The Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees approved a contract with Effective School Solutions to place two grant‑funded wellness coaches — one at Atascadero Middle School and one at Atascadero High School — after trustees reviewed program scope and sustainability plans.

Mrs. Darnell, Director of Business Services, told trustees the contract is funded by a county grant and ‘‘reflects the amount of the grant, so there will be no impact to the general fund.’’ Trustees asked how the coaches would work with existing wellness centers and counselors, how students would be identified, and whether the positions were employees or contractors.

District staff said the state defines a certified wellness coach’s scope; wellness coaches typically hold an AA or BA in social‑service fields and provide lower‑level, front‑line supports such as brief interventions, classroom presentations, stress‑management coaching and referrals. Staff characterized wellness coaches as a tier‑one/tier‑two support intended to let credentialed counselors focus on more intensive cases.

Key program details presented to trustees included:
- Two contracted positions (not district employees) to be stationed on campus (one at the middle school, one at the high school).
- Each coach would work approximately with an active caseload “around 40 to 60 students” over time, while also providing whole‑class or small‑group lessons and short‑term interventions.
- The contract is aligned with a county cohort effort to train district staff on Medi‑Cal billing (district staff said the intent is to develop Medi‑Cal billing capacity so that services can become more sustainable over time).
- The contract term is one year and the district said ongoing funding would depend on successful Medi‑Cal reimbursement and other funding decisions.

Trustees requested an evaluation plan and regular updates. District staff said the county grant requires monthly data reporting on students served and services delivered and that staff will examine billable Medi‑Cal offsets and bring an end‑of‑year report to the board.

Trustees moved and approved the contract; one trustee recorded a ‘‘no’’ vote during the roll call. The district said it will return to the board with a program report at the end of the grant period and with updates on Medi‑Cal billing efforts.