedient course.  We must be accountable to taxpayers for our actions.
• Finally, state government should be humble, recognizing that all its power and authority is granted to it by the people of Texas, and those who make decisions wielding the power of the state should exercise their authority cautiously and fairly.

Aim high…we are not here to achieve inconsequential things!

*From Planning for Progress:  The Statewide Strategic Planning Elements for Texas State Government, April 2002, developed by Governor Rick Perry and the Texas Legislative Budget Board.

State Government Goal and Benchmarks Relevant to TSBVI

State Government Goal and Benchmarks Relevant to TSBVI

State Benchmarks Adopted by TSBVI	Percent of students from third grade forward who are able to read at or above grade level, or who are able to acquire the level of literacy established in their individual education plans.
	Percent of students who achieve mastery of the foundation subjects of reading, English language arts, math, social studies and science, or who achieve mastery of the core curriculum for visually impaired learners established in their individual education plans.
	Percent of students who demonstrate satisfactory performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), the State-Developed Alternative Assessment, or the Locally Determined Alternative Assessment.
	Percent of students who attend schools or districts rated as recognized.

MISSION OF THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

The mission of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) is to provide opportunities for children and youth who are visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, to develop the skills necessary to lead vocationally, personally, and socially satisfying and productive lives.

PHILOSOPHY OF THE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) is committed to providing educational services of the highest quality to children and youth who are blind and visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities.  TSBVI welcomes the challenge of providing educational services which will result in productive, fulfilled adults who will enjoy the same responsibilities and privileges as all citizens of Texas.  These services will be provided to our students in a safe, creative, flexible, comprehensive, and cost-efficient manner.

EXTERNAL/INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Overview of Agency Scope and Functions

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has been established as part of the public education system to serve as a special school in the continuum of statewide alternative placements for students who have a visual impairment.  It is also a statewide resource to professionals and parents who serve these children.

Statutory Basis

TEXAS EDUCATION CODE §30.021 - 30.024

These sections of code establish the purposes of the School, its governance by a nine-member board, and specific provisions related to the School's superintendent and its employees.

TEXAS EDUCATION CODE §30.025

This section establishes the funding sources for the School, including funds appropriated by the Legislature, allocated by the Texas Education Agency, contracts, gifts, and the Foundation School Program.

TEXAS EDUCATION CODE §30.003

This section requires each school district that has students enrolled in the regular school year at the School to share in the cost of the students' education based on each district's total student enrollment and its maintenance and debt service taxes.

TEXAS EDUCATION CODE §30.004

Local school districts are required to provide information about the services available from the School to the families of students who are blind or seriously visually disabled.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (I.D.E.A.):  20 U.S.C. §1400 - §1485; 34 C.F.R. §300.1 - §301 and §104

This federal law and its accompanying regulations require the provision of a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to all children with disabilities in accord with a written "Individual Education Plan" for each student.  It also provides for parent participation in this process and guarantees certain due process rights to the student and to the family of a student with a disability.

19 TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE - EDUCATION. T.A.C. §89.240

This particular section of Administrative Code - Education (State Bd. of Education Rules) specifies the functions and admission procedures of the School.         

Historical Perspective

1856	The School was established by the Texas Legislature as the Texas Institute for the Blind.  The original campus was located at the present day "Little Campus" of the University of Texas - Austin.
1915	The School's name was changed to the Texas School for the Blind.
1917	The School moved to its present 45-acre campus on West 45th Street in Austin.
1965	The School for Deaf, Blind, & Orphans (Afro-American students) was integrated into the Texas School for the Blind.
1974	A special program for deafblind children was initiated in response to the needs of children affected by rubella syndrome.  The program was begun at a separate campus, formerly the Confederate Widows' Mansion, on West 38th in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Austin.
1975	The Texas Legislature enacted H.B. 1673 adding statewide responsibilities to the School's enabling statutes and mission.  Governance of the School was transferred from the Texas Education Agency to a subcommittee of the Texas State Board of Education. U.S. Congress enacted the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, significantly impacting the provision of special education services to children, guaranteeing a free, appropriate public education to all handicapped children in the least restrictive environment.  One effect on the School was an increase in the number of children with multiple disabilities requesting the services of this school.
1981	The governance of the school was transferred to a separate nine-member school board whose members are appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. The Deafblind program moved onto the main campus of the School.
1989	The School was given its current name, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in order to reflect more accurately the population it serves.
1990	The School consolidated and expanded its outreach services into a separate division.
1994	Summer school programs were expanded to include multiple sessions with varying focuses and durations in response to needs expressed by the parents and educators of visually impaired children in public schools.
2000	The School initiated a series of new short-term programs during the regular school year.  Students who attend their local public school came to TSBVI for week-long and weekend programs to acquire skills in living independently and using specialized computer technology.

Affected Populations

• Blind, visually impaired, and deafblind children and youth of school age who are Texas residents;
• Secondary and elementary school teachers and other professionals throughout Texas in either regular or special education who serve students with blindness and severe visual impairment;
• Parents of children with a visual impairment, including children with additional disabilities;
• State and local agencies serving children with a visual impairment.  (Examples:  Local school districts and special education cooperatives, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (formerly known as Texas Commision for the Blind) , Regional Education Service Centers).

Main Functions:  Direct and Outreach Services

• To provide, upon request of a local educational agency, a free, appropriate public education that addresses the intense or specialized needs of visually impaired children and youth, including those with additional disabilities.
• To conduct supplemental programs, such as summer and other short-term programs, and to consider information from sources throughout the State regarding the nature of those programs and the needs of students.
• To provide statewide services to parents of students with visual impairments, school districts, regional  education service centers, and other agencies.  These services include training, consultation, technical assistance, and developing and disseminating materials such as curriculum, instructional methodology, and educational technology.
• To provide information related to library resources, adapted materials, current research, technology resources, and methods related to the teaching, assessment, and transition of students with visual impairments.
• To operate programs for lending educational and technological materials to school districts and regional education service centers.
• To facilitate the preparation of teachers for visually impaired students by providing assistance to colleges and universities as well as alternative teacher preparation programs.
• To cooperate with public and private agencies and organizations serving students and other persons with visual impairments in the planning, development, and implementation of effective educational and rehabilitative service delivery systems.
• To serve as leaders in the use of distance learning for teachers, parents, and students.

