Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education Sensory Rooms topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
United ISD outlines phased rollout of sensory rooms and sensory walls for special‑education supports
Summary
Special Education staff described completed, in‑progress and planned sensory rooms and a lower‑cost sensory‑wall option for campuses lacking dedicated space; installation timelines and approximate costs were given.
United ISD special‑education staff presented a multi‑phase plan to install sensory rooms and sensory walls at campuses that lack dedicated spaces, describing early results from a state‑of‑the‑art room opened in August 2024 and giving cost and timeline estimates for additional installations.
"Our special ed sensory rooms in public schools... help our students with regulation and calming, improve focus and attention, development of skills, positive behavioral outcomes, and individualized support," Laura De Los Santos, executive director of Special Education, told trustees.
De Los Santos said the district opened a full sensory room at the Cherish Center in August 2024 and is installing a Clark Elementary room (ocean theme) with procurement placed in December 2024; the Ramirez Middle School galaxy‑themed room is about 20% complete. She said full room installations typically take three to four months from PO issuance to vendor completion.
Because many campuses lack an available classroom, staff proposed a sensory wall option as a lower‑cost alternative. De Los Santos and trustees discussed anticipated costs: a full, furnished room the district opened earlier was roughly $60,000; a basic sensory wall pilot could cost $5,000–$7,000 per wall, while an intermediate sensory room package was discussed in a $34,000–$36,000 range depending on equipment and decals.
Staff outlined a phased rollout: Phase 1 (United High School, Molina Middle School, Killam Elementary), Phase 2 (United South High School, LBV, Findlay), Phase 3 (LBJ, Perada, Kazan), Phase 4 (Alexander High School, Veterans Memorial Elementary). Trustees and staff stressed that equipment selection is informed by occupational therapists and behavior specialists and that counselor offices or other quiet spaces may function for lower‑level interventions where dedicated rooms are not feasible.
Trustee discussion emphasized cost‑savings approaches and staff training; one trustee and several staff suggested therapists and campus teams could design lower‑cost walls without outside designers. Staff committed to continued campus visits to assess space availability and to work with principals and counselors on needs and priorities.
