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Laredo ISD adds sensory rooms at high schools and advances feasibility study for a 'Next Step' vocational center
Summary
The district presented completed sensory-room conversions at three high schools and a feasibility plan to convert space at the existing middle school into a Next Step vocational center for post-18 special education students; staff estimated phase 1 costs and said culinary equipment would require a separate phase and engineering work.
LAREDO, Texas ' Laredo ISD has converted classrooms into sensory rooms at Martin, Nixon and Sigueroa high schools and presented a feasibility study to create a "Next Step" vocational center for adult-transition students using space at the district's existing middle school campus.
Mister Raul Gomez and operations staff described the sensory-room installations'which include wall padding, floor padding, lounges, bubble tubes, fiber-optic lighting and display cases'and said staff worked with campus teachers to place equipment and allocate space. "We ... took into consideration the input of the campus staff and the teachers," one operations presenter said.
Next Step vocational feasibility
- Staff presented a two-wing plan for converting portions of an existing middle school wing (identified as N Wing/N2 Wing) into a vocational hub with a conference room, hospitality and retail labs, a laundry lab, sensory and therapy areas and space for physical and occupational therapy.
- Staff provided a phase-1 cost estimate for finishes and non-heavy equipment at about $136,000 (excludes a full commercial culinary lab), and said a complete culinary lab with walk-in coolers and industrial equipment would require substantial additional design, engineered plans and plumbing/electrical upgrades.
- The proposed target population is roughly 30 students from Martin, Nixon and Sigaroa high schools who would transition to vocational training after completing severe/profound tracks; staff said the program would not require a new director and could be staffed by existing special education personnel plus additional hires (staff estimated four new hires would be needed).
Trustees asked about funding and timing and asked staff to provide a consolidated cost estimate that includes personnel, equipment and culinary-phase costs for board consideration at a future regular meeting. "This is a program that has been years in the making," one trustee said. Staff said they will prepare a one-page summary and alternates for the board and suggested the board discuss the item at an upcoming workshop focused on special education.
Sensory-room details and use
- Rooms were converted from standard-size classrooms, and trustees noted items such as swings and tactile activity walls could be added with modest additional funding. Trustees discussed possible funding sources including discretionary trustee funds and special-education or Title IV budgets.
No formal action to fund the Next Step program was taken at the committee meeting; staff will provide a full cost package and options for the board to consider at a later date.
