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District expands community schools supports and uses student voice tool to shape programming
Summary
District staff reported expansion of community schools services — including community service specialists, clothes closets, food pantries and tutoring — and described a pilot using the Impactr platform to capture open‑ended student and family feedback in multiple languages to guide programming decisions.
The San Mateo‑Foster City School District updated trustees on progress at five community schools and plans to deepen student‑centered supports.
Dr. Cassandra Acosta, superintendent of student services, said the district has deployed community service specialists at Fiesta Gardens, Laurel, Reed (soon College Brook), Summit Hill Park and Sunnybrook; those specialists coordinate wraparound services, partner with community organizations and lead family resource rooms, clothes closets and food pantries.
Staff said academic tutoring (IXL and Summit K–12), intramurals and enrichment activities are expanding in response to student and family input. Dr. Acosta said a 209‑student pilot using a tool called Impactr gathered open‑ended student feedback that prioritized family partnership, enrichment opportunities, leadership roles and targeted academic support.
Trustees and public commenters praised the program, asked for more detailed performance metrics, and requested site visits so board members can observe community schools operations. The district noted plans to expand student leadership opportunities and further integrate student recommendations in year‑three implementation.
Impactr representative Josh Harmon described the platform’s ability to accept input in any language and use natural‑language analysis to surface themes; staff said that will complement traditional program evaluation and help translate student voice into actionable priorities.
Next steps: the district will continue to expand tutoring and enrichment, incorporate Impactor findings into site steering committee work, and explore site visits and additional stakeholder engagement as part of ongoing community schools implementation.
