Legislators and stakeholders highlight the benefits of the community school model on our students, teachers, and communities.

MILWAUKEE, WI – Senators Chris Larson and LaTonya Johnson and Representatives Chris Sinicki, David Crowley, and Jonathan Brostoff were joined by stakeholders Angelina Cruz, Wisconsin Coalition for Community Schools and Bianca Williams-Griffin, Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association to announce the Community Schools Act at the Hopkins Lloyd Community School here Thursday.

The community school model ensures access to high-quality, public education that is trans-formative and sustainable, while fostering community-based solutions to local challenges.

The Community Schools Act provides start-up funding for community schools, which offer students and families a variety of critical programs and resources on top of a traditional curriculum. These services include physical and mental health care, after-school care, academic mentoring, and family support. The goal of these programs is to promote student learning, strengthen families, and create healthier communities. The community school model depends on collaboration with partner organizations to achieve these goals.

“Every child in Wisconsin deserves a fair shot and an equal opportunity to receive a quality education,” said Sen. Larson. “That’s why it’s unacceptable that our public schools have faced catastrophic cuts, while taxpayer dollars flow to unaccountable private voucher schools. The Community Schools Act helps reverse this trend and guarantees that our students have the support they need to succeed, both in and out of the classroom.”

Community schools provide benefits to their surrounding communities, both urban and rural, such as year-round health, wellness, social, and emotional services and empowering students to achieve academically by ensuring access to needed resources. The community school model proactively addresses the complex range of factors that lead to underachievement, while strengthening local communities in the process.

The Community Schools Act includes provisions to ensure that both rural and urban school districts in Wisconsin can benefit from the host of opportunities the community school model provides.

The deadline for legislators to sign on as a co-sponsor is Thursday, May 11 and will subsequently be formally introduced.