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Formerly homeless senior says teen living center helped him get sober, back to school and on track to graduate
Summary
A senior who stayed at the district’s new teen living center told the board he was homeless and now is on track to graduate, sober and planning to attend Weber State; district staff said multiple seniors at the center are now cleared for graduation.
Raul Perez, a senior at Mountain High School, told the Davis School District Board that housing and wraparound services at the district’s teen living center changed the direction of his life.
"Before arriving here in October, I was homeless for two weeks...I didn't have anywhere to go and was unsure where I was going to sleep, what I was going to eat," Raul said to the board. "When I came to the facility I didn't just find a place to sleep I found a place who genuinely cared about my well‑being and my future...Because of this facility, I'm on track to graduate. I'm six months sober. I'm not just thinking about the next day. I'm planning for my future."
District staff told the board the teen living center -- an operational support program that provides temporary housing, case management and access to medical and educational services for unhoused and at‑risk teens -- has already helped multiple seniors return to academic stability. Superintendent Linford said four seniors who arrived at the center earlier in the year are now cleared with graduation credits and have scholarships and college plans. The superintendent also reported that one center resident had straight A's at the time of the board meeting.
Adrianne Jones, who introduced Raul to the board, called the teen living center "one of the best decisions" the district has made and thanked the board for support. Raul told the board staff helped him get hygiene items, medical appointments, counseling support and attend school events; staff also supported him through a surgery and in maintaining sobriety. Raul said the center’s staff attended his school band concert and otherwise provided the consistent support that made it possible for him to focus on classes and recovery.
Board members praised Raul for sharing his story and noted the center’s early results as evidence that housing-first supports can remove barriers to learning. The board asked staff to continue reporting graduation outcomes and other academic metrics for center residents.
The teen living center remains an operational program of the district; funding sources, capacity and plans for scaling were discussed in other sessions and were not changed by the board at this meeting.
