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Community schools coordinator outlines expansion plans; Kirtland Middle cited as model
Summary
The district's community schools coordinator described Kirtland Middle's full‑time coordinator model, resource fairs, and partnerships (Save the Children, San Juan College West, FoodCorps exploration). She encouraged regional grant applications in April and proposed hubs and sustained operational funding to scale services.
Lisa Renner, the district's community schools coordinator, presented an update on community schools work and grant opportunities.
Renner highlighted Kirtland Middle School as the district's only fully funded community school this year and credited its coordinator Janice Denney with bringing food, clothing, after‑school programming, parent engagement events, STEM Saturday, Zumba nights and a resource room. Renner said Newcomb Middle School and Ojo Amarillo plan to apply for New Mexico PED community school grants when the April grant window opens; she is providing application support.
Renner said she is building district capacity, identifying potential operational funding sources (PED grants, 21st Century grants, SEG/operational funds, Indian Education) and exploring partnerships (FoodCorps, Renaissance programming through Save the Children, New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force). She proposed three regional "hubs" to provide clothing, food and navigators who help families access adult education, workforce and health services.
Board members from different regions praised Kirtland Middle's program and urged replication in remote communities where families lack ready access to services. Renner said she will continue grant writing and partner development and asked the board to consider ways to stabilize funding beyond annual grants. No formal action was requested.
