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Children's Home Society pitches community partnership school at Rhodes Elementary; board asked for green light to apply for state grant
Summary
Children's Home Society of Florida presented the community partnership schools model and asked the board to approve pursuing state grant funding to embed wellness, family engagement and expanded-learning services at Rhodes Elementary. Staff outlined a 25-year MOU model, phased implementation and a June/July grant application timeline.
Children's Home Society of Florida presented a proposal to establish a community partnership school at Rhodes Elementary and asked the Santa Rosa County School Board for permission to pursue state grant funding and begin planning. The presentation on April 10 described a four-pillared model that embeds wellness and support services, family and community engagement, expanded learning and collaborative leadership into a school site.
CHS representatives said the model relies on four core partners (nonprofit, wellness/provider, higher education and the school district), a designated director and local Community Leadership Council. The model begins with a community needs assessment; services are then customized to local priorities. Examples cited from other Florida sites include on-campus clinics (primary and dental), mental-health services, expanded-learning programs and family supports such as GED or workforce training. CHS noted that the state provides recurring funding streams for community partnership schools and that the organization has experience operating multiple sites across Florida.
Trustees asked practical questions about facilities, service coverage and whether services would be available to the broader community as the project scales. CHS said clinics and services are typically phased: beginning by serving the school population with the option to extend hours to the community once operations are established. Staff reported that Rhodes has an available building (an older media center/reading center) that could be adapted for clinic and office space.
Timeline outlined by CHS: a June–July grant application window (subject to the governor’s veto process), award notifications by September and the goal of placing a site director in January if funding is approved. The board did not take action to approve spending but was asked to give staff authority to proceed with application preparations; trustees indicated support and asked district staff to return with facility-scoping details and formal approval steps.
