Governor Baxter School for the Deaf

State operated agency school in Falmouth, Maine

43°41′27″N 70°13′55″W / 43.6907317°N 70.2318515°W / 43.6907317; -70.2318515InformationTypestate operated agencyEstablished1957Gradespreschool-12Color(s)Blue and YellowAthleticsbasketball, soccerAthletics conferenceEastern Schools for the Deaf Athletic AssociationMascotIslandersWebsiteOfficial Website

The Governor Baxter School for the Deaf (GBSD), formerly known as the Maine School for the Deaf is a public co-educational school that serves the deaf and hard-of-hearing in the State of Maine. It is located on Mackworth Island, an approximately 100-acre (40 ha) island in Falmouth, Maine, USA, adjacent to its border with Portland, Maine. Students who live far away may stay with host families, who provide residential services. Its program is the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MECDHH).

History

While other schools for deaf mute people existed in Maine, the precursor to the school was the Maine School of the Deaf, founded in 1894 by local lawyer Frederick Fox and former Harvard University President and Unitarian Minister Thomas Hill, who died in 1891.^[1] The school was originally located at 85 Spring Street in Downtown Portland.^[1]

In 1943, Maine's governor Percival P. Baxter deeded the island and causeway, including his summer home and $750,000^[2], to the State of Maine. In 1957, Senator Hazel Lord of Portland introduced a bill in the State Senate to use the deeded space for the Maine School of the Deaf.^[3] After being quickly passed in the Senate, the state moved the school to the island and renamed it the Governor Baxter School for The Deaf.^[4]^[5] The last graduating class from the Spring Street location celebrated at Frye Hall on Spring Street, the location of the Woman's Literary Union club house.^[2] The first class of students at the new campus was 130 students.^[6]

Since 2009, GBSD is now a mainstream program within the Portland Public Schools. The preschool program remains on Mackworth Island.

Programs

Students from far away may live with host families.^[7] Previously the school contracted with the Sue Wright House of Spurwink.^[8] Before then the school had its own dormitory.^[9]

In 1991 deaf people protested against a proposal by the administration of Governor of Maine John McKernan to stop operations of the dormitory.^[10]

Student body

In 1991 the school had 70 students, with about 12-24 of them boarding.^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b "Children showing toys, Maine School of the Deaf, 1925". Maine Memory Network. Maine Historical Society. Retrieved 28 June 2024. "A primary class at the Maine School of the Deaf (later known as the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf) during what appears to be the 1925 version of "Show and Tell." The school, founded in 1894, was located at 85 Spring St. in downtown Portland. Thomas Hill, former president of Harvard College, founded the school along with Frederick Fox, a Portland lawyer. The residential school stressed lip-reading and speech. Since 2001, it is known as the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The building on Mackworth Island however, is still legally called the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf."
^ ^a ^b "It'll Be the Governor Baxter School". Evening Express. 31 May 1957. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
^ "Would Name New School for Baxter". Sun Journal. AP. 23 May 1957. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
^ Gannon, Jack. 1981. Deaf Heritage–A Narrative History of Deaf America, Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf, p. 45 (PDF Archived 2012-03-28 at the Wayback Machine)
^ "State Receives Bid to Honor Baxter". Portland Press Herald. AP. 24 May 1957. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
^ "Deaf Pupils Enroll at Island School". Evening Express. 23 September 1957. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
^ "Residential life". Governor Baxter School for the Deaf. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
^ "Residential Life". Governor Baxter School for the Deaf. 2014-11-18. Archived from the original on 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
^ "Residential Life". Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/The Governor Baxter School for the Deaf. 2009-01-05. Archived from the original on 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
"Residential Life". Governor Baxter School for the Deaf. 2004-02-27. Archived from the original on 2004-02-27. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
^ ^a ^b Jackson, Peter (1991-03-28). "Deaf protesters object to dorm closing". The Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. Associated Press. p. 7. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.

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Schools are private unless otherwise specified
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Day	Berwick Academy Breakwater School Bridgton Academy Carrabassett Valley Academy Cheverus High School Erskine Academy Foxcroft Academy École Française du Maine Friends School of Portland Fryeburg Academy Gould Academy Hebron Academy Hyde School John Bapst Memorial High School Kents Hill School Lee Academy Lincoln Academy Maine Central Institute Merriconeag Waldorf School North Yarmouth Academy Pine Tree Academy Robert William Traip Academy Saint-Dominic Academy Thornton Academy Tidewater School Washington Academy Waynflete School
Former	Cathedral School (Maine) Catherine McAuley High School Coburn Classical Institute Élan School Governor Baxter School for the Deaf (public, still in operation but w/ dorm closed) Gorham Academy Grace Baptist School Liberty School (Blue Hill, Maine) Oak Grove-Coburn School Parsonsfield Seminary

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Closed	IA Braille & Sight Saving Sch MI Sch f/t Blind Ctrl NC Sch f/t Deaf K-8 NE Sch f/t Deaf OR Sch f/t Blind Scranton State Sch f/t Deaf (PA) SD Sch f/t Deaf (dorms closed in 2005, later closed entirely) TX Blind, Deaf & Orphan Sch VA Sch f/t Deaf, Blind, & Multi-Disabled WY Sch f/t Deaf
Dorms closed	Gov Baxter Sch f/t Deaf (ME) RI Sch f/t Deaf

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