• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Iowa School for the Deaf logo - this image will return you to the homepage
  • Visit Campus
  • Calendar
  • Current Job Openings
  • Enrollment
  • Referral & Enrollment
    • Referral & Enrollment Procedures
    • FAQ for School Administrators
  • The Student Experience
    • Learning Environment & Curriculum
    • Student Services
    • Dorm Living
    • Activities & Clubs
    • Athletics
    • Weekly Menu
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Current Students & Families
  • Outreach
    • About Outreach
    • Family Resources
    • Language Resources
    • Assessment
    • Expanded Learning
    • American Sign Language Classes
    • Literacy Resources
  • About Us
    • About ISD
    • ISD History
    • News
  • Connect With ISD
    • Contact ISD
    • ISD Staff Directory
    • Donate to ISD
  • Visit Campus
  • Calendar
  • Current Job Openings
  • Enrollment
  • ASL Classes

Dorm Living

What It’s Like to Live on Campus

Living in the ISD campus dorms provides students a true language-immersion environment. Houseparents, residential counselors, cooks, nurses and other staff can all interact with our students using sign language. For some students, coming to Iowa School for the Deaf is their first experience where they can directly communicate with others 24 hours a day. Language continues to be practiced and perfected in the boarding program, developing and enhancing both English and American Sign Language skills.

Student Homegoing

  • Students are transported home each Friday. We call it “homegoing.”
  • Students are transported back to school on Sundays. 
  • During special event weekends, some students might stay on campus to experience events such as prom, homecoming or other activities.
  • Some students who live close enough to go home every day often choose to have a room on campus, which provides them continual social interaction among friends, quick access to homework help and peer assignments, and a fast way “home” after sports practices.

The Dorm Environment

Dorm living is a social, but structured atmosphere. 

  • Most staff hold bachelor’s degrees.
  • Staff provide regular communication with parents via text messages and photos of their child in everyday activities.
  • Girls and boys are divided by buildings.
  • Within each building, ages are separated by floors.
  • Students have private rooms. 
  • Staff-to-student ratio averages 1:6. 
  • Resident staff are on duty from the end of the school day until students are in their first hour classroom the next morning.  
  • Each floor has a lounge with computers, videophones and large televisions. 
  • Similar to college dorms, basic furnishings are provided, including linens. 
  • Students are welcome to bring their own mini fridges, televisions, computers, electronics and other comforts from home. 
  • Birthdays and special events are celebrated in the dorms. 
  • Movie nights, craft and cooking nights, and guest speakers may be other common activities. Dormitory floors also plan nights out to shop, attend captioned movies or other local attractions.

After-School Dorm Activities

Students are busy after school. If they aren’t active in sports, group projects are planned, ranging from field trips to service activities, to cheering on their Bobcat teams at sporting events. All activities are planned to broaden student experiences with volunteering, developing healthy life habits, familiarity with resources, self-advocacy and exploring career and leisure interests.

Setting Students Up for Success

  • There are dedicated homework hours and study labs for students living in the dorms.
  • Some dorm staff members hold or are working towards attaining deaf education degrees, providing a tutoring advantage.
  • Regular meetings are held among student life staff to ensure each student is thriving at Iowa School for the Deaf. 
  • The student life team and the academic team are in continual contact with one another, clarifying homework assignments and setting strategies for each child to achieve his academic and social potential.

What Makes ISD Extraordinary

Visit Our Campus
Contact Us

  • Parent PowerSchool Portal
  • Policies/ Transparency
  • ISD Staff Resources
  • Employment

Switchboard: 712-366-0571 | VP (videophone): 712-796-0025

3501 Harry Langdon Blvd. Council Bluffs, IA 51503

Iowa Web Design by Webspec

Bobcat Football Field

Since 1921, football has been a tradition at Iowa School for the Deaf. ISD Bobcats play late weekday afternoons or Saturdays against local junior varsity teams and Great Plains Schools for the Deaf varsity teams. Go ‘Cats!

Click here for the description in ASL.

Lied Multipurpose Complex

Opened in 2002, this was the first new construction on campus in more than 50 years. Health and physical education classes take place here. In addition to the main gym, which has seating for 1,000, this 58,000-square-foot facility has a 115,000-gallon swimming pool, community rooms, racquetball courts, and fitness areas.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Boys Dormitory

Male students board in the administration building’s west wing. Floors divide the boys by age. Residential counselors and houseparents help with homework, encourage calls home, and plan learning, social and service activities for the boys. Boys typically have rooms to themselves. Videophone and computer stations are in the floor lounge areas.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Administration Building

