STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4137 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE February 3, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing full-ser- vice community schools The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3602-g 2 to read as follows: 3 § 3602-g. Establishment of full-service community schools. 1. 4 Purposes. The purposes of this section are as follows: 5 a. To provide state support for the planning, implementation and oper- 6 ation of full-service community schools initiatives. 7 b. To improve the coordination, availability, and effectiveness of 8 services for children and families. 9 c. To provide new opportunities for parents/caregivers to be effective 10 advocates for their children and to strengthen the partnerships between 11 the school, the parent and the community, enabling families to more 12 readily participate in the education of their children. 13 d. To ensure that students come to school ready to learn every day. 14 e. To facilitate the identification and coordination of partners, 15 including but not limited to, local government agencies, community-based 16 organizations, providers of medical, mental health, dental, and 17 enrichment/remediation services, colleges, universities and other commu- 18 nity partners that can be accessed for the purpose of ensuring that 19 students receive the coordinated programs and services in a school 20 setting they require in order to succeed. 21 f. To enable the more efficient use of federal, state, local, and 22 private sector resources that can better serve children and their fami- 23 lies, improve student academic performance and contribute to their phys- 24 ical, social and emotional health. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07710-01-5
S. 4137 2 1 2. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms 2 shall have the following meanings: 3 a. "Eligible school district" shall mean a public school district, 4 which for purposes of this section may include BOCES, that is eligible 5 for aid pursuant to section thirty-six hundred two of this article and 6 that participates in a consortium along with at least one eligible part- 7 ner for purposes of establishing a full-service community schools initi- 8 ative. 9 b. "Eligible partner" shall mean a provider of medical, dental, mental 10 health, and enrichment/remediation services, colleges, universities, 11 community-based organizations, parent organizations, local governments 12 and other entities so designated by the commissioner, and who is or who 13 intends to participate in a consortium with, an eligible school district 14 for purposes of establishing a full-service community schools initi- 15 ative. 16 c. "Eligible consortium" shall mean the partnership established 17 between an eligible school district and one or more eligible partners, 18 for purposes of establishing, operating and sustaining a full-service 19 community schools initiative. 20 d. "Full-service community school" shall mean a public elementary 21 and/or secondary school that: 22 (1) Participates in a community-based consortium to coordinate educa- 23 tional, developmental, family engagement, health, and other comprehen- 24 sive services by coordinating at least three eligible services through 25 community-based organizations and public and private partnerships; and 26 (2) Provides access to such services to students, families, and the 27 community. 28 e. "Eligible services" shall mean any of the following: 29 (1) Primary medical and dental care. 30 (2) Mental health prevention and treatment services. 31 (3) Academic enrichment activities designed to promote students' 32 cognitive development and provide opportunities to practice and apply 33 academic skills. 34 (4) Programs designed to increase attendance, including reducing early 35 chronic absenteeism rates. 36 (5) Youth development programs designed to promote other aspects of 37 young people's development, social, emotional, physical and moral devel- 38 opment, including arts, sports, physical fitness, youth leadership, 39 community service and service-learning opportunities. 40 (6) Early childhood education including programs under the head start 41 act, including early head start programs. 42 (7) Programs designed to facilitate parents' involvement in, and 43 engagement with, their children's education, including parental activ- 44 ities that involve supporting, monitoring and advocating for their chil- 45 dren's education; activities designed to promote parent leadership in 46 the life of the school; and activities designed to build parenting 47 skills. 48 (8) School-age child care services including but not limited to 49 before- and after-school services, and full day programming that oper- 50 ates during school holidays, summers, vacations and weekends. 51 (9) Programs that ease the transition at key points including entering 52 middle school, high school and college and career preparation. 53 (10) Programs that provide assistance to students who have been 54 truant, suspended, or expelled and that offer multiple pathways to high 55 school graduation or GED completion. 56 (11) Job training and career counseling services.
