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Communities In Schools outlines student supports at Westside, Foothills; district leaders discuss expansion
Summary
A representative from Communities In Schools of North Central Washington described an integrated student-support model the nonprofit runs in Wenatchee-area schools and answered board questions about staffing, funding and expansion to additional district schools.
Emilio, a representative of Communities In Schools of North Central Washington, told the Wenatchee School District Board of Directors that the nonprofit embeds site coordinators inside schools to connect students to basic needs, behavioral supports, tutoring and college/career prep.
The presentation, introduced by Corey (district superintendent), summarized CIS’s model of integrated student supports: a needs assessment, team planning with the principal, and a three-tier service delivery that ranges from schoolwide events to individualized case work for about 25–35 students per site coordinator.
CIS staff work with community partners to deliver services in schools where students already are, Emilio said. Examples he cited included a “life simulation” event run in collaboration with Numerica and Cashmere Bank, and transportation and lodging coordination to allow high school students to visit college campuses. He described site coordinators as “trusted adults” who check in weekly and link families to housing, food and behavioral-health resources; he said they are not clinicians or counselors.
Board members asked about the program’s current footprint and funding. Emilio said CIS of North Central Washington began incubation in 2017 and became an independent nonprofit on July 1, 2022; it operates in multiple Chelan–Douglas County districts and expanded to four additional schools this year. In Wenatchee the organization is currently operating at Westside High School and Foothills Middle School and has hired bilingual staff for those sites. Emilio said CIS is pursuing additional district and private funding to expand.
On funding, the presentation cited a mix of private philanthropy and grant awards: site positions in some districts receive matching funds from the Ballmer Group (described as 50/50 match funding for positions). Emilio also noted a recent $15,000 grant from Numerica directed to two schools for supplemental work such as food and supplies drives. He described prior one-time grants from national donors (mentioning Mackenzie Scott and large cohort grants to CIS nationally) as part of the organization’s resource mix.
District board members and staff described local history that led to the partnership: the district lost an ESD-funded student assistance position, prompting Jennifer (district staff) to approach CIS. Board members praised CIS’s local hiring and alumni pathway stories: Emilio described a former student who returned as a site coordinator in Waterville.
The board did not take formal action; the presentation closed with board appreciation and questions about sustaining and expanding the program.
Sources: presentation remarks by Emilio (Communities In Schools of North Central Washington) during the board meeting; introductions by Corey (district superintendent).
