California has embarked on a massive undertaking to convert several thousand schools in low-income neighborhoods into centers of community life and providers of vital services for families as well as students. In 2021, the Legislature appropriated $3 billion for community schools, which will be funded through grants through 2027-28. In addition, school districts are increasingly working with private nonprofits, businesses and other government agencies to provide students with services. Educators have come to use the catch-all phrase “community partnerships” to describe these new relationships, which can include services from student health care to after-school tutoring to athletic teams.
