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Redwood City board hears progress report on community schools model, parents urge targeted supports for multilingual learners
Summary
District leaders and Stanford partners described growth in Redwood Citycommunity schools, citing rises in family-center visits and expanded learning participation; parents pressed the board to ensure English-learner and special-education students see these resources at their sites.
Redwood City School District trustees received an overview Nov. 12 of the districtcommunity schools initiative and its measurable impacts, as parents pressed for focused support for Latino and multilingual learners.
Michelle Griffith, the districtdirector of community schools and partnerships, told the board the program rests on four pillarsexpanded learning, integrated student supports, collaborative leadership, and family and community engagementand described a formal theory of action linking short- and long-term goals for system, site and student outcomes.
The department reported concrete activity and outcomes from the 2024-25 school year: 12,272 student visits and 5,839 parent visits to family centers (a 54% rise in parent visits); 2,854 students participated in expanded learning and summer programs; and community-school specialists averaged a 5% attendance improvement for students on their caseloads. A Stanford partner, Amy Gerstein of the John W. Gardner Center, called Redwood City a national example of a coherent, whole-child community schools approach.
Parents and site staff described services in practical terms. Hoover site coordinator Andrea Hernandez reviewed Spanish-language group counseling, Wayfinder social-emotional learning and on-site health screenings. Albert Lo, Clifford community school coordinator, outlined culturally responsive professional development and targeted tutoring programs that produced measurable gains (Mathnasium and Healthy Cities cohorts reported Lexile growth and pre/post math gains for participating students). Jackie Campos, who coordinates the Thrive housing-stability program, said the model provided targeted case management: "We case-managed 46 families reaching 166 individuals and made 227 referrals to community organizations" in 2024-25.
Several parents asked the board to extend specific supports. Augustine Espino, speaking during public comment, said district data show Latino students and other multilingual learners lag behind peers and urged smaller classes or additional classroom aides so EL-identified students benefit from the additional funding the district receives for second-language learners.
Trustees praised the programand asked how to sustain and scale effective practices. Board discussion focused on grant dependency, measurable outcomes and possible districtwide replication of site-level successes such as Cliffordtutoring. Michelle Griffith said many elements are funded through a mix of district resources and external grants, including the California Community Schools and Partnership (CCSP) grant that supports four CCSP sites and related advisory councils.
Next steps noted in the presentation: expansion of family-led lived-experience groups at CCSP sites, implementation of Salesforce for Thrive case management and continued data-aligned professional development. Trustees asked staff to return with more comparative analyses and clearer timelines for public reporting on family-engagement work and grant decisions. The district also formally announced Liz Calderon as the incoming director of community schools.
Why this matters: Redwood Cityis investing in a system that integrates social services with academics; presenters said the model can remove barriers to learning, but several speakers warned that sustaining gains will require continued external grant funding and district alignment to support equity across sites.
