Student advisory council urges better onboarding, outreach and mental‑health access across JUHSD

Student representatives from Jefferson Union High School District presented findings and concrete recommendations Wednesday for improving how new and multilingual students are welcomed, how schools publicize activities and supports, and how the district promotes student wellness.

The student advisory council — split into three subcommittees (New Student Integration, Student Outreach & Opportunity, and Wellness) — told trustees students at different sites face gaps in outreach, inconsistent new‑student orientations and limited awareness of mental‑health resources such as the district’s Stop It app.

The students said those gaps matter because they limit access to activities, counseling and college‑preparation options. Westmore students demonstrated an interactive “Breadcrumbs” orientation website they built to help transfers and new students navigate campus services and extracurriculars. Wellness presenters proposed a districtwide “May Mission” mental‑health week and changes to make Stop It more private, visible and usable by students.

Student presenters cited school‑by‑school data and interviews they conducted with staff and peers. Jefferson’s subcommittee reported that Jefferson High’s English‑learner population includes about 23 percent of the campus and recommended more practical, daily‑use language instruction for ELD classes, better coordination between teachers and paraprofessionals, and scheduled collaboration time so paraprofessionals receive class materials in advance. Oceana presenters said their small multilingual population benefits from individualized “flex time” and asked administrators to standardize transfer‑student orientations and involve counselors more directly. Westmore students recommended the district replicate their interactive campus map and FAQ pilot to reduce arrival‑day anxiety. Terra Nova and Turnover presenters emphasized peer‑mentoring programs, flexible “catch‑up” time and more visible promotion of lesser‑known clubs.

On wellness, students reported low use of the Stop It app: their in‑district survey showed only about 8 percent of respondents said Stop It was useful and roughly 96 percent had not used it. The wellness team proposed: (1) better in‑school rollout so students download the app during advisory or orientation rather than only scanning posters in hallways; (2) placing QR codes and flyers in private locations (bathroom stalls, locker areas), and (3) a coordinated May mental‑health awareness week that would bring local organizations and presentations to campuses. Students also said some teachers deny classroom release when counselors call, creating long delays for counseling appointments; they urged clearer staff protocols so counselor requests are honored.

Trustees and staff praised the student work. Trustee Lee and others encouraged sites to pilot recommended actions, and several trustees asked administration to bring the student recommendations into agenda‑planning and follow‑up so the board can track next steps. District staff noted Westmore will pilot personal‑finance classes next year and asked site teams to coordinate implementation of student suggestions.

Trustees directed staff to consider the student recommendations in upcoming agenda planning and the Local Control and Accountability Plan process, and several trustees offered to follow up with students and site teams about next steps. The presentation closed with trustees thanking students for their research and asking administration to return with implementation options or a timeline for suggested pilots.