Special-education teacher proposes classroom therapy dog 'Matlock' for McConaughey Elementary

Sarah Simpson, a special-education teacher at McConaughey Elementary, presented a proposal to integrate a therapy dog named Matlock into her classroom to support students with emotional and behavioral challenges. Simpson described Matlock s a nearly one-year-old, hypoallergenic doodle trained for deep-pressure work and said, "This is all about our student success," explaining the dog would be used as a privilege-based, supervised intervention aligned with PBIS and classroom routines.

Simpson outlined safety and operational protocols: the handler will always supervise interactions, Matlock will wear a harness and leash in halls, a gated 'place' will limit access inside the room, and waste-disposal and veterinary care will be handled by the teacher. Board members asked about liability and insurance; administration said building-level approval and confirmation from the district's insurance provider would be required and that the decision is ultimately at the building administrator level rather than by the full board. Simpson and administrators said Matlock must be age-certified (one year old) before final certification and classroom deployment, and Simpson stated she would assume training and financial responsibility for the dog.