University of Central Florida and Children’s Home Society of Florida leaders made a commitment to improving student and family success in Florida with support from “community schools” more than eight years ago. Their inspiration came from a visit to public community schools in New York City that helped children in poverty succeed and thrive with support from partners such as the Children’s Aid Society. They knew partnerships would be critical to the development of community schools in Florida, especially those formed with school districts, but their vision also included partnerships with health care providers.

UCF and CHS went on to partner with Orange County Public Schools and True Health to establish the first community school of its kind in 2010. The location was Evans High School in the Pine Hills area of Orlando. Evans’ students soon learned they could go to the community school “Hub,” located in the high school, to gain access to tutoring, mentoring, enrichment activities, snack cabinets, a food pantry, and more – all made available with support from the partners. They also learned that they and their families, teachers, and community members could access medical, dental and behavioral health care services on campus. There were helpful resources for their parents at the Hub’s Parent Resource Center too. The Hub is now an integral part of Evans High School, as is the on-campus health facility, now operated by Orange Blossom Family Health.

All community schools focus on improving well-being and success of students by engaging parents and the community. However, they vary in their approach to organizing resources. UCF and CHS refer to the type of community school developed at Evans as a “Community Partnership School,” a reflection of the importance placed on community partnerships. A Community Partnership School is always supported by a school district, university or college, nonprofit and health care provider. (Other types of partners may participate too.) The Community Partnership Schools™ model is now recognized as a national community school model by the Coalition for Community Schools in Washington.

CHS, UCF and Florida Sen. David Simmons have made a strong case for support of community schools in Florida. As a result, the Florida Legislature appropriated more than $4 million dollars during the past four years for the development of Community Partnership Schools across the state. Currently, eight public schools in Florida have become Community Partnership Schools with state support, including Evans, the new OCPS Academic Center for Excellence in the Parramore community of Orlando, and schools in Pensacola, Jacksonville, Tampa, Holiday and Cocoa. Five others are implementing the Community Partnership Schools™ model with support from their local community, and another four are in the emerging phase, according to Amy Ellis, assistant director of UCF’s Center for Community Schools.

Evans already has evidence of the community school’s positive impact: The high school’s graduation rate has increased from 64 percent in 2011 to 88 percent in 2017. There are also promising results at C.A. Weis Elementary School in Pensacola, which began offering behavioral health services when it became a Community Partnership School in 2015. Since then more than 100 children have been referred to behavioral health care and 81 new cases have been opened, according to Community Partnership School director John Sherman. Student referrals dropped 43 percent and suspensions dropped 50 percent in the first year.

This is indeed good news for UCF, CHS and all of the other partners who help support Community Partnerships Schools in Florida. But most importantly it’s good news for the students and their families.