Orange County Schools outlines community-partnership review process and launches Family Academy course catalog

Orange County Schools staff described a formalized community-partnership process and a new Family Academy course catalog during a district meeting, and said the district is scheduling community convenings this fall.

District presenters said the partnership application is available online at orangecountyfirst.com/partner and that applications are reviewed twice a month, with most applicants notified within about a month after submission. “We have been busy with community partnerships and that is a a very good thing,” said a staff member leading the partnerships presentation. Staff said approved partners are assigned a district point of contact, attend an onboarding meeting and typically enter a memorandum of agreement or understanding for recurring programs rather than one-time donations.

The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) coordinator said the district’s Family Academy events have produced “overwhelmingly positive” feedback. FACE staff said the catalog initially contains 14 courses across four categories — academic support, family awareness, student engagement and staff engagement — and that some offerings (virtual tutoring and a podcast club) were still finalizing logistics.

District staff gave details about how the partnership relationship differs from donations: recurring, tailored programming that aligns to the district strategic plan generally requires a MOA/MOU and a district staff point of contact; one-time donations or short-term volunteer activities may not meet the district’s definition of a formal partnership. Staff said they now reach out early to school departments to confirm whether a proposed partner’s work would enhance existing efforts and to identify the appropriate contact before approval is finalized.

Presenters said the district hosted a summertime community-leader luncheon with about 15 organizations and that at least 12 of those groups have become current partners. Staff noted the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration was the highest-attended Family Academy event so far this year and that outreach partners such as Orange Partnership are helping advertise upcoming events. Scheduled community convenings noted in the presentation include Nov. 3 at Cedar Ridge and Dec. 2 at Orange High; staff said most convenings and school/community-center events are planned for evening hours, roughly 6 to 7:30 p.m.

During questions, a board member raised concerns about Policy 5015 (community engagement policy), saying some parents reported they believed the policy’s background-check requirement prevented them from volunteering at school events. Staff responded that background checks are referenced as a safety expectation during onboarding and that whether a MOA/MOU or background check is required depends on factors such as whether the activity is recurring, whether the partner is working directly with students, and whether the activity is a donation or an ongoing program.

The meeting also included routine procedural motions: the agenda was adopted by voice vote, the April meeting minutes were approved, and the session was adjourned by motion and second; officials indicated ayes on those voice votes but did not record individual vote names or tallies in the transcript.

Staff said next steps include continuing partner onboarding and rolling out the Family Academy course-selection form for principals; staff will coordinate dates, logistics and background-check expectations with schools and partner organizations.