The Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District is proud to serve as the fiscal agent for the Tri-County East Regional Day School Program for the Deaf. The program serves deaf and hard of hearing children from GCCISD and 11 surrounding school districts including: Anahuac, Barbers Hill, Channelview, Cleveland, Devers, Galena Park, Hardin, Hull-Daisetta, La Porte, Liberty, and Tarkington. In 2021-2022, the deaf education program completed 46 years of service for deaf and hard of hearing children. The program’s inception and successful development occurred due to the advocacy of parents, community members and the GCCISD over many years.
The Rubella Measles epidemic of the 1960’s left many children with hearing impairments. A large group of parents found themselves in a similar situation - looking for public education for deaf children close to home. Before Public Law 94-142 (now called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) was enacted in 1975, there were few services available for students in the immediate community. Many parents of deaf and hard of hearing children had to send their children to the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin to receive an appropriate education. The need for a local deaf education program began as a conversation held in a living room in Highlands, Texas, between a group of parents of deaf and hard of hearing children.
A group of local Baytown area parents met for months, gathering around one family’s dining room table. Mrs. Wunsch, Mr. and Mrs. Mack Smoke, Mr. and Mrs. Heckler, Mr. and Mrs. Brown, the Thompson’s and the Garcia’s learned and worked together to bring deaf education and teachers of the deaf to Baytown. Contacts were made with Goose Creek CISD. Requests for funding a local deaf education program were sent to state legislators. It was a long, but successful process.
The need for expanded services for deaf and hard of hearing students in our state caused the Texas Legislature to create the RDSPD model in 1974 - 1975. Goose Creek Consolidated ISD was chosen to be the fiscal agent for the deaf education program for GCCISD and 8 surrounding school districts. The RDSPD was named East Harris County Cooperative for Deaf Education and began officially serving deaf and hard of hearing students from these 9 school districts during the 1975 - 1976 school year.
East Harris County Cooperative for Deaf Education continued to serve the deaf and hard of hearing students of this area throughout the years and has grown, adding staff, classrooms and services. In 2010, Anahuac ISD joined the RDSPD. In 2011, school districts in Liberty County joined the cooperative.
“East Harris County” no longer describes the area served by the Regional Program. As of July 1, 2011, the program officially changed its name to the Tri-County East Regional Day School Program for the Deaf. The Tri-County East RDSPD currently has campus programs in Goose Creek CISD. Instructional services are also provided by itinerant teachers and parent infant trainers across all 12 districts. Support services for students include interpreting, audiology, diagnostics, speech, language and listening.
The program and services are available as a result of the support of Goose Creek CISD and the dedication of former and current staff. We recognize that the real work began well over forty years ago around one family’s dining room table. The Tri-County East RDSPD exists today because those families shared a vision and took action to change educational programs for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.