Public's Perception

To the state's educational system, we are:

• a valuable educational resource for direct services to children with blindness and visual impairment;
• an expert statewide source of information and training regarding education of students with visual impairments;
• a leader in the use of technology, distance learning, and curriculum development;
• through publications and our website, a source of expert information for all teachers, administrators, and parents in the state;
• a source of expert consultation regarding the educational needs of individual children;
• a significant option within the legally required array of services for blind students;
• an opportunity for student teachers and interns to acquire the skills necessary to become effective teachers, therapists, social workers, orientation and mobility instructors, and other professionals knowledgeable in the field of visual impairment and blindness.

To blind and visually handicapped youth, we are:

• a school staffed and equipped to meet their specific needs related to their visual impairment;
• an opportunity to learn the intellectual, social, independent living, and vocational skills necessary tobecome independent and effective citizens.
• a source for expertise in learning for all students statewide.

To parents of blind children and youth, we are:

• a source of information about the impact of vision loss on learning, and the potential educational needs of students because of vision loss;
• a source of assistance and training in how to enhance the life opportunities for their children;
• a safe and caring environment which provides their children with their best chance for acquiring the skills necessary to live as full a life as possible.
• a source for training in how to advocate for their children.

To the general public, we are:

• a source of information on blindness and teaching children with visual disabilities;
• a source of information on where to obtain services related to visual loss;
• a source of information about the capabilities and needs of blind and visually impaired persons;
• a well-established, attractive campus which does "good things" for blind children in a caring and non-institutional way; a good neighbor.

Organizational Aspects

Size and Composition of Workforce

The staff of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is comprised of 468 budgeted full- and part-time positions, totaling 386.32 FTEs. Of the FTEs, 297.19 are classified and one, the Superintendent, is line item exempt. The remaining 88.13 are teachers, principals, counselors, and other educational positions that, by statute (Texas Education Code 30.024(b)(1)), are paid in accordance with Austin Independent School District pay scales for comparable positions.

Among the classified positions, the single largest staff group (110.83 FTEs) consists of residential instructors. Classified as Resident Specialists, these are the staff that provide care, instruction, and supervision of students in their non-school hours. Other classified positions range from nurses to maintenance mechanics, from accountants to technology specialists. The campus-based workforce is a small community with nearly every occupational field represented.

The ethnic composition of the staff is as follows: White - 74%; Black - 12%; Hispanic - 12%; and other minorities - 2%. Women are 67% of the work force.

Organizational Structure and Processes

The School is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees which is appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Board is composed of three members who are blind or visually impaired, at least one of whom has received educational services related to the blindness or visual impairment; three members who are working or have worked as professionals in the field of delivering services to persons who are blind or visually impaired; and three members, each of whom is the parent of a child who is blind or visually impaired, and at least one of whom is the parent of a child who, at the time of the parent's appointment, is receiving educational services related to the blindness or visual impairment.

The Board of Trustees appoints the Superintendent as the chief administrative officer of the School. The Superintendent administers the School's direct service programs through one Principal for Comprehensive Programs, one Principal for Special Programs, a Director of Outreach Services, and a Director of School and Student Services.

In the Comprehensive Program, students are assigned to one of four curricular strands with crossover occurring among these strands when necessary. These curricular strands are: (1) Basic Skills: for severely multiply impaired, visually impaired students; (2) Early Concepts: for students under the age of 12, functioning significantly behind their age peers (not yet reading, writing, or doing math on a first grade level) but with evidence of academic potential; (3) Functional/Practical Academics: for students over age 12, functioning at least two grade levels below chronological age, with at least kindergarten equivalent reading and writing skills, who learn academic, domestic, recreational, social and vocational skills through functional, community-based activities; and (4) Academic: for students of all ages who are able to follow the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) curriculum. The Principal of the Comprehensive Program supervises both instructional and residential components for all four curricular strands.

The Principal for Special Programs supervises all summer programs and develops and provides short-term programs during the school year.

The Director of Outreach coordinates services that are provided to students statewide. These services are provided to parents and professionals through training, consultation, and technical assistance.

The School and Student Services Department provides a variety of educational support functions such as school planning, policy development, admissions, records, health services, and community resource development.

In the area of administrative support functions, the Superintendent supervises the Administrator for Business, Operations and Technology and the Director of Human Resources.

The management style of the School is most accurately characterized as participative. The School has adopted a "site-based decision making" model for planning, implementing, and evaluating its programs. All stakeholders are involved in this process through representation in either instructional programs or the school wide Instructional Planning Council. Additionally, the Superintendent and Principals maintain an open-door policy for all staff.

The School is also assisted in its policy-making activities by an educational policy service provided through the Texas Association of School Boards. This service allows the School to consider the applicability of legally based and model school policies as developed by legal and educational policy experts, then adapt and adopt those that are appropriate.

Geographical Location of Agency and Service Populations

The School has a single location in Austin but serves students from throughout Texas.  Student enrollment in regular year programs, special programs and summer programs represents the entire geography of Texas.  About one-half of TSBVI’s students are referred from the larger metropolitan areas along the IH-35 and IH-10 corridors; the others are referred from smaller school districts throughout the State.

Outreach services are provided on a statewide basis by linking with the regional Education Service Centers.  In this way TSBVI provides services that match regional needs identified through the Educational Service Centers, including the specific needs of Texas counties in east Texas and along the upper and lower Rio Grande valleys.

Human Resources Strengths and Weaknesses

We continue to believe that our greatest human resource strength is a staff that is deeply committed to a high quality, individualized education for visually impaired students in the most appropriate setting. The professional staff of the School represents an unparalleled concentration of knowledge, skill, and expertise in the field of education of the visually impaired. Although special education teachers in general and teachers of the visually impaired in particular are in great demand, TSBVI has been relatively successful in attracting professional staff, in part, we believe, because of the reputation of existing staff.

In the last version of this plan, we cited the challenge of finding and hiring adequate numbers of teachers certified in the education of visually impaired (VI) students. This is due to a general shortage that was made worse when the University of Texas at Austin discontinued its VI teacher preparation program. We have had some success in meeting this challenge by building strong relationships with the remaining universities in the state which offer this program, We are able to employ more generally certified special education teachers who can then access these programs in a variety of local and distance education venues and media.

Another key element of attracting these highly qualified educators will be to remain competitive with local school districts. Although Education Code 30.024(b)(1) provides for TSBVI to pay teachers and other educational professionals according to the same payscales used by the Austin Independent School District, AISD pays all special education teachers $1000 per year above their base pay.  At present, we lack the authority to pay such bonuses, but will be seeking that authority in the coming Legislative session so that we do not remain in an unfavorable competitive position relative to AISD and other neighboring school districts.

