More Schools Open Their Doors to the Whole Community

Victor Gonzalez, 12, is examined by a dental hygienist at a Grand Rapids, Mich., school this month. Photo: Patrick Record for The Wall Street Journal

By Caroline Porter

WYOMING, Mich.—On a recent weekday here, a steady stream of people dropped by one central location for food stamps, family counseling and job ideas—their local school.

While instruction has ended for the summer, these classrooms remain open as part of a wider trend around the country of “community schools,” where public and private groups bring services closer to students and residents year round and, in some cases, help boost student performance.

With backing at local, state and federal levels, the decades-old idea for improving schools and neighborhoods is gaining ground despite some funding uncertainties and doubts about community schools’ success.

The largest coordinator of such programs, Communities in Schools, saw a 6% increase in its reach in the 2012-13 school year, covering schools with a total of more than 1.3 million students in 26 states.

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Learn More

> Coalition for Community Schools website

> Elev8 Community Schools: Elev8-ing students to succeed in school and life

Coalition for Community Schools is a grantee (via Institute for Educational Leadership) of Atlantic’s Children & Youth programme in the United States, which funds efforts to support and expand community schools.