Fremont deaf school’s future is uncertain

‘We have built a culture of community. Being deaf is normal here, and everyone signs.’

American Sign Language teacher Ty Kovacs

The California School for the Deaf (CSD) in Fremont has long been a sanctuary for deaf students throughout Northern California. But after more than 160 years of supporting the region’s deaf children and their families, the school now faces the threat of closure.

Teachers, staff and alumni gathered in CSD’s Klopping Theater on Tuesday, October 22 to voice their concerns about the school’s future, citing issues such as low wages, aging facilities and dwindling enrollment. American Sign Language teacher Ty Kovacs warned that without state intervention, around 400 local deaf students could lose what many of them consider their second home.

“We have built a culture of community. Being deaf is normal here, and everyone signs,” Kovacs said. “What we are facing is a cultural genocide.”

A first-year teacher’s salary after taxes at CSD is around $2,750 a month, compared to the state average of just over $4,000 a month, according to the California Department of Education. Data published on Apartments.com reveals the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Fremont is $2,430, 88% of the take-home pay for a beginning teacher at CSD. To survive, many CSD staff commute over 100 miles to Fremont or live in their vehicles. 

Those who still can’t make ends meet are searching for employment elsewhere. Since 2017, the school has lost 272 staff members. More than 45 employees have transferred to the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, the sister school to CSD Fremont, because wages are the same while the cost of living is lower. This migration has fueled conversation about a possible relocation of the Fremont campus to cheaper areas of Northern California, namely Sacramento. But many have built their lives in Fremont and are not ready to uproot.

“I acted on this stage, so I feel torn about relocation,” alumna Jacinda Baldwin said as she passionately signed to attendees. “This is home for me.”

With the community divided on whether or not resettlement is the solution, it’s unlikely a decision will be made soon. If they do go through with the move, staff and families could feel less squeezed financially: comparative data on BestPlaces.net reveals the cost of living in Sacramento is 45.2% cheaper than in Fremont. The median home cost is the biggest factor in determining this cost of living difference, with this cost being 68% less expensive in Sacramento than in Fremont.

CSD school nurse Karen Brungess believes the relocation discussions are unnecessarily complicating the situation. What she truly wants—and what she believes is the key to resolving the issue—is a salary increase. Since joining the school in 2014, Brungess has witnessed many nurses leave for better-paying opportunities elsewhere. Now, with only three full-time and two part-time nurses, the school has turned to the community to fill in the gaps and deliver essential health services to students on campus.

“We can’t recruit and retain,” Brungess said. “People will show interest, find out the pay and then say no thank you.”

As difficult as it can be working in an understaffed environment for low wages, Brungess stays because of her commitment to the students. She finds joy in watching the kids learn and grow. She says if the state can more adequately fund the CSD, it would be the “perfect” place to work.

“If that one thing changes, people would be falling over themselves to work here,” Brungess said. “It’s a beautiful place.”

Aselefech Tiku agrees. So much so, that she lives in her car and commutes from Stockton to be a counselor to high-school girls. Having been in this role for 22 years, Tiku has been a key activist for students and staff at CSD, facilitating collaborations with unions and going to the capitol to be a mouthpiece for her colleagues. But years of ignored efforts have left Tiku exhausted.

“I believe the state doesn’t see us or listen to us,” she said. 

Tiku is anxious thinking about the future of her workplace. But most of all, she fears for the futures of the children.

“If we’re not here, where will the students go?”