Rocklin High School has transformed its library into a dedicated mental health and student resource center over the summer. The project was set in motion by a combination of declining enrollment, retirements, and a growing need for mental health services. The student resource center now offers a place for students to connect, a renewed peer counseling program, and new world language books that were previously unavailable.
“We don’t know what it’s called yet, and that’s kind of part of the excitement,” said RHS principal Davis Stewart. “We really want to get student voices.”
The transformation is part of a larger effort to address the mental health needs of Rocklin High’s students, an initiative that’s been in the works for years. “Back in my first years as principal, we had a couple of suicides on campus and we did a lot of research on wellness centers,” said Mr. Stewart. “But funding and space were always the challenges.”
Nine years later, the “perfect storm” of factors has made this vision a reality. As Mr. Stewart put it, “We’ve had retirements, we’ve had space open up, and we were super protective of it. And we made it happen.” Kelly Stephans, RUSD’s District librarian, explained that it was tough to find sturdy furniture that had already been pieced together and fit the minimal budget she was given. Nevertheless, Ms. Stephans and the library clerk, Lynn Bruice, put together every piece of furniture currently in the space a week before the school year started.
The library will also house the school’s counseling team, which has been spread across campus. “I could see permanent offices built up where you’d have an entire mental health team. Right now, we’re a bit divided, but this space could change that,” said Mr. Stewart.
Kelly Stephans spearheaded the design of the new space. “I wanted this to be like a shelter from the storm … a place students could go when they were feeling overwhelmed or stressed,” explained Ms. Stephans. The new space will offer traditional library services, counseling, and access to peer counselors.
One of the biggest impacts has been on the library’s circulation of books, which has increased by 140% since the space started welcoming students in a more inclusive and relaxed environment. “So just by having more students come in here and feel welcome, they’re checking out more books, which
makes my librarian heart very happy,” said Ms. Stephans. In addition, Kelly Stephans wrote and applied for a Rocklin Educational Excellence Foundation (REEF) grant, which provided funding for all 16 libraries in the district to get the latest world language novels.
“I’ve never had a lot of experience writing grants, but when you’re passionate about something, you get things done,” she said. The new books have been a massive help for the school’s diverse student body, particularly its Russian and Ukrainian students. “It was so great to see their faces light up when they saw a book they could actually read,” Stephens said.
One unique aspect of this project is the involvement of students in the design process. “Hearing what students wanted—better lighting, comfortable furniture, greenery—was huge,” said Stephens. “We want this to feel like a student union, where they have ownership of the space.” Stephens also noted that she hopes the space continues to evolve and change with its student body instead of remaining stagnant.
As Rocklin High moves forward with this project, it hopes to create a model for other schools in the district. “We’re the first in the district to have something like this,” Mr. Stewart noted. “But we want to get things right, and we hope this will serve as a model for others.” For now, the focus remains on ensuring that students feel welcome, supported, and seen in this evolving space.
