Board restores Communities In Schools partnership to place counselors at three middle schools

The South San Antonio Independent School District Board of Trustees approved a service-delivery agreement with Communities In Schools (CIS) of San Antonio on June 16, 2025, to embed CIS staff at the district’s three middle schools. CIS CEO Jessica Weaver told the board CIS would provide a 50/50 funding match and an array of supports focused on attendance, behavior, mental and behavioral health, academic needs, family engagement and college/career readiness.

Weaver said CIS’s model places a full-time staffer on campus and that CIS contributes agency-wide resources, training and wraparound partnerships in addition to the embedded staff. She described a tiered model: tier 1 activities that build schoolwide supports and culture, tier 2 targeted services, and tier 3 case-managed services. CIS representatives said the typical case-managed caseload is about 75 students per school; those students receive individualized service-delivery plans and progress monitoring.

Board members asked about coordination with the district’s care zone and other campus supports; CIS said the organization will coordinate with the care zone and with campus student-support teams and will accept referrals from administrators, counselors and teachers. CIS also noted it has staff embedded in other San Antonio institutions, including juvenile justice and homeless service providers, to support students during transitions.

The motion to approve the CIS service agreement was made by Board Member Randall and seconded by Board Member Balderrama. The roll call recorded seven yes votes; the motion passed.

Board members and the superintendent expressed support for CIS’s return and for starting services at the middle-school level, with the district and CIS reporting plans to expand services in future years if funding allows.