(a) The state school for the education of students who are deaf or hearing impaired, located in the city of Knoxville, shall be a body corporate by the name of “Tennessee School for the Deaf.” The state school for the education of students who are deaf or hearing impaired, located in the city of Jackson, shall be a body corporate by the name of “West Tennessee School for the Deaf.”

(b) Each corporation has the right to:

(1) Sue in law or equity;

(2) Receive donations of money from any source for the benefit of the school;

(3) Take and hold property, real and personal, for its use and benefit as a school; and

(4) Have a seal and such corporate rights and powers as are necessary and proper to effect the end of its creation, the education of students who are deaf.

(c) The commissioner may:

(1) Administer and manage the household and domestic affairs of the schools; and

(2) Implement policies and guidelines of the state board of education relative to the schools.

(d) The land, buildings, and appurtenances used by the Tennessee School for the Deaf and the West Tennessee School for the Deaf are the property of this state.

(e) Any student three (3) through twenty-one (21) years of age, both inclusive, who is a resident of this state and who has a hearing impairment that adversely affects the student's educational performance is eligible for admission to the Tennessee School for the Deaf or the West Tennessee School for the Deaf.

(f) The director of schools for the Tennessee School for the Deaf and the West Tennessee School for the Deaf may admit eligible students who have been evaluated and referred by the student's individualized education program team, as defined by § 49-10-102, for services at the school as the most appropriate placement within the least restrictive environment.

(g) Students admitted to the Tennessee School for the Deaf or the West Tennessee School for the Deaf who are residents of this state shall not be charged tuition.