Like all state agencies, the School faces numerous challenges related to attracting and retaining a qualified workforce to meet the demand for its services. The graying of the workforce, increased demand for state services, the emerging "talent war," and the increased number of jobs requiring high skill levels are among the factors cited by the State Auditors Office in their workforce planning guide, and all of these affect TSBVI.  We are involved in a number of efforts to address this problem strategically and proactively, as is explained in more detail in the strategic planning staffing analysis and workforce plan attached to this strategic plan.  We have already made progress through the development and implementation of career progression programs for virtually all categories of classified staff, and through our successful effort in the last Legislative session to reallocate the classifications of our largest group of direct care staff, residential instructors, to higher salary groups.

We have both strengths and weaknesses in the area of human resource development. We are continuing to provide regular training in basic areas such as new employee orientation, CPR, defensive driving, and behavior management. We are also continuing to provide a yearlong training program on visual impairment for paraprofessional and professional staff who are not certified teachers of the visually impaired. The School is somewhat limited by the fact that we have only one FTE assigned to agency wide staff development. It is often necessary to call on the skills of staff who are not primarily trainers in order to expand the offerings of human resource development.

We are continuing to explore ways to stretch this resource further through the use of technology such as web-based training, interactive videoconferencing, and satellite downlink of training which can be offered live or taped for later training.

School wide staff development activities are augmented by regular, specialized training for groups of staff at the departmental level. The instructional and residential programs provide staff development training throughout the school year related to curriculum, instructional methods, and other topics directed at improving instruction and learning.

Attracting a culturally diverse workforce at professional and administrative levels continues to be a challenge for TSBVI. A major difficulty in this area is that the largest subgroup of our professional staff is made up of teachers of the visually impaired. The VI teaching certification is also the credential required for most of the high level administrative positions, yet it is known that there is a very small number of minorities in Texas who hold this credential.  As noted above, we are actively involved in partnerships with the universities in Texas that offer the VI teaching credential, which will have the affect of making VI certification accessible to a larger and more diverse segment of the population.

Capital Asset Strengths, Weaknesses and Budgetary Needs

Facilities, Furniture, and Equipment

The TSBVI campus consists of fifty structures located on approximately forty-five acres of land owned and maintained by the School.  The buildings range in size from 80 square feet to 65,960 square feet for a total of 305,674 square feet.  There are classrooms, dormitories, independent living facilities, gymnasiums and a swimming pool, an auditorium and a library, a health center, administrative offices, food preparation and cafeteria facilities, maintenance and storage buildings.

The greatest weakness of the School’s facilities is the age of the buildings.  In collaboration with the Texas legislature, TSBVI embarked upon a plan for the gradual renovation or replacement of its aging facilities, beginning with three of the original large dormitories. The renovation of the first student dormitory was completed in May 2000.  Two additional dormitories were renovated in February 2001.  The School has developed a 10-year plan for the continued renovation, repair or replacement of its facilities.

The approval of Proposition 8 in November 2001 authorized the sale of general obligation bonds for renovations and replacements of the School’s buildings in the first six years of the plan.  The appropriation of these funds will allow the School to proceed with its long-range facilities plan.  The remaining four years of the 10-Year Facilities Plan will require additional funding to renovate or to replace the Elementary School Building and Gymnasium, the Elementary Residential Complex, the Support Services Complex, the Homemaking Building, the Main Gymnasium, the Maintenance/Technology Support Building and three buildings previously used as dormitories.

The bond package included $22,637,653 for the School to be used from FY 2003 through FY 2007.  Phase I of the bond package includes an appropriation of $5,134,000 for FY 2003 to replace dormitories and to repair and renovate other buildings and facilities.  Phase 2 of the bond package for FYs 2004 and 2005 contains $13,665,132 to replace or renovate the School’s Main Educational Building and the Recreation Building.  Phase 3 for FYs 2006 & 2007 contains $3,838,521 to build or renovate dormitories and other facilities.

In addition to requesting these appropriations from the sale of general obligation bonds, the School will request continued General Revenue funds in its FY 2004 and FY 2005 base appropriation request for capital improvements to maintain and renovate aging facilities.  These funds will be used to repair and replace heating and air conditioning systems, roofs, plumbing and electrical systems, and lighting improvements; to expand parking; to install curb cuts and ramps; to repair sidewalks; to install automatic doors for fire protection and wheelchair access; and to upgrade playgrounds.  The School will also request funding in its 2004-2005 Legislative Appropriation Request (LAR) to replace the existing indoor swimming pool and elementary gym.

Other needs include the replacement of classroom, residential, and office furniture to complement the renovation or replacement of the buildings.

Vehicles

TSBVI owns, operates, and maintains 27 vehicles.  Twenty-five are used to transport students and staff for the educational and residential programs.  The other two vehicles are used for operation functions including maintenance, the warehouse, and food service.  Thirteen of these vehicles are converted to alternative fuels; five are operating on diesel fuel. Seven are new vehicles for which conversion kits are not yet available.  The remaining two vehicles are too old to be converted economically to alternative fuels.   The School has a long-range plan for the replacement of vehicles that complies with the guidelines of the State Fleet Management Program.

The School’s vans and school busses accrue high mileage due to transporting students to and from their homes on weekends and holidays, and to and from students’ work and learning sites in the community.   In the coming biennium, five replacement vans will be needed for student transportation.

Instructional Technology and Equipment

Students need reliable access to electronic and other adapted technology designed specifically for people with visual impairments so that they can thrive in their vocational pursuit. The School must continue to acquire new computers, software, and electronic devices to ensure that students have access to the general curriculum and appropriate instructional materials. Examples include portable electronic Braille devices with speech and computer output; communication devices for children with multiple disabilities, deaf blindness, speech impairments, and other mental or physical disabilities; and closed-circuit television (CCTV) setups that enable low vision students to view regular print, pictures, and other items enlarged on a video monitor.

The School possesses a broad array of specialized equipment and electronic technologies to assist students acquire knowledge and skills. Often children are referred to the School in order to benefit from instruction in the use of this specialized equipment. The School maintains a loan program to provide electronic technology and software to students in local schools as part of the "Technology Loan Program" operated by TSBVI. The 77th Legislature appropriated funds in each year of the current biennium for the purchase of instructional technology.  The need to replace outdated equipment and to procure the latest adaptive technology will continue. The current level of funding will allow the School to maintain these upgrades.

