U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited two Boise schools Tuesday, where he announced a $6.5 million annual grant to expand community school programs in Idaho and spoke with parents on mental health.
Idaho is one of 19 states, along with Washington, D.C., that will receive Full-Service Community School Grants from the Biden Administration. The five-year awards will be given to public schools, nonprofits and other organizations that operate community-based school programs.
Community schools provide neighborhood services beyond education, such as family support and health care, often in partnership with nonprofit organizations and other local resources. United Way of Treasure Valley, a nonprofit that helps fund community schools, is receiving the Idaho grant.
Cardona, a Democrat, visited Whitney Elementary School in Boise before announcing the nationwide grants during a roundtable with local education leaders, including the state’s superintendent of public instruction. Idaho State Debbie Critchfield and Boise School District Superintendent Coby Dennis.
“It’s really important that we understand how valuable it is to put resources where the kids are,” Dennis said Tuesday. “I’m also just as excited to see other communities across the state benefit from the opportunity we have here in Boise.”
The grant will “enhance already strong community school programs” in Idaho, Cardona said. “The program they have here is a model program,” he said of Whitney, a community school on Boise Bench. “We chose this program because it is exceptional.”
Panel touts value of community schools
Idaho has 41 community schools in 25 districts, according to the United Way of Treasure Valley, which has made an effort expand community schools in the state. There were four – all in the Boise school district – less than a decade ago.
Tim Jackson, president and CEO of the United Way of Treasure Valley, said his group has adopted a “scalable” model for connecting public schools with groups that can offer resources. These partnerships can provide school families with everything from after-school programs to food pantries to counseling.
“We have a lot of community resources; how can we involve them and support the children in our schools? » said Jackson. “Funds are allocated to help start the work, significant technical assistance and support is provided, and districts are able to put it in place to meet the unique needs of different communities. »
Panelists said Tuesday that the community school model is particularly valuable for rural schools. Marsing School District Superintendent Norm Stewart said his district built a school resource center — called “The Hub” — after the local food bank and senior center closed.
The town of about 1,000 has a high rate of low-income families, Stewart said, and the resource center provides services to families as well as students, with help from local groups.
“In rural settings, it’s really about identifying the true needs of our community,” he said.
Since 2020, President Joe Biden’s administration has increased funding for the U.S. Department of Education’s Full-Service Community Schools program fivefold, from $25 million to $150 million. The new round of grants will fund programs in 102 school districts across the country, according to the federal Department of Education.
Critchfield, the state’s first-term Republican superintendent, said she met with Cardona privately. While Critchfield said she shared her frustrations with unrelated federal regulations, the Biden administration’s visit represented an acknowledgment of Idaho. community school success stories.
“We did it very well, and now we’re asking others to take note,” she said.
Parents concerned about student relationships and teacher stress
Cardona ended his Idaho school tour with a discussion about mental health with parents in the Boise school district.
The district has faced a string of student and teacher deaths recently, some linked to suicide. Earlier this month, Dennis and school board President Dave Wagers urged parents and students has seek mental health resources, such as free counseling.
A dozen Boise parents met with Cardona at Frank Church High, where they discussed school safety, parent-teacher relationships, the effects of smartphones and burnout before college, among other topics .
Some parents said they worry about their children’s relationships after isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Others noted they were concerned about teachers’ stress levels.
“Are the adults who work with my children in good mental spaces? Do they feel valued, do they feel safe, do they feel appreciated? » said a mother. “I want them to be in a good space so they can give their best to my kids.”
Cardona, a former elementary school teacher and principal of children in high school and college, praised extracurricular activities as a method to improve relationships and mental health, and urged parents to advocate for greater access to activities.
He also said the Biden administration was pushing all high schools to offer at least 12 college credits, to motivate students to pursue college, and urging states to improve teacher pay. Cardona noted that Idaho wages lag behind the national average.
“We do certain things to achieve everything we’re talking about,” he said.
