In 2021, state leaders passed the California Community School Partnership Act, establishing the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP). The program aims to address barriers to learning and development exacerbated by poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic. Through trauma-informed and integrated educational, health, and mental health services, community schools are designed to meet the diverse needs of students. By fostering partnerships and expanding learning opportunities, they promote whole-child education, equitable outcomes, academic success, well-being, and positive school climates.
To support this strategy, legislation allocated over $3 billion in funding, later increased by $1.1 billion, for a total of more than $4.1 billion. These funds primarily support grants for establishing or expanding community schools, among other uses. Administered by the California Department of Education (CDE), the program has provided two rounds of planning grants, and three rounds of implementation grants to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), which include school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education. Eligibility requirements focus on LEAs and schools with higher proportions of low-income students (based on Free or Reduced-Price Meal eligibility), foster youth, or English Learners.
what is a community school?
A community school is a public school (serving preschool through 12th grade) that forms strong, intentional partnerships with the community to promote pupil learning and holistic child and family development. It integrates services like trauma-informed health care, mental health, and social support, and emphasizes family and community engagement, collaborative leadership, and extended learning opportunities.
Implementation Grants
This report focuses on key trends for the first three cohorts of schools that have received implementation grants so far. These multi-year grants represent the majority of the CCSPP funding. Between 2021-22 and 2023-24, nearly 500 LEAs were awarded grants, directing funding to more than 2,000 schools. Priority was given to districts with schools where 80% or more of the enrollment consists of “unduplicated students,” which includes English learners, foster youth, or low-income students.
As expected, the chart below shows that, across all three cohorts, most grantee schools serve 80% to 100% of unduplicated students, with 933 schools enrolling 90% to 100% of such students receiving the bulk of funding. This demonstrates an equitable distribution of resources, aligning with the program’s intent to prioritize directing resources to schools with the highest concentrations of underserved students.
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School-level data show that implementation grants are supporting schools with higher proportions of students of color, overlapping with priority groups such as low-income students, English Learners, and foster youth. Latinx, Black, and Indigenous students are overrepresented in grantee schools compared to non-grantee schools, with Latinx students — the largest student population — benefiting the most, as shown in the chart below. For other race and ethnicity categories, enrollment shares are similar or lower at grantee schools. These trends suggest that implementation grants align with the program’s focus on priority student groups, though some populations may benefit less than others.
Overall, these trends demonstrate that the allocation methodology aligns with the program’s intent. However, not all priority schools have received funding. The chart below highlights approximately 2,700 schools with high proportions (80 percent or more) of English Learners, foster youth, and low-income students that have not been funded. 924 of these schools are in LEAs that have received planning grants but would benefit from additional resources to implement their community schools strategy, while 1,767 are in LEAs that did not receive planning grants. Funding just those 924 schools in LEAs that have received planning grants would cost about $1.3 billion, far exceeding the $680 million left for these grants.
CDE is currently accepting applications for the fourth and final round of implementation grants under the program. For this round, CDE should maintain its focus on high-needs schools, as in previous rounds. Initial research from the first cohort indicates that schools have utilized the funding to integrate a range of supports, foster positive school climates, and enrich their curriculum. Additionally, case-studies highlight the potential of community schools to address both school-based and external barriers, including improving attendance. State leaders should consider renewing or expanding this block grant to ensure schools receive sustainable support to meet student needs and create lasting change. Without continued funding, many high-needs schools risk losing critical services and programs established under CCSPP.
