Delta High students and staff highlight new wellness center, urge continued district support

Delta High School students and staff presented the campus's newly opened wellness center to the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District board, describing it as a schoolwide resource that supports students' physical, mental and social well-being.

Principal (presenter) told the board the site recently held a ribbon cutting and framed the wellness center as part of a tiered MTSS approach. "We consider the whole school, whole wellness center," the principal said, explaining the center provides check-ins, one-on-one meetings and therapeutic materials to help students access instruction. Students and peer advisors described concrete supports: "Anyone can come in there and relax," said Daisy Armenta, a senior at Delta, adding that the center has stress toys, snacks and staff available for help.

Wellness Coach Angie Angulo told trustees the center connects students with community resources and can refer them to the district ESS therapist, Jasmine. "We meet with them one on one so that we can provide emotional support, connect them with outside resources in the community, [and] refer them to our ESS therapist," Angulo said. Student presenters said the center also helps with practical skills: a peer advisor said the center helped them build a resume and find work opportunities.

Trustees asked how peer training translates into classroom benefits and requested data on outcomes. One trustee urged staff to collect incremental evidence as the district continues to invest in wellness resources, noting that wellness outcomes are harder to quantify than test scores but can yield meaningful improvements in attendance and school climate.

The presentation closed with the presenters asking for continued support from the board to sustain and refine the program as staff focus on data-driven targeting of needs and classroom supports.