The Azusa Unified School District announced that the California Department of Education has awarded them a $14,725,000 Community Schools Implementation Grant Award.
“A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the education system, the nonprofit sector, and local government agencies,” the district said in a statement. “AUSD will implement Community Schools programs and services according to the Four Pillars of Community Schools: Integrated Student Supports; Expanded Learning Time and Opportunities; Active Parent/Guardian and Community Engagement; and Collaborative Leadership and Practices.”
Students will receive various services, including mental health, physical health, early screening and intervention healthcare, medical, dental, nutrition, social services, mentoring, homelessness prevention, attendance and dropout prevention.
The district will also use the grant to expand before and after school learning time and opportunities at all school sites. AUSD will continue to provide students with additional expanding learning time by conducting programming for students during Spring, Thanksgiving, and Winter breaks.
AUSD has already established Parent Engagement programming at each school site. Community Liaisons will meet with parents and guardians, make referrals to meet family needs, and organize and coordinate programs and activities to further parent/guardian engagement and leadership.
Parents, students, teachers, principals, and community partners are also planning on building a professional learning culture, collective trust, and shared responsibility. Site-based leadership teams will include school administration, teachers, staff, parents, students, and community partners that have services dedicated to a single school site.
