The U.S. Department of Education (EDU) recently announced that is opening applications for $73.8 million in grants designed to enhance student well-being through full-service community schools (FSCS).
“Full-service community schools embrace the role that schools play as the trusted center of our communities, and build on that role by offering students and families access to wraparound supports and services, from tutoring and mental health counseling to nutrition assistance, violence prevention, and more,” EDU Sec. Miguel Cardona said in a June 7 EDU news release announcing the grant opportunity.
The FSCS grant competition for Fiscal Year 2023 will award $73.8 million to approximately 45 grants nationwide to support coordination of services such as tutoring; health, mental health and nutrition; out-of-school and early learning programs, and other services that support students and communities, according to the release. Schools play a pivotal role by using local resources and partnering with local non-profits, government agencies and the private sector to provide the services on school premises, the release states.
The 2023 grant competition emphasises "quality implementation" via the four pillars of community schools: integrated student supports; expanded and enriched learning time; active family and community engagement; and collaborative leadership and practices. The EDU will conduct a national evaluation of how well the 2023 FSCS grant recipients worked in their communities, according to the release, for possible use in additional communities.
"Meeting the needs and building on the assets of the whole child is essential to help America’s students grow academically and improve their well-being," EDU states in the release. "That’s why the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to increasing and supporting the adoption of community school models across the country."
EDU reports in the release that funding for the FSCS program has increased fivefold since the start of the Biden administration and has expanded from 170 schools before 2021 to more than 1,700 schools currently. The FSCS aligns with Cardona's Raise the Bar initiative and focuses on evidence-based strategies to advance educational equity and excellence for all students, according to the release.
“I’ve visited community schools across the country and seen firsthand how they break down silos among education, health care, nonprofits, and government agencies to meet the needs of the whole child and lift up entire families and neighborhoods," Cardona said in the release. "The Biden-Harris team believes in the promise and potential of community schools to transform education and spur the kind of intentional collaboration we need to raise the bar for students’ academic excellence and wellbeing.”
