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District outlines $5.7 million community-schools grant to fund counselors and wraparound services
Summary
District staff described a five-year California Community Schools Partnership grant (about $5.7 million total) that will support community-school coordinators, counselors, health screenings and family engagement at cohort schools; trustees asked for metrics and school-level reporting.
Leonard Rodriguez, executive director of educational services, briefed the board on the district's Community Schools Partnership program and how the grant will be used in three cohort schools (May Ellis, William H. Frasier STEM Academy and Potter Junior High).
Rodriguez described community schools as a hub-model that integrates academic supports, health and mental-health services, extended learning opportunities and family engagement. He said the district is using an asset-assessment approach and community partnerships to determine school-level priorities and to formalize supports previously provided informally.
In response to trustee questions, staff said each school will receive about $1.4 million over the grant period (divided across years) and that the total award is approximately $5.7 million over five years; Potter will have two full-time counselors, and other sites have at least one full-time counselor. Rodriguez said allowable funding uses include reading intervention, small-group academic intervention, social-emotional supports, health screenings, parent-education series and logistical supports such as transportation for families to events. "This is really our opportunity to sustain our social work and counseling supports that previously relied on temporary funding," Rodriguez said.
Trustees asked about reporting metrics; staff said the program requires end-of-year performance reporting, asset assessments and engagement measures, and that schools will present site-level updates to the board. One trustee read the total grant amount into the record and confirmed the district had received the award in spring and the funds in the summer.
What happens next: Implementation planning and school-level implementation will continue through the grant period; staff said they will provide annual performance reviews and school presentations to the board.
