Teacher, parents and city officials oppose site for 220‑bed behavioral health campus near Victorville schools

A teacher and community representatives told the Board of Supervisors they support county behavioral-health services but oppose the chosen site for a new 220‑bed comprehensive behavioral health and addiction treatment campus in Victorville because of proximity to multiple schools and inadequate community outreach.

Jocelyn Cervantes, a teacher at Silverado High School, said students and parents overwhelmingly opposed the location in an outreach survey: "Of the 4,358 individuals that responded, it was a no to this location." Cervantes said the school board and the city of Victorville also opposed the siting and that the county appeared to prioritize grant deadlines over neighborhood safety and environment. She warned of traffic impacts and asked the board to "protect our students" if the project proceeds.

Speakers acknowledged the need for treatment services in the county but said the site choice and a lack of timely communication with residents have raised concerns about safety, student access, and traffic congestion. The speakers asked supervisors to reconsider the site or to work with local leaders to mitigate impacts and to give Victorville residents priority access to services if construction proceeds.

Why it matters: County behavioral-health capacity affects residents countywide. Residents argued that facility siting requires careful neighborhood analysis where student safety and traffic are at risk.

Next steps: The transcript records public opposition and requests for additional community engagement; no board decision to change the site was recorded at this meeting.