From September of 1879 to January of 1898, four superintendents served at the school, which were: W.B. Wilson from 1879 to 1882, Hiram B. Jacobs from 1882 to 1889, Elmer E. Griffith from 1889 to 1894 and Will H. Glasscock from 1894 to 1898. Their terms were marked primarily by general infrastructure improvements.

In the fall of 1879, a telephone was installed in the school. A well was dug for a more adequate water supply in 1881 and a natural gas line was installed in 1888. In 1889, the legislature approved $45,000 for works projects as the school educated more students than it could readily accommodate. In 1891, a new building provided six classrooms, four dormitories, separate hospitals and dining rooms for boys and girls. In 1897, a new greenhouse was constructed to replace the original that was built in 1867.

Trustees and superintendents unsuccessfully tried persuading the legislature to change the school's name to more closely identify with its educational status during this time. They did not want the school to be classified with other state institutions.

By 1892, demand for adult occupational training was so great that the school began admitting students over 21 years of age. This would only be a temporary policy.

After Will Glasscock resigned to continue his education, George S. Wilson was named superintendent on January 6, 1898. His prior teaching and administrative experience would provide a new perspective as he reorganized the curriculum similar to that of public schools, creating both elementary and high school courses of study.

Wilson also defined goals for students at each grade level as well as graduation requirements. He decided to remove adults from the school and focus on teaching students unable to be vocationally trained in 1899 and was determined to make the school one of the best of its kind in the country.

He was born in Greenfield, Indiana on September 10, 1858, to John and Martha (Milton) Wilson, who were of Scottish and Virginia colonial descent, respectively. He received his elementary education in Greenfield's public school system. After graduating from Indiana University, Wilson taught in Hancock County's district schools for several years before being named principal of the Cleveland (Indiana) school system. In 1881, Wilson became principal of a school in Charlottesville. In 1883, he was appointed principal of the schools at Fortville and later became principal of Greenfield High School in 1885. He was later appointed superintendent of the Greenfield public schools in 1891, continuing in that position for seven years until 1898.

Working with Thomas S. McAloney of the Western Pennsylvania Institution for the Blind and H. Randolph Latimer of the Maryland School for the Blind, Wilson prepared a uniform typographical system. It was a new raised-letter system that assisted blind people who read pictographic type.

"This commission on uniform type for the blind was appointed in the summer of 1915 at a joint meeting of the American Association of Workers for the Blind and the American Association of Instructors of the Blind. They reviewed recommendations previously made by a committee of ten blind individuals who originated a tentative uniform system of writing and printing, expected to benefit blind people worldwide," wrote Elizabeth Wishard.

Wilson was also involved in numerous community endeavors. He was a member of the Columbia Club, the Knights of Pythias, the Temple Club at Greenfield and a Mason. He and his wife, the former Daisy D. Steele, were the parents of four children.

During the early years of Wilson's term, physical improvements were implemented in the school. Linoleum was installed to cover the bare floors and an electric light plant was built. Trustees recommended that the northern half of the grounds, known as St. Clair Park, should become a playground for students since objections rose to individuals constantly loitering there.

The legislature rejected a 1902 proposal to relocate the school from the downtown area, despite demands for more space to accommodate students. Instead, new dormitories were built for girls in 1904 and boys in 1909, respectively. They each contained three floors with reception areas and sitting rooms downstairs. Two upper floors of each dormitory opened up to an atrium. After ongoing pressure in 1907, the legislature changed the institution's name to the Indiana School for the Blind. In 1913, a new auditorium was constructed inside the main building that also served as a study area for students. While these additions dramatically improved the school, the area around it was also developing.

Trustees issued an urgent report to the legislature in 1920 as numerous reasons arose again to relocate the school. Downtown Indianapolis had become more industrialized as businesses operated on three sides of the school. Traffic hazards existed as interurbans and vehicles traveled the streets.

Located on eight acres of land on North Street in 1847, the school's infrastructure had aged as floors and roofs needed repair. Elizabeth Wishard noted, "Electric wiring comprised of tubes and knots were obsolete. Gas pipes leaked. Rooms were inaccessible to firemen and even recommendations were made for the school kitchen to be moved from the main building. Consulting engineering estimates revealed that building repairs would equal its original cost of $68,000."

When the Indiana State Legislature decided to create the War Memorial Plaza on ground that included property belonging to the school in 1923, the campus was required to relocate. The property purchased by the State in 1848 for $5,000 was now valued at $2 million.

Trustees reviewed the feasibility of more than eighty sites for the school's new location. A final decision was imminent that would forever impact the school's history.