Education Code section 8902
(a)
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1)
The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to exacerbate conditions associated with poverty, including food insecurity, housing and employment instability, and inadequate health care.(2)
Community schools offer unique models to more efficiently and effectively provide trauma-informed integrated educational, health, and mental health services to pupils with a wide range of needs that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.(3)
Additional investment in community schools that provide integrated pupil supports, community partnerships, and expanded learning opportunities will help address the trauma and loss of learning that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide investment in community schools, supported by local networks designed to coordinate services and resources, is critical to realize whole-child education.(b)
For the 2021–22 fiscal year, the sum of two billion eight hundred thirty-six million six hundred sixty thousand dollars ($2,836,660,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department to administer the California Community Schools Partnership Program, established by Section 117 of Chapter 24 of the Statutes of 2020, as amended by Section 63 of Chapter 110 of the Statutes of 2020, in the manner and for the purposes set forth in this section. These funds shall be used in accordance with the California Community Schools Framework, as adopted by the state board. These funds shall not be used for punitive disciplinary practices or the engagement of campus law enforcement. These funds shall be available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2032. The funds shall be distributed as follows:(1)
At least two billion six hundred ninety-four million eight hundred twenty-seven thousand dollars ($2,694,827,000) shall be allocated to establish new, and expand existing, community schools supported by local educational agencies or consortiums that help coordinate services and manage learning networks for these schools.(2)
Up to one hundred forty-one million eight hundred thirty-three thousand dollars ($141,833,000) shall be allocated to contract with local educational agencies to create a network of at least five regional technical assistance centers, pursuant to subdivision (l), to provide support and assistance to local educational agencies, or consortiums, and community schools through the 2029–30 school year or at the time when the new community schools technical assistance structure developed pursuant to Section 8903 is adopted by the state board. The department shall designate one of the five regional technical assistance centers to be the state transformational assistance center for purposes of this chapter. Regional technical assistance center responsibilities shall include all of the following, as determined by the state transformational assistance center:(A)
Outreach and technical assistance to potential applicants as needed before or after awarding a grant under the program under this section and to community schools participating in the California Community Schools Partnership Program established pursuant to Section 8903.(B)
Development of community school resources, sharing of best practices, and data collection and use, consistent with the Community Schools framework.(C)
(i)The state transformational assistance center shall be responsible for the development of optional centralized planning templates to support interagency planning and the leveraging of funding for the community school initiative, including, but not limited to, funding from the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, the California state preschool program, Universal Transitional Kindergarten, universal meal programs, health and mental health supports for pupils and staff, career technical education and college readiness initiatives, the local control funding formula, and any other available local, state, or federal funds that may facilitate and sustain the community school initiative.(ii)
The department shall require the centralized planning templates to be available to local educational agencies on or before January 1, 2028, and to be updated annually for new or amended funding sources.(D)
Facilitation of peer support networks for qualifying entities and county offices of education to support community engagement and the provision of supports within a multi-tiered system of support leading to positive and equitable pupil academic and well-being outcomes, as well as positive school climate outcomes, for both state and local measures identified in the local educational agency’s local control and accountability plan.(E)
Support local educational agencies in blending initiatives and funding consistent with the Community Schools framework, including, but not limited to, Promise Neighborhoods, Dream Resource Centers, Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, and Career and College readiness initiatives.(3)
(A)(i)Up to one hundred forty million dollars ($140,000,000) shall be allocated to county offices of education serving at least two qualifying entities receiving grant funding pursuant to subdivision (g) or (h) to coordinate county-level governmental, nonprofit community-based organizations, and other external partnerships to support community school implementation at grant recipients under this section and Section 8903 in their county. This shall include designating a county-level community schools liaison to coordinate with the department and technical assistance centers in capacity building, resource connection, and continuous improvement activities consistent with supporting grant recipients in their county in implementation of community schools, as specified in subdivisions (g) and (h).(ii)
County office of education grant awards under this paragraph shall also be used to de-silo programs and services that can uplift and support the whole child, with the overall goal of moving towards fully integrating county-level community schools implementation supports and services into the larger statewide system of support by embedding these supports and services within the county’s universal and targeted assistance approach once one-time coordination grants conclude. A county office of education may also use its existing coordination grant funding to implement Section 8903.(B)
