AB 216

This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to create a

community school start-up grant program, under which DPI awards competitive

grants to school boards to plan and implement community schools. The bill defines

a community school as a public school other than a charter school that focuses on

improving student learning, strengthening families, developing healthier

communities, working with community partners to provide additional services to the

surrounding community and providing wrap-around support services to pupils and

their families.

The bill requires that under the community school start-up grant program DPI

must allocate portions of the program funding to establishing community schools in

rural school districts, to establishing community schools in high-poverty school

districts, and to transforming low-performing schools into community schools. The

bill also requires an applicant for a community school start-up grant to demonstrate

that it has secured matching funds for the grant and to identify a school resource

coordinator who will coordinate school programming. An applicant for a community

school start-up grant must also describe the types of programming the school will

provide to improve student learning, strengthen families, and develop a healthier

community. A community school start-up grant is for five years and may be renewed

for additional five-year terms.

Finally, the bill requires a recipient of a community school start-up grant to

provide an annual report to DPI.