Adaptive, networking, and desktop technology in the residential area has expanded over the past two years and each residential dormitory has at least two computers dedicated to student use and one computer for staff.  Addition of adaptive equipment such as closed circuit television, Braille embossers, and speech-enabled computers replicates the computer resources in the classroom and provides students with more learning opportunities.

Technology Staff Development and Distance Education

In FY 1999 a federal Technology Integration in Education (TIE) grant was received to provide extensive training for instructional staff in the use of electronic hardware, software, and adapted devices. Staff development in the applications of instructional technology have continued. As basic computer skills are acquired, the need for staff training continues to be a major emphasis to address specific skill areas that staff require to employ adaptive technology in classroom and residential instruction. Resources are also needed to ensure that there is adequate training for administrative, and support staff in the use of technology.

Another component of the TIE grant established a distance learning facility to serve TSBVI clients throughout the state by way of videoconferencing, web-based training, and other distance education technologies. These capabilities allow the School to enhance the learning of children with visual impairments throughout Texas. The technology allows the School to provide valuable information about curriculum, materials, technology, teaching strategies, and training to professionals, parents, and to other interested individuals, school districts, and agencies. The Outreach department continues to exploit every means possible to educate professionals and provide services to support the local district instructional program. As a member of the Esconett consortium, TSBVI has access to other state and university facilities through the Region XIII Educational Service Center in Austin. Such technology can provide information, training and follow-up, and also reduce the time and cost of travel.

In the past two years, ISDN capability has expanded the use of video conferencing to individual offices and classrooms, making less formal videoconferences possible without the use of the conference center.

Infrastructure Technology

The school has a robust fiber optic network infrastructure in all areas of the 45-acre campus. Network access and the related capabilities such as electronic mail and web access for all staff and students have proven valuable to coordinate the various program components and to integrate service delivery between departments. Standardization of wiring and installation has provided increased network reliability.  Each client computer is connected to the network at 100mb and the backbone network consists of four gigabit switches connecting key campus buildings.  Additional fiber optic connections between backbone switches are needed to provide redundancy.

New software is required to support the various functions of the staff and administration in conducting school business.  The requirements of state government for electronic documents related to school data, accounting, budgeting, and grant applications require the continual upgrade of equipment and technical environment.  A key initiative for the next several years will be to develop software to support these functions.

A VMS-based VAX 4000-200 processor continues to be used until new software can be developed.  Current migration planning schedules the VAX computer to be de-installed in fiscal year 2003.

Additional hardware and software is needed to meet the projected demand for more server capacity, i.e. memory upgrades, processor upgrades, server systems software, and back-up media

The school’s PBX was installed in June 1995 and this equipment needs to be replaced.

TSBVI needs to continue expansion and development of the TSBVI web-site. The school's Web site of (WWW.TSBVI.EDU) has been tremendously successful and is considered one of the best resources for the education of the visually impaired. Many departments, particularly Outreach and Curriculum, use the Web site as a critical element of service delivery. Continued development of the Web site is indicated with expansion of web features to provide information interchange with consumers.  Redesign of the web site to improve usability is needed as the site has grown and information has become difficult to locate in the present design.

Agency Use of Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs)

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has been making a good faith effort to award purchase contracts to certified HUBs.  We are using the automated HUB directory provided by the General Services Commission as the primary reference list to identify minority and women-owned businesses.  On every purchase order over $1,000, the School requests at least one bid from a minority-owned business and at least one bid from a woman-owned business.  On orders under $1,000, every effort is made to purchase from a HUB, provided that the HUB provides the best and lowest bid.

Key Organizational Events and Areas of Change and Impact on Organization

In the Spring of 1997, TSBVI recognized an urgent need to develop a comprehensive Strategic Plan that would retain and strengthen the School’s leadership as we enter the 21^st century.  TSBVI has been called upon to assume new roles in recent years.  The population of blind and visually impaired students is continually changing, as is the capability of local school districts to provide at least a portion of the educational programs for these children.

TSBVI initiated an external administrative audit.  The recommendations from this process confirmed our need to embark upon a more comprehensive, ongoing strategic planning process that would serve to guide the School in making decisions now, in planning for the future, and that would incorporate the planning components required of the School as a state agency and as a school.  (Agency Strategic Plan, District Improvement Plan, Information Resources Management Strategic Plan, and School Technology Plan). We continue to benefit from this process.

The process began with a stakeholders' meeting in July 1997.  Parents, former students, representatives from local school districts, and leaders from TEA joined members of the TSBVI staff in a meeting that explored the future, the potential, and the responsibilities of TSBVI for the coming years.  Subsequently, large and small meetings and work sessions have taken place almost weekly, involving all of the TSBVI staff, its Board of Trustees, parents, and community representatives, including members of the business community.

TSBVI’s Strategic Plan continues to focus on the following major directions:

• A clearly defined commitment to the Core Curriculum for Blind and Visually Impaired Students, including those with additional disabilities.
• Expansion of career education, including paid employment for students on- and off-campus.
• A vocational program designed specifically for students at the functional academic level.
• Programs designed for populations with specific needs, such as daily living skills, orientation and mobility, social skills, and remedial braille.
• Expansion of services for families with preschool blind and visually impaired children.
• Increased emphasis on assisting local school districts to examine the quality of services they provide children who are visually impaired.
• Enhance the visibility of TSBVI by celebrating the achievements of our students.

These are ongoing strategies that will be continued in the next biennium.  Added to these are the provision for short-term programs during the academic year, an emphasis on long-term facilities planning, additions to summer programs in specific skill-building, and continued expansion of outreach services, and the initiation of a post high-school program.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) completed in 1999 between TSBVI and the Texas Education Agency has resulted in a document that will be of great assistance in measuring student outcomes at our school, and that will enable TSBVI to participate in the public education accreditation process.       

TSBVI now has two subcontracts with an Education Service Center resulting in a substantial expansion of our roles.  We provide an Instructional Materials Center for the entire state; we manage statewide registration of all blind and visually impaired students; and we provide technology assistance for all teachers and parents of visually impaired children in Texas.  Our most recent expansion is to assume a major role in the preparation of teachers for visually impaired students.  We are working in collaboration with Stephen F. Austin University and Texas Tech University on a project whose goal is to eliminate the shortage of teachers for blind and visually impaired students in Texas.

