The Chula Vista Elementary School District identified its first Community School cohort to start in the 2023-24 school year. Harborside and Palomar Elementary Schools have been selected as the first two schools in the District to become Community Schools.
A Community School is a public school that serves as a community hub and provides services to students, families, and the community. These services may include healthcare, mental health therapy, after-school programs, and adult education classes. Community schools regularly partner with community organizations to provide these services, support students' academic and personal development, and bolster the community.
The resources provided at Harborside and Palomar Elementary Schools will vary depending on the community's needs and wants. Both schools will be guided by the four pillars of community schools, which are:
- Integrated student supports.
- Enrich and expand learning opportunities.
- Active family and community engagement.
- Collaborative leadership and practices.
Harborside and Palomar Elementary Schools were selected through an application process that required 80% of students needing to be unduplicated, meaning low-income, foster youth, or homeless. Schools that applied were also required to have at least 75% stakeholder agreement.
"We are pleased to start implementing the Community School program in preparation for the upcoming school year,” said Superintendent Dr. Eduardo Reyes. "We believe through this new program we will be able to provide a well-rounded education for students and support their families and nearby communities.”
The District is in the process of hiring a Community School coordinator who will assist in implementing the program. Both school sites will also have a site coordinator for the implementation process. The District has already identified two partners, Vision to Learn and Campus Clinic, to provide services for the two schools, with more to be placed in the coming months.
In 2021, AB 130 passed, providing a $3 billion investment to establish new and expand existing Community Schools in California through the California Community Schools Partnership program. In April 2022, the Chula Vista Educators Representative Council passed a resolution to bring the Community Schools model to the District. And in May of 2022, the Chula Vista Elementary School District received a $200,000 planning grant for the program from the California Department of Education.