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Valley View principal outlines full-service community school plan funded by three-year grant
Summary
Valley View Elementary leaders told the Columbia Heights school board the school's new full-service community school grant will fund parent classes, mentorships with first responders, expanded family engagement and annual reporting; the grant covers three years with a renewal process and requires site-council oversight.
Valley View Principal Jason Coleman and Community School Coordinator Kevin Centeno presented the school's full-service community school plan and how a three-year grant will support families, community partnerships and expanded student supports.
Coleman described the site council as the program's hub and said the school is coordinating with community organizations to expand both in-school and after-school resources. Centeno outlined direct services set to start immediately, including parent English and Spanish language classes, a community giving dinner expected to serve about 600 families, and psychosocial supports delivered through partners such as Esperanza United and Reading Partners.
Centeno said the school will pilot a new mentorship program, Bridge to Lead, pairing students with members of the Columbia Heights Police Department and the fire department to build relationships and leadership. "It's just to build a relationship with the kids...so it's not just a uniform for the kids to see, but it's also a person," Centeno said.
The presenters emphasized family engagement measures: the site council meets the second Monday of each month, the program includes reporting requirements and a district web page for the full-service community school, and annual reports and a site plan will be submitted for review. Principal Coleman said the grant term is three years and is renewable; the presentation noted there are annual reporting requirements and a formal plan that will go to the site council for approval.
Board members praised the initiative and asked about program equity and capacity. Director Pettway asked whether English and Spanish classes were limited to Valley View families; Coleman's team said Valley View families are prioritized but slots will be opened to others when capacity allows. Board members also pressed staff on sustainability if future grant funding were reduced; presenters said many activities began before the grant but that grant funding accelerates scale and reach.
The board received the presentation for information; no governance action was required at the meeting.