Fiscal Aspects

Size of Budget and Method of Finance – Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

	A.1.1	A.1.2	A.1.3	A.1.4	B.1.1	C.1.1	D.1.1
FY 2002 METHOD OF FINANCE	Classroom Instruction	Residential Program	Summer & Short Term	Related & Support	Technical Assistance	Educ. Prof. Salary Incr.	Indirect Admin.	Total FY 2002
Gen. Rev. Operating
Regular Appropriation	2,771,913	2,473,759	946,887	2,264,468	406,566	177,144	2,535,719	11,576,456
Total, Gen. Rev. Oper.	2,771,913	2,473,759	946,887	2,264,468	406,566	177,144	2,535,719	11,576,456
G.R. - Capital Budget
Maintain Aging Facilities				542,324			80,125	622,449
Technology Upgrade							63,000	63,000
Technology Infrastructure							77,500	77,500
Instructional Materials	80,325	55,200		37,700				173,225
Buses and Vans				168,000				168,000
Lease Payments: Bus				17,554				17,554
Total, GR - Capital Budget	80,325	55,200	0	765,578	0	0	220,625	1,121,728
Federal Funds
USDA				70,000				70,000
Medicaid				100,000				100,000
Medicaid Admin. Claims				75,000				75,000
IDEA-B Formula					106,930			106,930
ESEA Title VI				875				875
IDEA-D					427,619			427,619
IDEA-B					17,273			17,273
Drug Free Schools	800							800
Region XI - Orig. Agree.					267,977			267,977
Fund 148 - Teacher Prep					900,000			900,000
Fund 148 - Outreach Teacher					48,447			48,447
Fund 148 - Short Term Prog.			84,000					84,000
Total, Federal Funds	800	0	84,000	245,875	1,768,246	0	0	2,098,921
Inter-agency Receipts
TCB - SWEAT			59,886					59,886
TCB - WALIC			27,744					27,744
TEA-SSVI Discretionary			34,620		58,695			93,315
Health Dept. Aide	34,536							34,536
Total, IAC Receipts	34,536	0	122,250	0	58,695	0	0	215,481
Appropriated Revenue
Per Capita (ISD Funds)	322,468	100,000						422,468
Local District Funds	328,122							328,122
Technology Allotment	4,025							4,025
Canteen Receipts				22,000				22,000
Vending Receipts				16,000				16,000
Housing Receipts							6,000	6,000
Meal Ticket Sales				9,000				9,000
Magic Years Rental							3,658	3,658
Capital Area Workforce			32,400					32,400
Low Vision Assess.				3,000				3,000
Surplus & Salvage							5,000	5,000
LEA Travel Reimbursements				20,000				20,000
Conference Registra.					35,000			35,000
Curriculum Sales	38,372			140,951				179,323
Total, Appr. Receipts	692,987	100,000	32,400	210,951	35,000	0	14,658	1,085,996
Total, M.O.F. - FY 2002	3,580,561	2,628,959	1,185,537	3,486,872	2,268,507	177,144	2,771,002	16,098,582

	A.1.1	A.1.2	A.1.3	A.1.4	B.1.1	C.1.1	D.1.1
FY 2003	Classroom	Residential	Summer &	Related &	Technical	Educ. Prof.	Indirect	Total
METHOD OF FINANCE	Instruction	Program	Short Term	Support	Assistance	Salary Incr.	Admin.	FY 2003
Gen. Rev. Operating
Regular Appropriation	2,771,913	2,473,759	946,887	2,264,468	406,566	366,437	2,565,719	11,795,749
Total, Gen. Rev. Oper.	2,771,913	2,473,759	946,887	2,264,468	406,566	366,437	2,565,719	11,795,749
G.R. - Capital Budget
Technology Upgrade							63,000	63,000
Instructional Materials	80,325	55,200		37,700				173,225
Lease Payments: Bus				17,474				17,474
Total, GR - Capital Budget	80,325	55,200	0	55,174	0	0	63,000	253,699
Federal Funds
USDA				70,000				70,000
Medicaid				100,000				100,000
Medicaid Admin. Claims				75,000				75,000
IDEA-B Formula					106,930			106,930
ESEA Title VI				875				875
IDEA-D					427,619			427,619
IDEA-B					17,273			17,273
Drug Free Schools	800							800
Region XI - Orig. Agree.					267,977			267,977
Fund 148 - Teacher Prep					900,000			900,000
Fund 148 - Outreach Teacher					48,447			48,447
Fund 148 - Short Term Prog.			84,000					84,000
Total, Federal Funds	800	0	84,000	245,875	1,768,246	0	0	2,098,921
Inter-agency Receipts
TCB - SWEAT			59,886					59,886
TCB - WALIC			27,744					27,744
TEA-SSVI Discretionary			34,620		58,695			93,315
Health Dept. Aide	34,536							34,536
Total, IAC Receipts	34,536	0	122,250	0	58,695	0	0	215,481
Appropriated Revenue
Per Capita (ISD Funds)	322,468	100,000						422,468
Local District Funds	328,122							328,122
Technology Allotment	4,025							4,025
Canteen Receipts				22,000				22,000
Vending Receipts				16,000				16,000
Housing Receipts							6,000	6,000
Meal Ticket Sales				9,000				9,000
Magic Years Rental							3,658	3,658
Capital Area Workforce			32,400					32,400
Low Vision Assess.				3,000				3,000
Surplus & Salvage							5,000	5,000
LEA Travel Reimbursements				20,000				20,000
Conference Registra.					35,000			35,000
Curriculum Sales	38,372			140,951				179,323
Total, Appr. Receipts	692,987	100,000	32,400	210,951	35,000	0	14,658	1,085,996
Total, M.O.F. - FY 2003	3,580,561	2,628,959	1,185,537	2,776,468	2,268,507	366,437	2,643,377	15,449,846
Bond Proceeds				5,134,000				5,134,000
Total, with Bonds - FY 2003	3,580,561	2,628,959	1,185,537	7,910,468	2,268,507	366,437	2,643,377	20,583,846

Per Capita and Other States’ Comparisons

As compared to other forms of special education programming, including schools for the blind in other states, TSBVI has neither the highest cost per pupil nor the lowest.  It provides resources to children in direct proportion to the needs of each individual student.  To simply divide the budget for TSBVI by the number of students enrolled in the regular academic programs provides spurious information.  Cost per pupil at each school for the blind in the United States is determined by a variety of factors:

• The characteristics of students served.  TSBVI has accepted as part of its mission the provision of educational services to very challenging visually impaired students with additional disabilities.  Consequently, the School serves a disproportionately large number of these students.  These students require extensive human and material resources and a low staff ratio.  We emphasize that this commitment to complex children with serious additional disabilities has dramatically changed the funding needs of TSBVI.
• Economic factors of the community.  Austin-area school districts have a moderately high salary structure compared to many parts of the State, requiring teacher salary schedules that tend to increase the personnel costs of the School.
• The mission to serve as a model program that demonstrates best practices for visually impaired students to others in the State who serve similar students.  This mission requires an excellent staff of teachers and support services who provide cutting-edge services to students served in this manner.
• The age and condition of each campus.  A rapidly aging campus requires that TSBVI make capital expenditures in maintenance and repair to a greater extent than newer campuses.
• The commitment to serve students through intensive, short-term programming.  Maintaining this commitment requires quality, intensive services combined with high levels of transition service training of local education staff.
• The extent to which TSBVI is a self-sufficient campus.  The school has very few subcontracts for services, a practice common in other similar schools.  In the opinion of the school, providing one’s own services is a cost-efficient system.  However, what it means is that comparisons cannot be made with similar schools who may appear less expensive, but have significant contracts for services from other agencies or organizations.