County offices of education receiving funds pursuant to this paragraph shall support centralized grant recipient communications with county-level governmental partners and funding sources, which may include, but not be limited to, pupil support and health care service billing and billing practices technical assistance, leading a County Children’s Cabinet, and coordination with Promise Neighborhoods lead organizations and agencies.(C)
County offices of education receiving funds pursuant to this paragraph shall support local educational agency planning and use of pupil and campus data, consistent with the guidance of the System of Support Equity Leads, and the state transformational assistance center, for integrating community school, expanded learning, early childhood education, county behavioral health, educator professional development, and other state-funded initiatives integral to the pillars of a community school approach as described in subdivision (b) of Section 8901, which may be part of the qualifying entity’s local control and accountability plan process pursuant to Section 47606.5, 52060, or 52066, as applicable.(c)
On or before November 15, 2021, the department, with the approval of the state board, shall update as necessary the application process and administration plan for the selection of grant recipients under the program, which may include prioritization for awards. After November 15, 2021, the department shall update the state board on an annual basis regarding the administration of this section and present to the state board any proposed changes to the application process and administration plan.(d)
The department shall award, subject to the approval of the state board, grants on a competitive basis to qualifying entities for planning grants for new community schools, implementation grants for new community schools or for the expansion or continuation of existing community schools, as provided, to representative qualifying entities in northern, central, and southern California, and in urban, suburban, and rural areas.(e)
A qualifying entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the department at a time and in a manner, and with any appropriate information, as the department may reasonably require. Each grant application submitted shall include all of the following:(1)
A description and documentation of how the participating community and cooperating agencies have been and will be engaged in the community school model.(2)
A description of all of the programs and services to be provided at the schoolsite, at a site near or adjacent to the school, or virtually.(3)
A description of all direct and indirect resources to be used for the community school program, and the agencies responsible for the implementation of the program.(4)
Provisions for data collection and recordkeeping, including records of the population served, the components of the service, the outcomes of the service, and costs, including all of the following:(A)
Direct costs.(B)
Indirect costs.(C)
Costs to other agencies.(D)
Cost savings.(f)
The department shall prioritize grant funding to qualifying entities who meet all of the following:(1)
Serve pupils in schools or a partner school or schools in which at least 80 percent of the pupil population are unduplicated pupils.(2)
Demonstrate a need for expanded access to integrated services, including those disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.(3)
Involve pupils, parents, certificated and classified school staff, and cooperating agency personnel in the process of identifying the needs of pupils and families, and in the planning of support services to be offered.(4)
Commit to providing trauma-informed health, mental health, and social services for pupils within a multi-tiered system of support at the schoolsite, or an adjacent location, and partner with other schools, school districts, county agencies, or nongovernmental organizations.(5)
For qualifying entities that serve elementary school pupils, or for schools where there is a demonstrated need for childcare, including, but not limited to, programs for pregnant and parenting teens, commit to providing early care and education services for children from birth to five years of age, inclusive, through one or more local educational agencies or community-based organizations.(6)
Identify a cooperating agency collaboration process, including cosignatories, a mechanism for sharing governance, which may include a plan to use existing or create shared decisionmaking teams that include pupils, families, educators, and community-based organizations, and for integrating or redirecting existing resources and other school support services.(7)
Plan to support a network of site-based community schools at schoolsites that have the capacity to ensure that services, professional development, and engagement can occur on schoolsite, or at an adjacent location, with the support of community-based organizations and other relevant providers, for all relevant stakeholders.(8)
Identify a plan to sustain community school services after grant expiration, including by maximizing reimbursement for services from available sources, including, but not limited to, the Local Educational Agency Medi-Cal Billing Option Program, School-Based Medi-Cal Administrative Activities program, and reimbursable mental health specialty care services provided under the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment program (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396d(a)(4)(B)).(g)
(1)Of the amount identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), including all other funds appropriated for this program in the Budget Act of 2021, at least 10 percent shall be available for planning grants of up to two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) per qualifying entity, and shall be allocated in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscal years, for up to a two-year planning grant period, for local educational agencies with no existing community schools. The planning grant may be used for any of the following purposes:(A)
