Kentucky School For The Deaf

What Kentucky School For The Deaf does

Kentucky School for the Deaf (KSD) is a public state educational institution located in Danville, Kentucky, operating under the Kentucky Department of Education since its founding in 1823. It delivers comprehensive K–12 education — Elementary (Pre-K–5), Middle School (6–8), and High School (9–12) — to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students across Kentucky, supplemented by Career Technical Education, ASL Tutoring, an in-house Interpreting Department, and a Sign Language Proficiency Interview assessment service. The institution also provides residential facilities, a health center, food service, transportation, athletics, student clubs, and a heritage museum (Jacobs Hall Museum), with an outreach department extending resources to families, schools, and organizations statewide.

The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary and consists of standard educational and productivity SaaS integrations: Microsoft 365 for student email, Google Workspace for documents and sites, Infinite Campus for student information management, IXL Learning for personalized math and language arts practice, and Renaissance Learning (Accelerated Reader/Math/STAR) for assessment. No proprietary technology, no AI/ML capabilities, and no mobile applications are disclosed. The website is hosted on Finalsite, a K–12-specific CMS.

KSD's revenue model is not commercial — it is funded through Kentucky state education budget allocations as part of the state's public school system. There is no disclosed pricing, no tuition model, and no third-party revenue streams beyond supplemental fundraising via the KSD Charitable Foundation. Customer engagement channels are primarily community-oriented: a main website, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts under the "KSDsince1823" brand, plus a direct enrollment process for eligible students statewide. Resource partnerships with the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Kentucky Deaf Blind Project (University of Kentucky), the National Association of the Deaf, and CEASD accreditation further institutionalize its role in the state and national Deaf education ecosystem.

Name

Kentucky School For The Deaf

Legal name

Kentucky School for the Deaf

Website

https://ksd.k12.ky.us

Company type

Public

Founded year

1823

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kentucky School for the Deaf is a public state school founded in 1823 in Danville, Kentucky, operated by the Kentucky Department of Education to serve Deaf and Hard of Hearing students statewide from Pre-K through 12th grade, including residential, career technical, and outreach services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Language Schools (611630), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK), English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs (EDAJAGAB)

Keywords

• Deaf education services
• K-12 special education
• ASL instruction services
• Residential deaf schooling
• Career technical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Danville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kentucky School for the Deaf is a statewide public school located in Danville, Kentucky, serving Pre-K through 12th-grade students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. The school provides a comprehensive educational program including academics, American Sign Language instruction, interpreting services, career and technical education, athletics, residential life, and statewide outreach/resource services. It operates as part of the Kentucky Department of Education and has been in continuous operation since 1823.

Product overview

Kentucky School for the Deaf is an educational institution providing comprehensive services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from Pre-K through 12th grade. The core educational programs include Elementary (Pre-K-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (9-12) divisions, supplemented by Career Technical Education for workforce preparation. Supporting services include ASL Tutoring, Interpreting Department, Virtual ASL Resources, and Sign Language Proficiency Interview assessments. The school also operates auxiliary departments including Health Center, Food Service, Transportation, Library Media Center, Athletics, and Student Clubs. Outreach services extend resources to the broader Kentucky community. The institution operates from Jacobs Hall campus in Danville, KY, established in 1823, and provides residential facilities for students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Academic Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Statewide academic program serving Pre-K through 12th-grade students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, providing a full curriculum delivered in a sign-language-rich environment with specialized instructional strategies.
• American Sign Language Instruction and Interpreting Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of HearingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnership providing resources and support for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals in Kentucky. Listed as a resource partner on the KSD website.
• Kentucky Deaf Blind ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Kentucky program providing specialized resources and support for deaf-blind students. Listed as an educational resource partner.
• National Association of the DeafcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational advocacy organization for Deaf Americans. Listed as a resource partner providing access to broader deaf community resources and advocacy.
• CEASD (Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf)coreOthersAccreditation body for schools and programs serving deaf and hard of hearing students. KSD participates in CEASD accreditation surveys indicating institutional accreditation and quality standards.
• Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) BluegrassminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing community ASL classes through the KCTCS Bluegrass institution, expanding educational offerings for the broader community.
• Future Farmers of America (FFA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStudent club affiliation allowing KSD students to participate in FFA agricultural education programs and competitions.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas School for the Deaf: State-supported residential K-12 school in Austin serving Deaf/HoH students, offering academic instruction, ASL services, athletics, and statewide outreach similar in structure to KSD.
• Indiana School for the Deaf: State-supported residential K-12 school for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in Indianapolis, operating under the Indiana Department of Education with parallel academic, ASL, and transition services.
• Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind: State-supported residential school in St. Augustine serving both Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Blind/Visually Impaired students, offering the same K-12 + CTE + ASL service stack as KSD.
• American School for the Deaf: The oldest school for the deaf in the United States (founded 1817), serving Deaf/HoH students Pre-K through 12 with residential programs and outreach — the closest historical and operational analog to KSD.
• Maryland School for the Deaf: State-operated residential K-12 deaf school with campuses in Frederick and Columbia, offering ASL-centered academics, athletics, and student-life programming comparable to KSD.
• Tennessee School for the Deaf: State-run residential K-12 school for Deaf/HoH students in Knoxville under the Tennessee Department of Education, with comparable academic and ASL-support services.
• California School for the Deaf: State-operated residential K-12 schools for the Deaf in Fremont and Riverside, offering ASL/English bilingual instruction, athletics, and statewide outreach services comparable to KSD.
• Illinois School for the Deaf: State residential school for the deaf in Jacksonville, Illinois, under the Illinois Department of Human Services, providing Pre-K through 12 academic and transition services.
• Ohio School for the Deaf: State-operated residential K-12 school in Columbus serving Deaf/HoH students with academic, CTE, and ASL programs analogous to KSD's model.

Broad incumbents

• Gallaudet University Model Secondary School for the Deaf: A national demonstration secondary school on the Gallaudet campus serving Deaf/HoH students grades 9-12 with a college-preparatory curriculum; broader higher-education ecosystem elevates its scope but its residential deaf-secondary model directly parallels KSD's high school.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ksdsince1823
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpGpqBu1JBc0X4_mbL0eGMA
• Facebookfacebook.com/KSDsince1823
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentucky-school-for-the-deaf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kentucky School For The Deaf