What are Community Schools?

Community schools provide comprehensive support and resources that are selected to meet their students’ and families’ needs and interests, which are rooted in the understanding and perspectives of the surrounding community. Since the design of the community school reflects the local needs, interests, assets, and priorities of that school, each model may look different.  Community schools identify and fill in the gaps where students need more resources and support to ensure their personal and academic success 

Community schools address the whole child, with a comprehensive focus on academics, social and emotional well-being, and pedagogical and developmental needs to ensure students are ready and able to learn. Schools establish strategic partnerships with other community resources to promote student achievement, positive learning conditions, and the well-being of students by providing wraparound services like academic and language supports, nutrition, and medical, dental, and behavioral health care in addition to traditional classroom education (see page 2). Community schools have documented school-wide positive effects on academic performance, family and community engagement, attendance, absenteeism, and discipline and health issues. 

The Onondaga--Cortland-Madison County BOCES Community Schools Cooperative Service (CoSer) represents a strategy to organize resources and transforms a school into a place where educators, local community members, families, and students work together to strengthen conditions for student learning and healthy development. As partners, they organize in- and out-of-school resources, supports, and opportunities so that young people thrive. The school community, led by a community school coordinator/manager, works to develop a vision and goals for the school, student and family well-being, and student learning.

This work helps to remove obstacles to learning and serve the needs of the whole child so teachers are free to teach and students are ready to learn.