Other significant costs to the TSBVI budget include:

• A large summer enrichment program serves blind and visually impaired students who attend local public schools during the regular school year. Outreach services provides indirect services to visually impaired students throughout the state of Texas by increasing the skills of their teachers and parents.
• Staff development provides training in skills unique to the needs of visually impaired students, including those with additional disabilities, and assures that services provided at the School reflect the state-of-the-art.  This includes training employees at TSBVI and serving as a professional preparation program for the entire state.  The unique nature of the School’s student population requires very specialized staff development.  Often, this training requires expenditures for travel, conferences, and workshops.
• Instructional materials and technology for blind and visually impaired students require adaptation by changing print into the appropriate medium or modifying the materials for visual, tactile, or auditory access.  The cost of commercially adapted materials is high in comparison to materials for non-visually impaired students.  Not all needs can be met through commercial materials; therefore, many materials must be developed by our staff, requiring additional time and materials.
• Curriculum development includes participation by the School’s direct-care staff during times that extend beyond their regular hours.  The curricula developed are widely used by professionals throughout the country.
• Intensive, short-term programs, with a very low pupil-teacher ratio, are needed for students with visual impairments who are enrolled in public schools during the regular school year.  Nationwide, there is growing evidence that students with disabilities can best succeed in inclusive educational settings if they also have the opportunity to receive specialized instruction in areas specific to their disabilities.

Budgetary Limitations

A major factor on the School’s ability to provide appropriate services is the number of students enrolled in the regular comprehensive programs and in the special summer and short-term programs.  To ensure that appropriate services are delivered in a safe environment, it is necessary to maintain adequate staff-to-student ratios.  As enrollment increases, the School does not have the ability to increase budget resources to accommodate more students.  As a result the students are either not served or are under-served.  A possible solution is for the Legislature to provide additional appropriation authority when enrollment exceeds the currently budgeted capacity.

The current limitation (rider 4 to the appropriation) prohibits the School’s ability to use appropriated funds for the construction of a swimming pool or natatorium.  As the existing natatorium continues to deteriorate, the School will be forced to discontinue an essential component of the on-campus recreational program.  Use of the TSBVI swimming pool is primarily for therapeutic purposes.  Activities in water are particularly effective for blind and visually impaired students with limited mobility.  Also, swimming pool activities, unlike many other physical education programs, can be done by blind and visually impaired students without any disadvantage based on vision.

The current out-of-state travel cap causes serious difficulties to TSBVI.  The school is the only one of its kind in the state, and very often staff development opportunities occur in other states.  For example, there is only one national convention for educators of blind and visually impaired children.  This summer it will be held in Toronto, Canada.  This convention is of significant benefit for many of our staff, since “cutting-edge” methods and materials for instruction are presented.  Very few TSBVI staff will be attending due to travel cap limitations.

Also, a track meet was recently held in Mississippi.  Six schools for the blind participated, and it is one of the few opportunities our students have to compete with other blind students on an equal basis.  We naturally have to send staff for supervision, and this type of excellent student activity is in jeopardy because of the travel cap.

Degree to Which Current Budget Meets Current and Expected Needs

General Issues

The current budget allows the School to provide an excellent education to blind and visually impaired students. The School can operate a series of Summer Programs for visually impaired students from public schools, but at a somewhat reduced level because of reduced external funding. The Outreach function of the School can continue to provide its current level of services. The 76^th Legislature also permitted the School to request increased funding for instructional technology within its base budget request.  This appropriation has been a significant benefit to the education of children with visual impairments, and the School will request that this funding be continued. Funds for major capital expenditures have been provided for the initial phase of dormitory renovations and for replacement of school buses.

With the recent approval of the Proposition 8 bond issue, the 78^th Legislature can appropriate the funds to initiate long-overdue renovations and construction.  This will result in a campus far more appropriate and “student friendly” than in the past. Texas must never be embarrassed by the state of the facilities in which blind children live and go to school.

Current Program Initiatives

TSBVI is proud of the initiatives it has undertaken by creatively allocating the resources appropriated by the legislature or secured by the School from other sources.  These new or expanded initiatives include:

Short-term Special Programs provided during the regular school year to meet the special needs of students with visual impairments who attend their local public schools.

Extensive staff development provided to teachers in the use of electronic technology applications to enhance student learning [Technology Integration in Education (TIE) grant].

Creation of a distance education facility to enhance internal and external staff development, and communication with parents and local service providers. [Technology Integration in Education (TIE) grant].

Joint development with TEA of a comprehensive system to measure student learning in fulfillment of a memorandum of understanding directed by the legislature.

A collaborative teacher preparation program implemented with Stephen F. Austin University and Texas Tech University to help reduce the state’s shortage of teachers for students with visual disabilities. (TEA state-appropriated funds).

Curriculum published in the areas of functional academics and career education, and for instruction in braille.

Instructional technology placed in all classrooms for instructional use.

Improvement of administrative technology:  old hardware and software upgraded, administrative operating systems moved to Windows NT environment, and fiber optic cable installed in additional buildings.

Expansion of the School’s web site as a resource for teachers, parents, and other professionals throughout Texas.

Expansion of outreach services for parents with pre-school blind and visually impaired children.

Expansion of the Weekends Home Program to include all students and their families.

Expansion of career education to include more opportunities for paid employment on and off campus.

Expansion of career guidance activities, including teaching students to use the Internet as an information source.

Implementation of a community-based program for older students emphasizing skills necessary for working and living in the community (EXIT Program).

Expansion of transition services to support students, their parents, local schools, and other community resources in effecting successful transition from TSBVI to their local communities.