Staffing costs for a community school coordinator.(B)
Conducting a comprehensive school and community needs and asset assessment, including, but not limited to, pupil and community demographics, school climate, integrated support services, expanded learning time, educator, family, pupil, and community engagement, new or existing partnerships with governmental entities or community-based organizations, and available funding sources.(C)
Grant application support, service billing development, and other administrative costs necessary to launch a community school model at scale.(D)
Partnership development and coordination support between the grantee and cooperating agencies.(E)
Providing training and support to local educational agency and cooperating agency personnel to develop best practices for integrating instruction and pupil supports.(F)
Preparing a community school implementation plan for submission to the governing board or body of the local educational agency and to the department.(2)
Any remaining planning grant funding available at the conclusion of the planning grant period shall be made available for implementation grants.(h)
(1)Of the amount identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), including all other funds appropriated for this program in the Budget Act of 2021, up to 72 percent shall be available for implementation grants to qualified entities. Implementation grants shall be at least one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) annually per schoolsite for new community schools or for the expansion or continuation of existing community schools that agree to align with the provisions of this section. New and existing community schools shall be funded for five years, upon submission to the department of a community school plan and evidence of ongoing progress as part of the annual formative evaluations specified in subdivision (n). The implementation grant may be used for any of the following purposes:(A)
Staffing, including, but not limited to, a community school coordinator, and contractor capacity.(B)
Coordinating and providing support services to pupils and families at or near community schools, including through childcare, expanded learning time before and after school, and during school intersessions.(C)
Providing training and support to local educational agency personnel and partner agency personnel on integrating school-based pupil supports, social-emotional well-being, trauma-informed practices, and establishing sustainable community school funding sources.(D)
Designing and executing educator, family, pupil, and community engagement strategies.(E)
Ongoing data collection and program evaluations, including at least one measure of growth in individual pupil well-being as measured through pupil surveys or the compilation of screening tool results.(F)
Implementing the sustainability plan described in paragraph (8) of subdivision (f) and updating the plan as necessary.(G)
Securing various long-term funding streams and commitments from partners that will continue to provide financial assistance or other means of support.(H)
Building capacity around sustainability and other efforts to support ongoing community school programming.(I)
Conducting a comprehensive school and community needs and asset assessment to support a continuous improvement process.(2)
The department shall prioritize new community schools for implementation grants under paragraph (1) and those moneys shall supplement, not supplant, existing services and funds. For purposes of this section, continuing a position or services with these funds shall not be considered supplanting if the position or services were funded by a source that has legally expired.(3)
A local educational agency grantee may retain up to the lesser of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) or 10 percent of the total funds awarded pursuant to this subdivision for its sites each year. These funds shall be used to administer implementation grants locally, manage professional learning and networking, and coordinate services and funding streams for community schools under the local educational agency grantee. Funds retained by the local educational agency grantee to provide direct services to pupils may be retained separately from this administrative set-aside.(4)
The funding under paragraph (3) shall supplement, and not supplant, existing services and funds, and shall be used for ongoing coordination of services, management of the community school, and ongoing data collection and program evaluations.(5)
Implementation grant funds may carry over from year to year and are restricted to permitted uses of the funds.(6)
Qualifying entities that receive implementation grants shall annually report and publicly present their community school plans, including data and outcomes from the prior year, at the schoolsite and at a meeting of the governing board of the school district, county board of education, or the governing body of the charter school. Implementation grant recipients shall publicly post their community school grant application and community schools plan on the local educational agency’s internet website.(7)
The department may allocate any funds returned pursuant to this subdivision for the purposes provided in subdivision (k).(i)
It is the intent of the Legislature that qualifying entities that serve high school pupils with significant populations of undocumented pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, implement a Dream Resource Center as part of their community school model.(j)
(1)All planning and implementation grants awarded under subdivisions (g) and (h) shall be matched by the qualifying entity or its cooperating agencies with a local match equal to one-third of the grant amount. The local match shall be contributed in cash or as services or resources of comparable value, as determined by the department.(2)
The department shall reserve adequate funding pursuant to this section to preserve capacity for qualifying entities receiving planning grants pursuant to subdivision (g) to receive implementation grants pursuant to subdivision (h) at the end of their planning grant period, if all planning grant requirements are met and planning grantee applicants meet implementation grant eligibility requirements pursuant to this section.(3)
