Board declines to revive Riverside University Health System behavioral-health MOU; public urged caution

Temecula Valley Unified trustees declined to reconsider bringing back a proposed memorandum of understanding with Riverside University Health System (RUHS) to provide behavioral-health services in district schools. Trustee Emil Barham moved to reconsider his earlier vote; the motion to reopen the item failed and the board did not adopt the MOU.

Public comment on the proposal ran broadly in both directions. Several speakers urged the board to approve the MOU, saying the county service would cost the district nothing and provide behavioral-health access to families who lack community resources. Other commenters opposed embedding behavioral health in schools, saying such services should remain the responsibility of families and community health providers and not be integrated into instruction settings.

Trustees and members of the public raised several practical concerns during discussion: whether parental consent would be required before any RUHS clinician met with a student; possible mission creep if behavioral-health contracts expanded beyond counseling into broader services; and whether RUHS had previously sought to site a county facility in Temecula. A district staff member and speakers representing parents said the MOU included parental consent safeguards and that any on-campus clinical involvement would be voluntary and coordinated with guardians.

After hearing nine public speakers on the topic, the board did not move the MOU forward. The procedural motion to reconsider the prior board vote failed, and the item remained off the action calendar for the current meeting.