Dawn Kulpa, who leads the district’s social emotional academic development department, said the rooms are a proactive solution for students experiencing emotional crises before a situation becomes “disciplinary.”
“We want to catch that early and work back through with them so they can build the skills they need to be successful across all of their environments,” Kulpa said.
Last year, Kulpa led a student survey to collect student self perceptions, assess their needs on campus along with their social, emotional and behavioral skills.
Superintendent Jaime Aquino said peace rooms are not meant to be used as disciplinary rooms or rooms to punish kids.
“The peace room that we’re going to unveil is a direct response to the call from our students. A safe haven where students can find solace, guidance and tools that they need to provide,” Aquino said before a tour of the peace room at Brackenridge.
The $200,000 in funding is part of a larger $1 million grant that Public Health for Bexar County secured for five organization and nonprofits, including SAISD, the Thrive Youth Center and Catholic Charities. Those monies go toward supplies, training and curriculum for the peace rooms.
Unique to this SAISD campus, Brackenridge also received funds for the furniture and materials in the peace room from the Carol Lee Jones Educational and Cultural Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, founded by alumnus of the school.
During the grand opening of Brackenridge’s peace room, county officials expressed support for mental health resources that would shift punitive-based models to restorative justice practices at the county and school district level.
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai (left) expressed support for peace rooms or therapeutic alternatives to disciplinary action in schools. Credit: Xochilt Garcia / San Antonio Report “Just locking [people] up… it’s not efficient, and sometimes it’s not a good use of taxpayer money,” Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai said. “[Peace rooms] will also serve as a peaceful conflict resolution service — a de-escalator for students in a situation that could be entirely avoidable. Anything that helps diffuse difficult situations is worth our support.”
Alumnus of Brackenridge and a vocal supporter for mental health resources, county commissioner Rebecca Clay-Flores said she would advocate for another $10,000 in county funding for SAISD peace rooms through the SAISD Foundation.
When she first heard about peace rooms, Clay-Flores said she thought it was something she could have used when she was a student at Brackenridge.
“Everyone has stuff, everyone has issues, and so you need to learn to deal with your issues now, because as you get older, it’s too late,” Clay-Flores said to Brackenridge high schoolers in the room. “You need to learn how to deal with your stuff.”
Darla Mancillas, a 17-year-old senior at Brackenridge, said she sees herself using the new peace room because she deals with anxiety and feels that school can be overwhelming sometimes.
“I’d be somebody that if anxiety would come up, or I’d freak out about something, I’d go cry in the restroom,” Mancillas said. But having the peace room would give students space and time to “disconnect for a little bit, take a breather and collect yourself before you’re ready to do anything else — before it gets worse.”
The walls of the peace room at Brackenridge were splashed by blues, greens and posters promoting communication. Sensory toys, rugs, and pillows filled the room, which included a “talking space” and a “growing” area for plants.
“The blue and the greens are very centering and calming. They don’t typically elicit higher energy
Peace rooms are managed by student engagement facilitators, professional who focus on social-emotional learning development programs while working with students, families and staff to maintain positive environments on campus.
“Even though we are kids, we do carry a lot of baggage with us… [adults] might not take it seriously given that you’re a kid,” Mancillas said. “But in the peace room, it gives you space to be heard.”