Beginning July 1, 2024, the department shall prioritize awarding implementation grants to planning grantees. Notwithstanding paragraph (2), to the extent that sufficient funding is not available to fund implementation grants for all planning grantee applicants, the department shall use the priorities described in subdivision (f) to determine which planning grantee schools receive implementation grants.(k)
Of the amount identified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), at least eighty-four million dollars ($84,000,000) shall be available for reappropriation in the 2026–27 fiscal year and to support all of the following:(1)
Up to twenty-eight million dollars ($28,000,000), subject to the approval of the state board, for the state transformational assistance center to support the long-term planning of the California Community Schools Apportionments Program, including the development of the reporting, accountability, and certification requirements and processes. Funds shall be used for all of the following purposes:(A)
Up to three million dollars ($3,000,000), available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2028, to conduct or commission a set of analyses to inform the long-term technical assistance, reporting, accountability, and certification process for community schools. The state transformational assistance center may conduct these analyses or select one or more institutions of higher education to conduct the analyses no later than January 1, 2028. If an institution or institutions of higher education is selected to conduct these analyses, the institution or institutions may work with a research-based nonprofit organization. Indirect costs applied to contracts with entities conducting the analyses shall not exceed 10 percent of the contract amount. The analyses shall do all of the following:(i)
Summarize research on the features associated with community schools’ progress and success, including community schools that have been previously established.(ii)
Identify key components of community schools to be tracked yearly in the annual progress report and through the certification process and explore mechanisms by which these components may be assessed at scale.(iv)
Identify options to streamline and focus reporting requirements, given other reporting required of schools and local educational agencies. The analyses and recommendations may include changes to other educational planning and reporting mechanisms, including, but not limited to, the local control and accountability plan, the School Plan for Student Achievement, and reporting requirements of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, if they can be used to support community schools reporting.(v)
Recommend long-term plan and guidance for the technical assistance structure for community schools in the ongoing funding context, including what an effective, long-term technical assistance structure that is embedded within the larger statewide system of support would look like, and identify potential costs.(vi)
On or before June 30, 2028, produce recommendations for state board consideration and adoption of the analyses.(B)
(i)Up to ten million dollars ($10,000,000), available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2031, to develop and implement the schoolsite certification process pursuant to the state board of education-adopted recommendations for accountability.(ii)
The state transformational assistance center, subject to the approval of the state board, may select an entity with demonstrated expertise on the community school model and school accountability, to assist with the development and implementation of the certification process.(iv)
The state transformational assistance center shall engage with education interestholders to solicit their input on a certification process.(C)
(i)Fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000), available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2031, added to the amount specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) to increase the existing amount for the state transformational assistance center to at least five million dollars ($5,000,000) on an annual basis. Funds shall be used to support the statewide expansion of community school sites, evaluate the technical assistance structure, and integrate the community schools model and supports into the statewide system of support by the time certification begins.(ii)
The Legislature and Governor intend to work together to augment the appropriation specified in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 8903, as needed, to support future costs for the state technical assistance structure after June 30, 2031. Any additional funding to support the technical assistance structure shall be subject to an appropriation by the Legislature.(2)
(A)Fifty million dollars ($50,000,000), available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2029, for allocation to the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to provide grants to develop, identify, and implement models of secondary school redesign pursuant to the Secondary School Redesign Pilot Program established by Section 84 of Chapter 8 of the Statutes of 2025.(B)
Grants provided pursuant to this paragraph shall ensure that models of secondary school redesign include before school, after school, summer, or intersession learning opportunities outside of the instructional day for pupils to the extent feasible and are consistent with the Community Schools framework.(C)
Priority for funding shall be given to grantees serving secondary community schools, as defined in Section 8901, that are committed to the Community Schools framework, and that demonstrate strong relationships between pupils, families, staff and community, that center pupil well-being.(D)
The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence may retain up to three million five hundred thousand dollars ($3,500,000) of the funds described in subparagraph (A) for costs associated with the administration of the model and evaluation of the pilot program. Up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the amount appropriated under subparagraph (A) shall be made available to reimburse the Marin County Office of Education, the administrative agent of the collaborative, for costs associated with the administration of the pilot program.(E)
