“For most K-12 students across America, December marks the end of the Fall semester. While young people wait with bated breath for the start of the holiday break, the U.S. Senate is considering expanding access to community schools nationwide.
The Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2023, legislation championed by U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, expands upon Ohio’s success with the community schools model.
If passed, this bill would allocate $3.6 billion over five years to expand access to community schools serving low-income families. Beyond that, it would provide federal grants to existing community schools and build a community school infrastructure by establishing state-level teams and channeling more resources to meet the healthcare and early childhood needs faced by school districts nationwide.
As more community schools open in Cincinnati, Ohio; Chicago; Los Angeles; Austin; New York; and Baltimore, Senator Brown’s push for community schools has found supporters in U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).”