Implementation of a career ladder for residential instructors, teaching assistants, maintenance technicians, office support staff, and outreach staff.

Replacement of one school bus and three busettes.

Increased recognition for the achievements of our students in the public media.

Degree to Which Current Budget Does Not Meet Current and Expected Needs

General Issues

The current budget is not sufficient to provide the present level of services described in the School’s mission. This mission includes the provision of an instructional and residential program during the regular school year, and the provision of outreach services throughout the State.  New efforts to meet the mission of the School have created significant budgetary problems.  Among these are continual expansion of special programs (short-term and summer) and a new post-secondary program.  An effort to stretch existing funds to cover these new initiatives on a start-up basis has been successful, but additional resources will be needed to meet the increased demands for these specialized services.  For many years, TSBVI has experienced a growing and widening demand for services from local districts and from parents, but has not received sufficient additional funds to meet these needs.

The basic trend in appropriations for the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired for the past several legislative sessions has resulted in a decrease in funds available for operating expenses.  Operating expenses (e.g. utilities) have increased due to inflation.  Salary costs have increased due to a limited implementation of career ladders and merit pay.  Program costs have increased to implement new initiatives and to meet the needs of students with increasingly complex disabilities.  These are significant, recurring costs that impact future budgets.  Any cost increases have to be funded by decreases in funds previously available for operating expenses.

The limitation on agency appropriation requests to prior-year expenditure levels has resulted in our School submitting an unrealistic base budget with extensive exceptional item requests.

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain the aging facilities of the School.  One of the School’s highest priorities is a commitment from the legislature to provide capital budget funds for the continued renovation of the School’s facilities over the next 5 to 7 years.  Future planning might benefit greatly from the professional services of a facility planner to assist us in determining which buildings should be renovated and which buildings should be replaced.  As a state agency with direct appropriations from the legislature, the School is totally dependent upon funding from the legislature for capital improvement funding.  Because TSBVI does not have a capacity to assess taxes, as do public schools, the School is without the authority to issue bonds to build new buildings.

The School has conducted marketing surveys of its customers and stakeholders, both internal and statewide.  It is clear that the School needs to initiate both new and expanded programs identified by stakeholders and clients as areas of great need for blind and visually impaired children in Texas.

Based on all these facts, TSBVI has identified two major areas in which the School’s budget does not meet current and expected needs.  They will be presented in our next legislative appropriations request as two exceptional item categories.

Current and Expected Needs - Exceptional Items

Growing Demands for Services:

Programming for Increased Enrollment of Basic Skills Students

Additional instructional and residential staff are required to meet the number of referrals to the School’s regular school year program for students with very special needs in addition to their visual disability. These youngsters have very intense needs and can only benefit from instruction in a classroom with a teacher, a teacher aide, and four or five other students.  A parallel need exists in the residential program. Our current student population and new referrals make it evident that we will need more staff in this program or we will be forced to deny or postpone the admission of students.

Reading and Low Vision Specialist

The School needs to employ an educator dually qualified in reading and low vision. The School has long known the importance of literacy for blind and visually impaired individuals for success in school and for future employability. There is also an increased emphasis at the state and federal level to hold schools accountable for the literacy of its students. We have teachers who do an excellent job of teaching reading, but there is an increasing number of students who come with dyslexia and other reading disorders that require the direct intervention or consultation of a reading specialist with additional knowledge in how students with low vision can better use that remaining vision to learn.

Comprehensive Programs Residential Instruction

The School teaches students the skills necessary to live independently after they leave school. An additional dorm teacher and residential instructors are necessary to accomplish this.

Short-term Programs Residential Instruction

For many years, teachers and parents have asked TSBVI to develop models for short blocks of instruction for students who come to the TSBVI campus coupled with a quick return to the local schools. It is now apparent that the success of such intensive short-term programs requires that instruction occur not only during the school day but also after school and in the evenings. Additional residential staff are required to provide this extended learning and reinforcement of skills acquired earlier each day in the classroom.

TSBVI initiated these short-term programs during the 1999-2000 school year on a pilot basis.  The success of this pilot program demonstrates to the School and to its customers that this type of service delivery model needs to be expanded.  It is effective and cost efficient.  It is increasingly clear that this program model may well be one of the most important services that the school can provide now and in the future. The School seeks to expand an ongoing series of short, intensive classes focusing on specialized areas relating to vision loss.  Students attending these special classes at TSBVI receive instruction in a small number of carefully chosen objectives that include criteria by which student success will be measured.  Depending on the subject, classes vary in length from weekends, to one or two weeks, to a semester.  All students return to their local schools at the end of each short program.

Such programs allow students to remain in their local schools, which is more cost effective. These students continue to learn the State's general curriculum, and yet still have the opportunity to learn those special skills in the core curriculum for students with a visual impairment.  Through short courses, TSBVI can strengthen its partnerships with local schools, so that together, we can fully meet the needs of all visually impaired students in Texas.  In this way, TSBVI supports, but does not duplicate, local school services.

Summer Vocational Programs

The Summer Programs have long provided opportunities for visually impaired students from public schools to come to TSBVI to acquire vocational experience, including real world summer jobs in the Austin area. A chief component of this program is known as the Summer Work Experience in Austin Texas (SWEAT). The SWEAT Program and other portions of the summer vocation program have been partially funded in the past by an external source that is no longer available to the School. The School needs nearly $132,000 each year to continue this highy requested program.

Post-Secondary Program

Many young people with visual disabilities graduate from their local high school programs without adequate skills for employment or independent living.  This short-term program is designed for young people who have completed their high school education, are not yet twenty-two years old, and still lack the necessary skills to be employable, live independently, and generally be productive citizens of the state as set forth in Vision Texas.

The 76^th Legislature has authorized the appropriation of funds to TSBVI from the sale of a facility currently operated by the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (formerly known as Texas Commision for the Blind) (TCB).  Those funds were used to construct a small facility in which to operate this program.  The building has just been completed, and now funds are needed to provide salaries and operating costs for this much-needed program.  By operating this program as a collaborative effort with TCB, there could be a 4:1 match of federal rehabilitation funds to state dollars appropriated for this program. The School is also actively seeking external funds from foundations and public grants for start-up costs in the coming 2002-03 school year.

Weekends Home

This program provides transportation for students to be at home with their families on weekends on a “parent choice” basis. The program was expanded in 1999 to make it available to all students and their families, not only for students who reside in the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio areas. Parents have chosen to increase the frequency of their children coming home. Additional escorts are needed on busses for the existing routes, and for two new routes added in the spring of 2002 to the Bryan/College Station and San Angelo areas.