The collaborative, on or before January 1, 2029, shall provide recommendations to the state board for improvements to the framework, developed pursuant to Section 8901.5, consistent with high performing secondary community school models funded and supported under this paragraph.(3)
For the 2026–27 fiscal year of the amount appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 8903, six million dollars ($6,000,000), is available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2029, for allocation to the San Bernardino County Office of Education, in partnership with the Sacramento County Office of Education, under the leadership of the state transformational assistance center, to contract with the San Bernardino Superintendent of Schools to support the continued implementation of Transforming Together, an initiative supported by the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and California Community Schools Partnership Program that aims to strengthen collaboration between county offices of education and community partners to better meet the behavioral health needs of pupils and families.(l)
Of the amount identified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), the department shall contract, subject to the approval of the state board, on a competitive basis with at least five local educational agencies to serve as regional technical assistance centers to provide technical assistance to local educational agencies seeking to establish, expand, or improve community schools. Preference shall be given to local educational agencies that commit to partnering with institutions of higher education or nonprofit community-based organizations. Technical assistance shall, to the extent practicable, be provided in consultation and collaboration with the statewide system of support established pursuant to Section 52059.5, and be made available to share best practices and assist both prospective applicants and grant recipients with tasks, including, but not limited to, all of the following:(1)
Conducting a comprehensive school and community needs and asset assessment.(2)
Improving authentic family and community engagement in the languages spoken in the community.(3)
Creating community partnerships, including, but not limited to, Promise Neighborhoods Initiatives.(4)
Developing sustainable funding sources.(5)
Coordinating services across child-serving agencies and schools.(6)
Accessing and combining funding for services from multiple revenue sources.(m)
Grant recipients and technical assistance centers shall commit to providing program and expenditure data to the department, as specified by the department, and participating in overall program evaluation.(n)
(1)The impact of the grant program in achieving the goals described in this section, including an evaluation of the effectiveness of the opportunities provided, shall be included as part of an annual formative evaluation of the program.(2)
The department shall use a competitive grant process to contract with an entity to develop and administer annual formative evaluations. The evaluations shall include all of the following:(A)
Outcome data, as specified by the department and the state board, including measures of pupil well-being and engagement, including, but not limited to, pupil attendance and school climate.(B)
An analysis of the nature and kind of services provided and changes made within the schools, areas of progress, and challenges to be addressed to meet the goals of the California Community Schools Partnership Program, including, but not limited to, effective integration of instructional and pupil support services, and support for authentic pupil, educator, and family engagement.(C)
Evidence of best practices and successful strategies for integrating multiple funding sources to meet a local educational agency’s school improvement goals identified in their local control and accountability plan.(3)
(A)The department shall provide a formative evaluation to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2023, and annually thereafter, ending with a final comprehensive report on or before December 31, 2031.(B)
The annual formative evaluations shall be made publicly available on the department’s internet website.(C)
The annual formative evaluations shall be separate from the comprehensive report that is required to be submitted on December 31, 2025, to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, pursuant to Section 117 of Chapter 110 of the Statutes of 2020.(D)
The final comprehensive report shall be provided to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature and the state board on the impact of the grant program in achieving the goals described in this section, including an evaluation of the effectiveness of the opportunities provided. The state board shall consider recommendations in this evaluation for revisions to the Community Schools framework, as applicable.(o)
In addition to the amount specified in subdivision (b), the sum of one billion one hundred thirty-two million five hundred fifty-four thousand dollars ($1,132,554,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund in the 2022–23 fiscal year to the department for allocation beginning in the 2023–24 fiscal year for implementation grants consistent with the purposes and requirements of subdivision (b) and the activities specified in subdivision (k).(p)
(1)For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (b) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2020–21 fiscal year, and included within the “total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIIIB,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 2020–21 fiscal year.(2)
For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (o) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2022–23 fiscal year, and included within the “total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIIIB,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 2022–23 fiscal year.
Source:
Section 8902, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EDC§ionNum=8902. (updated Jul. 9, 2026; accessed Jul. 20, 2026).