This is the site of the first building on campus when the school was moved from Iowa City in 1870. At the time, the building was a dorm, dining room, staff living quarters, chapel and administration. (There was a separate school building on campus.) This building has experienced four fires and a tornado (but nothing devastating since 1903!). Currently, it houses the ISD Museum, auditorium, cafeteria, teen center, boys dorm, and the school’s central administration offices.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Cafeteria/Kitchen

ISD cafeteria staff work closely with dietitians and federal programs to ensure their offerings meet stringent nutrition guidelines and the preferences of the pickiest eater! Every child is encouraged to try samplings from all food groups. Occasional food fairs are held to introduce students to new dishes as well as to reinforce the importance of a healthy diet.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Auditorium

The ornate auditorium is often home to prom, the school carnival (Celebrate ISD), and other special presentations needing to seat a larger audience. When not in use, its convenient location next to the Teen Center makes it a popular nine-square attraction!

Click here for the description in ASL.

Greenhouse

Need tips on germination or transplanting? Check with a student who has worked in the greenhouse! The structure was dedicated in 2001 in memory of Adam Leitch, a former middle school student, who loved the outdoors. The greenhouse was made possible by donations from Adam’s family.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Staff Residence

Some school officials are required to live on ISD’s campus. Other campus houses and apartments may be occupied by ISD staff who rent the units.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Fleet Garage

The fleet garage holds ISD’s vehicles. Every weekend (weather permitting), students are transported to their hometowns across Iowa and Nebraska. This event operates so efficiently that the average time between school day’s end and the last bus to leave campus is less than 15 minutes. Labor for the original part of this 1941 structure was furnished under the Work Progress Administration.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Groundskeeping Barn

This is headquarters for the groundskeepers and was built in 1984. The staff are also responsible for maintaining ISD’s fleet vehicles.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Dairy Barn

ISD was once a self-sufficient entity, complete with a dairy herd. This 1935 barn initially housed calves and became the cattle barn when the dairy barn burned in 1944. After its farming life, the building has been used as a teen center and now stores various grounds equipment.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Careers Building/4PLUS

Students gain hands-on work experience in metals technology and woods classes at this building. The 4PLUS transition (to work or college) student center is located on the second floor. The central and south wings were built in 1950; the north wing addition was constructed in 1980.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Plant/Power House

This building was completed in 1956 and contains the campus boilers and utility access points. Powerhouse staff are on campus round the clock whenever students are here, too. In addition to keeping utilities running, they respond to emergency alarms and provide extra security. They’ve also been known to attend to the simple, albeit critical, needs on campus (such as fixing a student’s bicycle).

Click here for the description in ASL.

Elementary School

Opened in 1959, this building houses preschool and elementary grades, with lower grades on the bottom floor and upper grades on the second floor. A computer lab, library, and kitchen are also inside.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Outreach

ISD’s Outreach Department is housed in the former infirmary. Programming focuses around five areas: family resources, extended learning, literacy resources, language resources and assessments. Long before this area was renovated for Outreach, it served as ISD’s own hospital. Tonsillectomies were even performed on campus! This building opened in 1938.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Small Gymnasium

This facility is used as an extra physical education facility for younger students. It also serves as a multipurpose activity area and an extra practice gym. Most of our matches, tournaments, and physical education are now held at the Lied Multipurpose Complex.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Science Center

A modern science center featuring two classrooms, two labs, and plenty of storage, opened in the fall of 2010. The space previously contained a swimming pool and locker rooms and was renovated to provide an accessible environment. Private donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses made the $1.5 million project possible.

Click here for the description in ASL.

J. Schuyler Long Hall/High School

Opened in 1929, this building offers three stories of classrooms with most rooms being used on the second floor. A library, student meeting room, and computer lab are under this roof. The Long Hall Science Center, which opened in 2010, is also connected to the building.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Health Center

Registered nurses working 24 hours a day have all the students’ healthcare needs covered! From bandages to flu shots, nurses provide tender loving care and keep parents informed about the health of their children. When students are ill, they are cared for in the health center until they are ready for classes again.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Girls Dormitory

A large kitchen with double appliances is featured on the main floor. Student lounges are on each floor, containing computer and videophone relay access. Usually, students have rooms to themselves. The building opened in 1963; the north wing was added in 1975.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Audiology

Nearly 60 school districts are served through the Green Hills Area Education Agency, one of nine such organizations in Iowa. Green Hills is an intermediate unit providing educational services to local schools. One of Green Hills’ soundproof hearing testing booths is on the campus of ISD.

Click here for the description in ASL.

ISD Museum


Housed on the second floor of Administration Building’s east wing, each room reflects a decade of history at ISD. Free admission; open by appointment, 712.366.0571.

Click here for the description in ASL.

Teen Center

After homework and sports activities but before bed, a flurry of interaction takes place among students at the Teen Center! This modern space has a pool table, comfy couches, a big screen TV, and its own snack bar.

Click here for the description in ASL.