New Jersey School for the Deaf

What New Jersey School for the Deaf does

The Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf (MKSD), previously known as the New Jersey School for the Deaf, is a state-operated residential and day school founded in 1883 and operated under the New Jersey Department of Education as the state's designated school for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Headquartered at a single campus at 320 Sullivan Way, Trenton, NJ, MKSD serves eligible New Jersey resident students ages 3 to 21 across four age-based program levels — Early Childhood, Elementary School, Middle School, and High School — all aligned to New Jersey Student Learning Standards and delivered in American Sign Language within an environment rich in Deaf culture and direct communication.

The institution's core instructional model centers on ASL-mediated direct communication, supported by specialized staff including teachers of the Deaf, interpreters, school counselors, and social workers (named leadership includes Principal / Anti-Bullying Coordinator Jody Caseiro, School Counselor / Anti-Bullying Specialist Kathryn Schreiber, and School Social Worker / Anti-Bullying Specialist Lauren Boose). Beyond core academics, the school delivers related services such as counseling, social work support, and Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) prevention, reporting, and assessment — most recently earning a self-assessment score of 67 of 78 for the 2024-2025 school year. Supplemental programming includes summer ASL classes (KPSEF) and parent engagement through the Katzenbach Parent Student Organization (KPSO). Distribution is exclusively direct, via enrollment through the NJ state education system at the single Trenton campus, with a multi-channel digital presence on Facebook (mksdnjsdofficialpage), X (@KatzenbachNJSD), and YouTube (MKSD).

As a public state government entity, MKSD operates under a subscription-style recurring revenue model funded entirely through New Jersey state government appropriations. Education is provided at no tuition cost to eligible NJ resident students, and there is no venture capital, private equity, or paid enrollment revenue. The institution carries no subsidiaries, holds no patents or trademarks, and has not engaged in mergers, acquisitions, or funding rounds. Operational scope is restricted to New Jersey, with no global footprint or geographic expansion activity.

Name

New Jersey School for the Deaf

Legal name

Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf

Website

https://mksd.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1883

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf is a New Jersey state-operated public school serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing students ages 3 to 21 through ASL-based instruction across four grade-band programs, funded entirely by state appropriations at a single Trenton campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Sign Language Learning Programs (ASL/BSL, etc.) (EDAMAFAM)

Keywords

• Deaf education services
• Special education schools
• American Sign Language instruction
• Residential deaf school
• State-funded education

Headquarters

HQ city

Trenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Funding: As a public school operated by the New Jersey Department of Education, the school is funded through state government appropriations. Education is provided at no tuition cost to New Jersey resident students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf (MKSD) is a state-operated public school that provides comprehensive educational services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students ages 3 to 21 in New Jersey. It delivers age-tiered programs (Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, and High School) in a direct-communication, ASL-immersive environment rich in Deaf culture, with curriculum aligned to New Jersey Student Learning Standards. Tuition is not charged to eligible New Jersey resident students.

Product overview

Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf is a single-site, state-funded educational institution offering a unified program of educational services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from ages 3 to 21. The school provides a structured educational pathway consisting of four grade-band programs (Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, and High School) that follow New Jersey Student Learning Standards. All programs are delivered within an environment rich in Deaf culture, emphasizing direct communication and comprehensive academic achievement. The institution also offers supplemental services including summer ASL classes through parent organization partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Program Early intervention educational program serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from ages 3 to kindergarten entry, providing foundational academic and communication development in an ASL-rich environment.
• Elementary School Program Elementary education program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students following New Jersey Student Learning Standards, with emphasis on language development and academic achievement in a Deaf culture-rich environment.
• Middle School Program Middle school education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students providing academic instruction aligned with New Jersey Student Learning Standards in a Deaf culture-rich, direct-communication environment.
• High School Program High school education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students ages 14 to 21, preparing students for graduation and post-secondary opportunities within an ASL-immersive Deaf culture environment.
• KPSEF ASL Class Information (Summer Session) American Sign Language classes offered during summer sessions for students and community members through the Katzenbach Parents and Signers Organization (KPSO), expanding sign-language outreach beyond enrolled students.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE)coreOthersMKSD operates as a constituent school within the New Jersey Department of Education. The school follows NJDOE policies, uses NJ Student Learning Standards for curriculum, and participates in state reporting systems including HIB self-assessment requirements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lexington School for the Deaf: A New York-based school serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from infancy through high school in an ASL-English environment. Comparable in mission and instructional approach as a regional specialized Deaf school.
• American School for the Deaf: The oldest permanent school for the Deaf in the U.S. (founded 1817), located in West Hartford, CT. Operates a comparable K-12 ASL-immersive program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students and serves as the most direct historical and operational peer to MKSD.
• Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind: Florida's state-supported residential school in St. Augustine serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Comparable in mission, public funding, and full K-12 pathway.
• California School for the Deaf, Fremont: One of two California state schools for the Deaf, providing ASL-based K-12 education. Directly comparable as a state-operated institution serving Deaf students with full age-range programming.
• Model Secondary School for the Deaf (Gallaudet): A federally-supported secondary school on the Gallaudet University campus in Washington, DC. Operates a comparable ASL-immersive high school model for Deaf students, including residential programming.
• New York School for the Deaf (Fanwood): A regional state-supported school in White Plains, NY serving Deaf students across a similar age range with ASL-based instruction. Direct regional peer sharing student demographics, language approach, and residential/day structure.
• Maryland School for the Deaf: State-supported school with multiple campuses (Frederick and Columbia) serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from infancy through high school. Operates a near-identical mission and instructional model to MKSD.
• Illinois School for the Deaf: State-supported K-12 school for the Deaf in Jacksonville, IL providing ASL-immersive education. Comparable in scale, funding source, and program structure to MKSD.
• Pennsylvania School for the Deaf: Pennsylvania's state-affiliated school for the Deaf located in Philadelphia, offering K-12 programming in a Deaf-culture-rich environment. Comparable in mission, funding model (state-supported), and program structure.
• Indiana School for the Deaf: Indiana's public state school for the Deaf in Indianapolis offering K-12 education with ASL instruction. Directly comparable as a state-operated Deaf school with similar programmatic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NewJerseyDOE
• Facebookfacebook.com/mksdnjsdofficialpage
• Instagraminstagram.com/newjerseydoe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-jersey-school-for-the-deaf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 New Jersey School for the Deaf