Community Schools – CoSer 565

Community Schools support students, families, and school districts by helping connect education with the larger needs of the community. The goal is simple: remove barriers, strengthen support, and help students succeed.

A Community School is more than a building where learning takes place. It is a hub for connection, collaboration, and opportunity. Through partnerships with families, school staff, community organizations, local agencies, and service providers, Community Schools help coordinate resources that support the whole child.

Students bring many needs with them into the classroom. Some are academic. Others may involve health, attendance, family support, social-emotional development, basic needs, or access to services. Community Schools help identify those needs and connect students and families with the right supports at the right time.

This work is built on relationships. By working closely with school districts and community partners, Community Schools can help create stronger systems of support for students and families. Services may include family engagement, resource coordination, attendance support, student wellness initiatives, after-school opportunities, community partnerships, and connections to local programs.

Community Schools also help strengthen trust between schools and the communities they serve. When families feel supported and connected, students benefit. When schools and community partners work together, challenges can be addressed more effectively.

At its core, Community Schools is about partnership. It helps bring people, programs, and resources together so students have greater access to the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive.