Kaiser awards $10,000 and Saugus schools win national 'America’s Healthiest Schools' and PLC recognition

Kaiser Permanente and district leaders used the Nov. 18 board meeting to celebrate national recognitions and a new community-benefit grant for school health.

Amy Weese, community health manager for Kaiser Permanente, said the Thriving Schools program helps districts and schools prioritize student and staff health. She announced a $10,000 community benefit grant to support social-emotional learning and staff-wellness initiatives in the district.

"Out of 1,119 schools recognized nationwide, 15 are from the Saugus Union School District," Weese said, noting that every one of the 15 district schools achieved all-star recognition under the Alliance for a Healthier Generation criteria.

District staff also presented a national professional learning-community (PLC) model recognition: Cindy Pilar, executive director of the California Principal Support Network, told the board that Saugus has been verified as a 2025 national model PLC district based on multiple years of documented student-learning gains and submitted artifacts. Pilar read the review committee’s statement that the district demonstrated "a sustained commitment to helping all of their students achieve at high levels."

Board members and the superintendent thanked staff, principals and community partners. The board also recognized "superstar readers" from elementary schools; district leaders recessed briefly for awards photos. No formal policy action was required for the recognitions, but the district accepted the grant and praised the outside partners that supported the award applications.

The district said it will continue to align professional development with PLC and school-health strategies and incorporate the funding into ongoing social-emotional learning initiatives.