About Us

Missouri School for the Blind offers educational and outreach services for visually impaired Missouri children from birth through age 21 and their families. MSB is operated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education of the State of Missouri and its services are free of charge.

MSB’s services are concentrated in two areas – its centerbase kindergarten-grade 12 school in St. Louis, Missouri, and its Outreach services offered throughout the state. MSB’s centerbase school is free of charge and open to all visually impaired Missouri children ages five through 21; referral to MSB is a decision made jointly by the student’s parents and the local education agency.

Through its membership in the North Central Association of Schools for the Blind (NCASB), which includes 17 other schools for the blind, MSB offers a varsity sports program in wrestling, track and field, swimming, goalball, cheerleading, and forensics. A host of clubs round out the extracurricular activities available. MSB is fully accredited by the North Central Association.

For More information on MSB’s Centerbase Programs and the Admissions Process:

MSB’s Outreach program serves as a statewide resource for families and educators on blindness and/or deafblindness. consults with local districts on student programming, implementation of evidence-based practices and transition planning:

  • coordinates statewide registration of students who are visually impaired and the deafblind census;
  • supports families of children with visual impairments, including those with multiple disabilities and/or deafblindness to gain access to resources, information and connection with other families
  • provides MoSPIN -in-home training to parents of children, ages birth through five, by trained parent advisors
  • provides statewide staff development and other training opportunities;
  • manages a statewide system of ordering and distributing specialized materials from the American Printing House for the Blind obtained with federal quota funds;
  • produces a variety of materials, including newsletters for families and service providers;
  • operates the Library Media Center at Missouri School for the Blind which lends professional materials to local and state education agencies and offers a variety of library programs to students enrolled at MSB

To find out more about Outreach services click on Outreach, Resources for Families or Resources for Educators:

History

Mission

Missouri School for the Blind provides and is widely acknowledged to deliver the most successful educational, vision-related, extracurricular and transition opportunities and resources designed to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world for students with visual impairments and their families throughout the state of Missouri.

Vision

The Missouri School for the Blind is dedicated to providing high-quality educational services, resources, and individualized instruction to students who are blind or visually impaired ensuring achievement including academic, social, and post-secondary goals empowering students to become lifelong learners and enjoy fulfilling lives in the environment of their choice.

At MSB, We Believe

  • Student success is our first and foremost responsibility.
  • High expectations and collaboration between staff, students, families, and stakeholders are critical to student success.
  • Every student deserves a safe and supportive learning and living environment in which they will be treated with dignity and respect.
  • Every student has unique needs, interests, and abilities which will be addressed through their individualized education plan and a variety of rigorous course offerings and extracurricular activities.
  • Beginning at age 14 every student will be provided the opportunity to participate in transition skills to prepare them for future success.
  • Statewide interagency collaboration and sharing are beneficial to everyone providing services to students who are visually impaired and their families.

Educational Philosophy and Goals

At Missouri School for the Blind student success is our first and foremost responsibility. Because we understand that every student learns in an individual way and at an individual rate, we differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each learner.

For students whose educational program centers on the Show-Me-Standards, as defined in the Grade-Level-Expectations (GLEs), curriculum-based and on-going assessment determine instructional methods, remediation, enrichment and pacing through the curriculum. The GLEs are designed to meet a wide range of students needs; however, each course may be further differentiated through the IEP process to meet individual student needs.

For information on courses taught at Missouri School for the Blind, please go to the  Curriculum page.

f.a.q.

MSB Students
Who is eligible to attend MSB?

Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired, for purposes of MSB eligibility, are those students who meet the State eligibility criteria for Visual Impairment.In addition, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team of the local district has determined that MSB is the student’s most appropriate placement to meet goals and objectives of the IEP.

How do I apply to MSB?

Students must be referred to MSB by their local education agency (LEA). The first step is to contact them and schedule an IEP.

How much does it cost to go to MSB?

There is no cost to Missouri residents to attend MSB. Transportation is provided free of charge for residential students to travel to and from their homes every weekend.

Is it possible to take a tour of the school?

To schedule a tour for a possible student admission, please call the education office at 314-633-1562. General interest tours may be available, depending upon school activities. Contact Andrea Stoffel, Community Relations, 314-633-3942, email:  Andrea.Stoffel@msb.dese.mo.gov.

What does “legally blind” mean?

Visual acuity (vision) of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction possible. This means that a legally blind individual would have to stand 20 feet from an object to see it – with vision correction – with the same degree of clarity as a normally sighted person could from 200 ft. The definition may also include people with average acuity who have a visual field of less than 20 degrees (the norm being 180 degrees).

Approximately 10 percent of those deemed legally blind have no vision; the rest have some vision, from light perception alone to relatively good acuity.