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District presents expansion of community‑schools network and $9.2M in supports
Summary
Norwalk‑La Mirada Unified staff told the board the district has grown community‑school services to nine sites and secured roughly $9.2 million to hire specialists, provide family workshops, and fund partnerships that address attendance, English‑learner reclassification and basic needs.
Denise Frizzle, the district's community‑school/wellness coordinator, told the board the initiative expanded from a single pilot in 2019 to nine community schools this year and is funded by multiple grants and local partnerships. "We have looked at the SPSA and aligned the framework so these resources meet identified school needs," she said.
Frizzle described four implementation pillars — integrated student supports, family engagement, expanded learning, and collaborative leadership — and said the district has executed memoranda of understanding with Baby2Baby, Soles4Souls and UltaMed to provide necessities, shoes for McKinney‑Vento students, and on‑campus medical care with parental consent. "With those funds, we've hired community‑school specialists at our sites and bilingual parent liaisons," she said, adding the district has received about $9.2 million to support the work.
Principals from multiple schools gave site‑level examples. Sharon Stewart, principal of Edmondson Elementary, said a combination of classroom incentives, parent outreach and referrals reduced absenteeism and won the school a district attendance improvement award. "We implemented classroom and grade‑level attendance challenges and individualized check‑ins," Stewart said.
El Camino High Principal Mark Hunter described a focus on college‑and‑career readiness with tutoring, FAFSA support and job‑connection services led by community‑school liaisons. John Glenn High Principal Jennifer Padilla said site goals target English‑learner reclassification through teacher interviews, focus groups and coordinated supports; Jasmine Flores, the John Glenn community schools case manager, said staff ran small social‑emotional groups and one‑to‑one check‑ins for students with high needs.
Why it matters: district leaders said community schools create on‑site pathways to address students' basic needs and boost engagement, a strategy they tied to measurable results such as higher attendance and individual reclassification outcomes. The board applauded the work and asked staff to continue providing site‑level data on outcomes and sustainability as grant periods end.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 911, topfinish SEG 1780.
