Council Rock School District staff asked the Finance Committee on Sept. 11 to authorize a consultant contract to design sensory rooms for students receiving autistic-support and life-skills services.
District staff described the contract as a $13,500 consulting fee to guide the design and selection of equipment for two rooms, one at Richgrove Elementary School and one at Sol Feinstone Elementary School. The district previously approved bids for equipment; the consultant will help district staff and vendors determine which items from the bid list to purchase and how to configure each space.
Director of Special Services Al Oberman and facilities staff described the consultant's work as similar to hiring an interior designer who specializes in therapeutic or multi-sensory spaces. "They're helping us to kind of build the best space and kind of decide what equipment would invest for the space that we want to utilize," Oberman said. Staff said the consultant team includes parents with lived experience and expertise in sensory rooms.
District members said the rooms will complement existing sensory equipment already present in the schools and aim to create consistent spaces across elementary buildings to support students with sensory needs. The consultant contract covers design and selection work only; the district will separately purchase and install approved equipment from previously bid vendors once the consultant recommendations are finalized.
The committee discussed scale and future plans: staff said the current focus is on completing the two rooms well and building a consistent model that can be used in other schools. Staff did not provide a final estimate of equipment and installation costs at the meeting because equipment choices were still under review.
Next steps: if the committee approves the consulting contract, staff will complete the design work, select equipment within the vendor bid list and return to the board for purchase and installation contracts.