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Eureka schools present $3M community‑schools grant, wellness centers and five Medi‑Cal‑funded wellness coach openings
Summary
Eureka City Schools’ director of Community Schools told council the district received roughly $3 million to support whole‑child services, expanded from three to nine schools, has wellness centers on multiple campuses, provided 380 students with resources at a recent fair and is recruiting five Medi‑Cal‑funded wellness coaches.
Rhonda Evans, director of Community Schools for Eureka City Schools, briefed the Eureka City Council Aug. 20 on the district’s Community Schools program and grant‑funded services.
Evans said Eureka received California Community Schools Partnership planning and implementation grants that grew from supporting three schools to all nine district schools; she said the program brought roughly $3,000,000 to support whole‑child services, including wellness centers and restorative‑practices specialists at school sites. Wellness centers now operate at Eureka High and both middle schools and “Wellies” (calm rooms) are in elementary schools; outside therapists provide on‑site services through a contract with Open Door Community Health Services.
Evans said a recent resource fair served about 380 families at peak and that the district’s community‑schools liaisons provided more than 882 short‑trip student transportations last year via a district van to reduce absenteeism. She described partnerships such as Blue Lake Rancheria paying for washer/dryer installation at a high school site where students requested laundry facilities; purchase orders are in place and installation is underway.
Evans also said the district successfully applied for the state wellness coach positions funded through Medi‑Cal and is actively recruiting five wellness coaches, noting the positions are fully funded by Medi‑Cal and intended to be sustainable through billing. She encouraged applicants and signaled ongoing coordination with city leaders and community partners.
Council thanked Evans and asked follow‑up questions about transportation, consent processes for school‑based therapy and program staffing; Evans described the MTSS referral process and family consent forms for on‑site therapy.
