Community Schools

Welcome!

A community school is a campus that commits to supporting students and families holistically by providing a network of resources and programs that complement student learning. A community school may provide services in the areas of: mental and physical health, crisis intervention, mentorships, food and housing insecurity, dropout prevention, out-of-school time and early childhood programming and more. 

Community schools are grounded in equitable practices and work to align school and community resources with specific campus needs. A collaborative strategic planning process intentionally includes families, community members, students, all campus staff and partner organizations in the collective work required to support the whole child. It takes a village!

The Community School movement has grown across the country and internationally, with more than 5,000 schools following the model. Learn more on the Coalition for Community Schools website. The goal is for more students to be in school every day ready to learn.

Currently, over 15 community schools in Austin ISD use this approach:

  • Navarro and Northeast early college high schools
  • Burnet, Dobie, Martin, Mendez and Webb middle schools
  • Barrington, T.A. Brown, Cook, Hart, Pickle, Walnut Creek, Widén and Wooldridge elementary schools

Download our Community Schools Implementation Guide for more info.

About Community Schools