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Bryan ISD says new Sierra School therapeutic program is near capacity and showing early behavioral gains
Summary
Bryan ISD officials reported implementation details and early outcomes for a contracted therapeutic school program, saying the district has used vacant positions to offset much of the $900,000 contract and that discipline referrals and suspension days have dropped among students served.
Bryan ISD officials told the school board that a contracted therapeutic placement for middle- and high-school students with special education needs is operating at near capacity and showing measurable early improvements.
The district implemented the Sierra School therapeutic program this fall after the board approved “the authorization of the contracted services not to exceed $900,000 for the 24‑25 school year,” said Dr. Jennifer Warren, Bryan ISD executive director of special programs. Warren said staff identified about $580,000 in vacant salaries to offset the contract cost.
The district located the program at the Milam campus and said the site can serve up to 20 students. Warren said the district currently has eight middle-school students and 11 high-school students enrolled or pending enrollment, calling the number “almost at capacity.” Placements are made by the ARD (admission, review and dismissal) committee and involve parent and student participation, she said.
Warren described staffing and services: a program director, two special-education teachers, four paraprofessionals, a social worker and a climate manager, plus access to county resources through the contracted provider. “The program has a capacity of 20 students,” she said, and staff follow a structured transition process intended to prepare students to return to their home campus or to complete school at MC Harris.
Warren and district staff highlighted early outcomes for the students served. From 2023 to 2024, the district reported a 67% decrease in discipline referrals and a 44% drop in days of suspension for students now in the Sierra School program. Warren said students have shown academic gains through credit recovery and that many are moving back into their grade-level cohorts.
Board members asked how placements and transitions work, and Warren said ARD committees determine placement and that students may begin the year at Sierra School or be moved in later as needs are identified. She also said the contracted staff are paid by the provider, Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI), and therefore do not receive Bryan ISD paychecks.
District leaders said the program has reduced the need to fill certain vacant positions and has allowed the district to reallocate resources. Warren called the program’s early results “phenomenal” and said the district will continue to monitor outcomes and support transitions back to home campuses when students demonstrate readiness.
The board did not take a new vote on the program at the meeting; Warren’s presentation reviewed the fall implementation and outcomes of the contract the board previously authorized.
Looking ahead, Warren said the district will keep monitoring the program’s capacity and student outcomes, and ARD committees will continue to guide individual placement decisions.
