After debate, the Vermont Attorney General, who was also the administrator of the Colonel's will, prevailed with his suggestion to open a school for deaf and blind students.

In 1970, the construction of Vermont Hall upgraded the dormitories for the younger children and added administrative offices, a modern kitchen, dining room and health facility.

Programs the Austine School had founded over the years to meet the needs of the deaf community beyond the classroom were grouped under the Vermont Center.

With mainstreaming underway, the Austine School recognized a marked increase in the percentage of its students who face multiple physical and education challenges.

The elementary school program used a combination of the Montessori Method, the State of Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities (VFSLO) and the VCDHH curriculum to develop within students a solid foundation of knowledge, communication proficiency, critical thinking and conflict resolution skills, as well as a level of maturity to transition into middle school and beyond.

Core classes were English, Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Health, Keyboarding and Physical Education.

High school students participated in Austine's innovative supported onsite learning program at Brattleboro Union High School and could apply to the Southeast Vermont Career Education Center in Brattleboro for courses that developed specific employment skills in 16 fields.

This method employs the media of speech, speechreading (lipreading), amplification through group or individual hearing aids, writing, dramatics, pantomime, finger-spelling and the language of signs.

The simultaneous method reduces the need for numerous repetitions and augments our traditionally strong program in speech, lipreading, and auditory training.