State Superintendent Thurmond Awards $1.3 Billion in State Board-Approved Community Schools Implementation Grants

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced that the California State Board of Education (SBE) approved $1.3 billion in community schools implementation grants today as proposed by the California Department of Education (CDE).

Today’s approval marks the continued expansion and third cohort of the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), which has become the largest single investment in community schools anywhere in the nation. Today’s cohort builds on successful efforts to accelerate student learning by integrating academics, health and social services, and family and community engagement to improve the achievement and wellness of children by serving the whole child and the whole family.

“Our Community Schools strategy is fundamentally about breaking down barriers in order to unlock the brilliance of every child,” Thurmond said. “Our community schools grantees build strategic partnerships with service providers in their area, which leads to an incredible return on investment for our students and families. And by remaining committed to transformative outcomes for our students, our community schools have become leaders in not only identifying the barriers that hold kids back but also creating innovative solutions that effectively support children to learn and thrive.”

With a total investment of $4.1 billion, the CCSPP is the nation’s largest investment in the community schools model and represents the first comprehensive rethinking of the role of schooling since the end of the Cold War.

Community schools partner with education, county, and other nonprofit entities to provide integrated health, mental health, and social services alongside high-quality, supportive instruction with a strong focus on community, family, and student engagement.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS HIGHLIGHT: Fresno Unified

In Fresno Unified, CCSPP dollars have funded food and clothing pantries, family resource fairs, and Community School Coordinators for each site alongside innovative transportation solutions for students who are late for the school bus. These efforts have resulted in increased average daily attendance, increased family engagement, and elevation of parent and teacher voice.

With today’s vote by the SBE, the CDE is awarding community schools grants that account for more than $1.3 billion in total. The list of awardees is available through the May 8, 2024, SBE Agenda (DOCX). This allocation is in addition to more than $1.3 billion in implementation grants in 2021 and 2022 to 204 local educational agencies and 1,028 school sites. The CDE plans to administer a final round of implementation grants during the 2024–25 school year.

Thurmond sponsored community schools legislation in 2019 and, since the passage of the Community Schools Partnership Act, the CDE has continued to pioneer efforts that support the whole child and transform public education.

Thurmond has championed community schools for almost 20 years, first as a school board member in West Contra Costa Unified, where he authored the resolution that made the entire district a full-service community schools district, and then as a California Assembly Member, where he supported community schools legislation. Now, as State Superintendent, Thurmond leads the largest community schools implementation in the nation.

The CDE and the SBE designed the California Community Schools Framework, which has become a national model for transformational community schools implementation guidance.

SBE President Linda Darling-Hammond stated: “We know children learn best when they are healthy, happy, and in a learning environment where they are surrounded by knowledgeable and caring adults attuned to their needs. Well-resourced community schools have been proven to transform students’ lives and improve the well-being of families, thus uplifting entire communities. I am grateful to Governor Newsom, the Legislature, State Superintendent Thurmond, and my fellow Board members for continuing to prioritize family partnerships, equity, and a ‘whole child’ agenda in public education.”

Governor Newsom stated: “California is transforming education to make schools a place where every family and student can succeed. Today, we are expanding community schools across the state, offering everything from free meals twice a day to mental health counseling to before, after, and summer school programs to thousands more students.”

Community schools are a critical part of Thurmond’s Transforming California Schools Initiative, and he is currently visiting schools that are engaged in learning acceleration and attending to student mental health and the well-being of families. For more information, please see the CDE Community Schools web page.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100