S. 4137 3 1 (12) Nutrition services. 2 (13) Adult education, including instruction in English as a second 3 language. 4 3. Full-service community school grants. Within amounts appropriated 5 therefor, the commissioner is hereby authorized and directed to award 6 grants for the establishment and implementation of full-service communi- 7 ty schools initiatives in New York state that will support the coordi- 8 nation of not less than three eligible services at one or more public 9 schools in eligible districts. In order to apply for funding pursuant to 10 this section, a consortium shall be established and shall include, at a 11 minimum, one eligible school district and one eligible partner. Initial 12 grants may be awarded to form or strengthen consortia of at least one 13 eligible school district and one eligible partner. Once a consortium is 14 established, operational grants may be awarded to a consortium to assist 15 public elementary or secondary schools to function as full-service 16 community schools based on the following conditions: 17 a. Except in cities with a population of one million or more, each 18 eligible consortium shall have a community schools advisory board (here- 19 inafter referred to as "advisory board") appointed by the superintendent 20 in consultation with local elected municipal and county officials, which 21 shall include but not be limited to members of the board of education, 22 teachers employed by the school district as selected by the collective 23 bargaining unit, parents of children who attend such district, community 24 leaders, community-based organizations and other community-based part- 25 ners. Existing entities that meet these criteria can perform the advi- 26 sory board role. Such advisory board shall develop a plan for how such 27 initiative shall be established, implemented and sustained. Such plan 28 shall also set forth the desired set of outcomes for ensuring improved 29 student success. The recommendation by the advisory board as to the 30 implementation of a full-service community schools initiative shall be 31 based on the consideration of at least the following factors: 32 (1) the projected number of students that are currently eligible to 33 participate in the free or reduced price lunch program; 34 (2) the percentage of students in both primary and secondary schools 35 who are not achieving proficiency on the sate wide standardized tests or 36 other indicators determined by the school district; 37 (3) the projected percentage of students who require eligible services 38 as defined in subdivision two of this section in order to improve 39 student outcomes; 40 (4) the identification of those services that are currently available 41 within the school district; and 42 (5) the identification of those services that are needed but not 43 available to assist students and their families in schools. 44 b. The commissioner is hereby authorized to award grants for planning 45 of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars for a one-year period to 46 advisory boards and/or eligible consortia to plan for the implementation 47 of a community schools initiative. Such funding may be used to facili- 48 tate the work of an advisory board pursuant to paragraph a of this 49 subdivision, and/or to support eligible consortia, which are designed to 50 promote and/or establish community schools, promote partnerships between 51 schools, parents, community groups, community-based organizations, busi- 52 nesses, industry, providers of health, dental and mental health, and 53 educational and enrichment services, colleges, universities and other 54 community partners. Grants awarded shall be used for (i) identifying, 55 planning and coordinating a community schools initiative including iden- 56 tifying participating schools to coordinate at least three eligible
S. 4137 4 1 services, and (ii) solidifying and strengthening consortia that are 2 necessary for the development of full-service community schools initi- 3 ative. 4 c. The commissioner is hereby authorized to award one or more grants 5 for technical assistance to qualified providers for the initial and 6 operational grant periods to establish, expand and sustain the full-ser- 7 vice community schools initiatives. All eligible consortia shall be 8 required to receive technical assistance at the initial and operational 9 grant periods to help ensure success. The commissioner shall request 10 bids from qualified providers, and will select one or more providers to 11 develop a set of responsive services that shall include training and 12 consultation designed to facilitate the rapid and effective development 13 of full-service community schools. Technical assistance monies may be 14 obtained only from qualified providers as determined by the commission- 15 er, and may be used for the following activities: 16 (1) To assist such advisory boards and/or consortium in identifying 17 existing resources and assets and students' needs; 18 (2) To assist in developing a plan to address such needs via full-ser- 19 vice community schools and to provide support in the execution of the 20 plan; 21 (3) To advise on creating a finance plan to meet such needs through 22 cost-effective methods including leveraging existing resources and iden- 23 tifying new resources; and 24 (4) To plan for sustainability. 25 d. The commissioner is hereby authorized to award grants to a full- 26 service community school consortium for the operation of a full-service 27 community schools initiative. Grants will be for a period of five years. 