Outreach Transition Specialist

The transition of VI students from school to the community and to work needs support at many levels. The School has experienced success in the employment of a transition specialist to work with deafblind graduates. This success points to the need to increase transition support for students with a visual impairment, including those with additional disabilities, who are making the transition from their local public schools to adult life.

Outreach Orientation & Mobility Instructor

Orientation and mobility instruction is vital for the visually impaired person. It is a notable gap that the Outreach program of the School does not have a full-time O&M specialist to assist local schools and parents in this area of critical instruction.

Newly Certified Teacher Statewide Training Program

Professional fees and travel expenses for newly credentialed VI teachers are needed to support the training program targeting newly certified teachers to supplement basic training that they received in the university training programs.

Special Education Teacher Salary Bonus

Since 1975 the Texas Legislature has instituted provisions to ensure that the School’s salary schedule for teachers would be equal to the salary schedule of Austin ISD.  In order to maintain this balance, the School will be requesting the authority to give TSBVI teachers a bonus equivalent to that provided to special education teachers in Austin ISD.

Instructional Design Consultant

The School will request the services of an external expert to assist Outreach and other staff to develop training materials available in electronic media to develop training materials available in electronic media such as on CD-Rom’s and on the Internet.  These training materials will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the School’s Outreach and internal professional development programs.

Family Support and Training

Training and support for families of students with visual impairments and deafblindness is an important service, highly in demand for a population that is thinly spread geographically throughout the state.  Parents and students need to meet each other and adults with similar visual impairments to develop appropriate and challenging future goals.  This funding would support three to four family retreats each year of the biennium as well as provide $10,000 for funding for Spanish translation.  The demographics of Texas indicate a need for information in multiple languages as well as state-wide opportunities to gather.

Reallocation of Bus Drivers and Teaching Assistants in the State Schedule of Classified Positions

TSBVI proposes to collaborate with State Classification Office (SCO) in recommending to the legislature that the positions of school bus drivers and the Education Aide series be reclassified to attract, retain, and compensate qualified individuals commensurate with the very important direct service responsibilities to students with special needs.

Increase Awareness of Services Available to Visually Impaired Students

The School serves as a clearinghouse for information to professionals and parents about services needed and available to visually impaired children. Funds will be requested to print and disseminate written materials, and to develop video and distance technology materials.

Maintenance Staff

Because of the age of the facilities and the changing student population, more maintenance hours are needed to meet the demands placed upon the maintenance department.  The additional maintenance hours will allow the School to maintain and renovate the aging campus more effectively. The School also needs to consider that the construction of additional facilities through the construction projects will require some additional routine cleaning and preventive maintenance.

Capital Budget Needs - Facilities

Renovation of Dormitory and Instructional Facilities

The School will request the legislature to appropriate funds from the sale of bonds approved by the voters’ passage of Proposition 8 in November 2001.  The request will be in accord with the School’s Long-Range Facilities Plan previously submitted to the 77^th Legislature.  The focus of renovation or replacement will be on facilities for student use, specifically dormitories and instructional facilities.

Replace Swimming Pool

The School’s indoor swimming pool provides opportunities for students to learn to swim, to engage in competitive swimming, to improve their physical condition, and to enjoy swimming for recreational purposes.  The pool needs to be replaced.  It is over thirty years old, has a water loss problem that has defied repair, lacks access by physically impaired students, and has a ventilation system that has not functioned correctly for several years.

Elementary Gymnasium

Children in the Elementary School do not have a gymnasium appropriate to meet their needs related to their serious visual and orthopedic disabilities. The room currently used for this purpose was designed to be a classroom, not a gym. Furthermore, the Texas State Board of Education has required that physical education to be a daily routine in all elementary grades.

Capital Budget Needs - Equipment

Virtual Private Network

This equipment will provide secure connections to the campus network from off-campus by validating the outside client.

Replace PBX Equipment

The current telephone system was installed in June 1995.  Replacement of the equipment is needed to maintain reliable service and provide increased system capacity.

Purchase Additional Server

An additional server is required to meet anticipated capacity requirements.

Purchase Accounting Software

Purchase accounting software to replace existing VAX-based accounting system.  New software will meet reporting, budget management, and audit requirements.

Distance Education

The distance education facility has been increasingly used to transmit interactive training, to hold live parent-teacher videoconferences, and most recently to conduct ARD Committee meetings with local districts and parents.  The current equipment was acquired with a federal Technology Integration in Education (TIE) grant in 1998.  By 2004 our current videoconferencing equipment will need to be replaced to be compatible with new and emerging standards for connectivity with facilities across the world.

Service Population Demographics

Historical Characteristics

It has only been within the last 20 years that many local school districts have developed the capability of providing services to students who were blind or visually impaired.  Historically, TSBVI made its educational services available to blind children, ages 6 to 21, who had no additional disabilities.  The population served was carefully selected, leaving the more challenging or complex children with limited, if any, educational services.

Current Characteristics

Today, the majority of blind and visually impaired students in Texas attend local schools.  Often, they are enrolled in regular classes with sighted classmates and provided support from a qualified teacher of the visually impaired at the local level.  The primary responsibility of TSBVI is to provide educational services to children whose needs cannot be met in their local schools or who need short-term intensive instruction in core curriculum areas.  Educational placement takes into consideration the fact that blind and visually impaired children have two areas of need:  an academic program that parallels that which they would receive if they were sighted, and a disability-specific program which addresses their unique needs.

The combination of these two areas has become known as the “Expanded Core Curriculum for Blind and Visually Impaired Students”.  TSBVI has the capability to meet all expanded core curriculum needs of blind and visually impaired students, but its best use is to “fill in” the core areas when resources and services are not available locally. This fact impacts greatly on the function of TSBVI.  It can meet many core curriculum needs of children either by providing an on-campus program or by sending educators out to districts to help in developing more effective local programs.  TSBVI currently carries out its responsibility to all blind and visually impaired children of Texas by offering these two options.

Visual impairment in children is a low prevalence disability when compared to other disabilities.  This creates problems with service delivery, since this population needs highly-skilled teachers.  Geographic factors affecting services are a major problem since, in a rural area, there may be only one blind child in a 50-mile radius.  Even a moderate-sized district with a larger number of visually impaired students will typically find that it has only one or two visually impaired students who can be served together, due to differences in their ages and skill levels.

In recent years, the number of blind and visually impaired children in need of serv