California will soon roll out a mammoth $3 billion Community Schools Partnership Program. The competitive grants will provide planning, coordination and implementation grants for up to seven years for charter and district public schools to transform into community schools.

Evidence is building to show that through their partnerships with local health and social services agencies and youth programs, the transition to community schools improves attendance, grades, graduation rates and students’ mental and physical well-being.

They also serve as neighborhood hubs providing food and programs for parents, including help applying for social services and filling out job applications.

The pandemic underscored the capacity of community schools to respond quickly to individual, family and community crises. Local partnerships gave community schools the agility, resources and structure to mobilize critical assistance to students and families, especially to meet the immediate need for food and mental health services. Layoffs and school closures strained families that were already teetering financially and emotionally.

Charter authorizers may wish to become familiar with the program in case some of their charter schools are interested in pursuing it. In fact, in keeping with CCAP’s recent webinar encouraging authorizers to communicate with charter schools about newly available funding streams, it may be worthwhile for authorizers to ensure that their charter schools are aware of the program.

Read more about California’s Community School Partnership Program here.