News Update

State board approves county assistance network for community schools

The State Board of Education took the next step Wednesday toward establishing a network of community schools by approving $58 million in contracts for eight county offices of education that will support the schools.

The Regional Technical Assistance Centers will work with the Alameda County Office of Education, the lead county office, and the UCLA Center for Community Schooling, the student advocacy group Californians for Justice and the National Education Association to help the community coordinate services and share best practices.

Community schools are campuses that create partnerships with families, teachers, social service nonprofits and government agencies to serve the full health and academic needs of students. The state has appropriated $4 billion to plan, open and sustain community schools for up to seven years. In January, the state board approved $649 million for 268 school districts and county offices for two-year planning grants and five-year implementation grants for the first round of hundreds of community schools. The next round of funding will be in 2023.

“Every school must be a joyful, healthy, instructionally supportive learning environment for children,” said state board President Linda Darling-Hammond. “The board’s action moves California one step closer to achieving schools that enable all students to thrive and succeed.”

County offices in Shasta, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Monterey, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino counties will serve as the regional assistance centers.