28 Priority shall be given to eligible consortia that meet the following: 29 (1) Contain at least one eligible school district and one or more 30 eligible providers; preference shall be given to those consortia that 31 have at least one partner successfully participating in the twenty-first 32 century community learning center program and/or a school-based health 33 clinic or consortia where one or more partners have established 34 relationships with schools and provide one or more eligible services; 35 (2) Serve at least one school eligible for a schoolwide program under 36 section 1114 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 37 U.S.C. 6314); 38 (3) Demonstrate a record of effectiveness in integrating at least 39 three qualified services provided by eligible partners; 40 (4) Demonstrate a plan for ensuring parental engagement; 41 (5) Demonstrate that the funding will be used primarily to coordinate 42 and provide students with critical eligible services as defined in 43 subdivision two of this section; 44 (6) Demonstrate outcomes; 45 (7) Serve more than one full-service community school as part of a 46 community or district-wide strategy; 47 (8) Demonstrate a plan for ensuring sustainability; and 48 (9) Demonstrate the existence of an active advisory board pursuant to 49 paragraph a of this subdivision. 50 e. Each application for a community school initiative pursuant to this 51 section shall be on a form prescribed by the commissioner and shall 52 include, but not be limited to: 53 (1) a detailed plan identifying specific goals, including how the 54 consortium between the district and other eligible entities will result 55 in grater services to students and their families by leveraging 56 resources at the systemic level; how three or more eligible services
S. 4137 5 1 will be coordinated in one or more public elementary and/or secondary 2 schools; and how outcomes will be achieved and quantified; 3 (2) a proposed budget and a description of the proposed use of the 4 grant funds including the mechanism for the distribution of such funds 5 between the school district and eligible providers. The budget shall 6 reflect a core concept of partnership and integrated services and how 7 such consortium shall result in the provision of at least three addi- 8 tional services for students that did not exist prior to the consortium; 9 (3) a list of eligible partners that shall participate in such consor- 10 tium, and what programs and services shall be provided; 11 (4) A memorandum of understanding between the eligible school district 12 and each eligible partner describing the role each entity shall assume; 13 (5) A description of the capacity of the eligible partner to provide 14 and coordinate qualified services at a full-service community school; 15 and 16 (6) A comprehensive plan that includes descriptions of the following: 17 (i) The student, family, and school community to be served, including 18 information about the number of students, families, and community resi- 19 dents to be served and the frequency of services. 20 (ii) Existing qualified services available at each school to be served 21 and in the community involved through a community asset map or other 22 measure as defined by the commissioner. 23 (iii) Qualified services to be provided or coordinated by the eligible 24 partner or partners. 25 (iv) Coordination, management, and oversight of eligible services at 26 each school to be served, including the role of the school principal, 27 the full-service community school coordinator, parents, and members of 28 the community. 29 (v) Funding sources for eligible services at each school to be served; 30 whether such funding is derived from grants under this section or from 31 other federal, state, local, or private sources and a demonstration that 32 such funding shall be used to supplement and not supplant existing fund- 33 ing and services. 34 (vi) Plans for professional development for personnel at all levels, 35 including administrative and program staff and for ongoing stakeholder 36 involvement in the planning and implementation of the full-service 37 community school strategy. 38 (vii) Plans for involving and engaging parents to the greatest extent 39 possible. 40 (viii) Plans for joint utilization and maintenance of school facili- 41 ties by the eligible consortium to ensure adequate space for services. 42 (ix) Identification of principles of effectiveness that are based on: 43 (A) An assessment of objective data that exhibit a responsiveness to 44 documented needs for the establishment of a full-service community 45 schools initiative and full-service community schools; 46 (B) An established set of outcome measures aimed at ensuring the 47 availability of high-quality services and improved student success; and 48 (C) If appropriate, scientifically-based research that provides 49 evidence that the qualified services involved will help students meet 50 state and local standards. 51 (7) The commissioner shall require each recipient of a grant under 52 this section: 53 (i) to conduct periodic evaluations of the progress achieved with 54 funds allocated under the grant, consistent with the purposes of this 55 section;
S. 4137 6 1 (ii) to use such evaluations to refine and improve activities 2 conducted with the grant and the performance measures for such activ- 3 ities; and 4 (iii) to make the results of such evaluations publicly available, 5 including providing public notice of such availability. 6 (8) A strategy for developing a plan for sustainability. 7 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 8 it shall have become a law.