LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Lower Lake High School is awaiting the opening of its new wellness center.

The center, which will provide services to students, is due to be open by the end of June.

Within the center, there will be health and medical care services, Healthy Start offerings and counseling.

The wellness center will provide a way for Lower Lake High School students not just to stay healthy but also to stay in school.

Significant planning and organizing has gone into the new wellness center.

“Konocti (Unified) is very excited that we have this opportunity to partner with our community service providers,” project coordinator and district nurse Sue Salmina said.

“It's a work in progress. We just finalized the plans for the building to be built today,” Salmina said Friday.

Healthy Start, Lake County Office of Education, school district maintenance and construction, a selected group of students, staff from St. Helena Hospital and clinic, and the school therapist/counselor are all involved in the project with Salmina.

Planning continues in preparation for the anticipated arrival of the building on March 11.

The wellness center will be a newly refurbished module classroom. The building is 1,900 square feet.

The location for the center will be on campus, located between room 15 and the new auto shop.

The center's interior will consist of a foyer, offices, a nurses' station, medical consulting exam rooms, Healthy Start room and a counseling room.

The new facility will be able to increase wellness services to families and kids, Salmina said.

“It's going to be just awesome,” she said.

There is still preparation and planning that will take place, including interior design, furniture purchasing, naming the center and moving staff into the building.

The cost of the new wellness center is covered under a grant which has set an opening date as a grant requirement. The planning team is on target for the wellness center to be opened and operating by June 30.

As a health care provider, Salmina is very excited about the project.

“Health is intricate to students' lives,” she said. “If you are doing well and healthy, it's endless what you can do.”

Christian Villalobos is a junior at Lower Lake High School.