Virginia Community Schools support students through a comprehensive set of interconnected branches designed to address the full range of student needs. Community Schools work with the local community to provide academic and non-academic tiered supports that align to the four branches of student support: mental and behavioral health, basic needs, family and community engagement, and student engagement and motivation. These supports are delivered through a combination of school-based staff, embedded community partners, and external partnerships, depending on the needs of each school community.
The profiles included in this impact report capture the 2025–26 school year and reflect each division’s stage in the Community Schools journey. Cohort 1 divisions, engaged since 2022, feature comprehensive narratives and visual examples that highlight sustained implementation and growth over time. Their efforts are presented under the branch of student support that best captures the strengths of their work. Cohort 2 divisions began this work more recently and offer snapshots of early efforts and promising practices as systems and partnerships take shape. Collectively, these pages demonstrate the evolving and continuous nature of Virginia Community Schools implementation.
Table of Contents
Emotional & Mental Health
Family & Community Engagement
Student Motivation & Engagement
Basic Needs
Cohort 2
Emotional & Mental Health
Many students experience challenges that impact their emotional well-being and readiness to learn. Community Schools provide mental and behavioral health supports through school-based staff and embedded providers, alongside partnerships with community organizations. Supports may include individual counseling, small group interventions, and schoolwide efforts to build awareness and strengthen staff capacity. Together, these approaches create a supportive environment that fosters trust, connection, and student well-being.
Carroll County brought twenty years of experience partnering with its local community to the Community Schools work. Through the Community Schools grant, the division formalized that work, adding a dedicated coordinator hired from the local community and expanding existing partnerships.
A community advisory board with parent voice guides the work across eight schools, which centers on expanding mental health interventions and reducing disciplinary referrals. Additionally, the Schools and Pools program with Carroll Wellness Center has been bringing water safety education to students since 2004. The division is already building beyond the grant period, applying for additional 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding to sustain programming across the division.
By the Numbers
Division-wide Mental Health and Behavior Goals
Coordinator's Note
Carroll County exemplifies VCSI Stage 2.1: Organize a Community School Team. Carroll County has designated a coordinator to oversee its Community Schools’ action plans and activities.
Voices From the Community
Our Community Schools initiative has strengthened partnerships between schools, families, and local organizations, resulting in improved student attendance and engagement. We have increased the resources and targeted interventions provided to students, staff and the community. Through family events, resource connections, and expanded enrichment opportunities, we’ve seen increased parent participation and stronger home–school relationships.
- Emily Underwood,
Community Schools Coordinator
Students are gaining hands-on automotive learning by completing manageable repairs and maintenance on the vehicles used for a new Non-Emergency Medical Transportation program, run in partnership with Tri-Area Community Health. The program transports uninsured and Medicaid-enrolled patients to medical and behavioral health appointments at the Cana and Laurel Fork clinics.
The Cohort After-school and Vocational Services (CAVS) Program at Carroll County Middle, funded through 21st Century Community Learning Centers, runs experiential learning and family events throughout the year. The Farm to Family event brought students and families together with Virginia Department of Agriculture staff to make veggie pizzas from locally grown food and learn about available nutrition programs including Farm Market Fresh. CAVS also runs academic field trips, including a surface collection and gem panning trip to Emerald Hollow Mine for earth science instruction.
The annual Back to School Bash welcomed students and families with more than 60 community vendors in a single gathering. The event serves as a district-wide celebration of the start of school, connecting families to service providers, local businesses, and health organizations before the first day of classes.
Agriculture Days connected students with local farmers and agricultural professionals through County AG Day, where second, third, and fifth graders attended stations on farming, livestock, forestry, and farm equipment. The same newsletter features the division’s Care Closets initiative, which allows students to access school supplies and clothing discreetly at each school. Community partners supporting the Care Closets include The River House, Meadows of Dan Maxcess Women’s Network, and Rotometrics.
Community Partners
- Mount Rogers Community Services Board
- Tri Area Community Health
- Carroll Wellness Center
- Carroll County Library
- EO
- Town of Hillsville
- Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- The River House and Home Company
- Meadows of Dan Maxcess Women's Network
- Rotometrics
- Carroll County High School JROTC
- Carroll County Fire and Rescue
In Dickenson County, the challenge that shapes every part of the Community Schools work is distance to mental health providers and community services, and the division’s three Ridgeview schools operate as a unified system to close it. The Health Wagon mobile clinic brings preventive healthcare directly to school sites. Social-emotional learning programming starts in kindergarten with Sesame Street in Communities for grades K through 2, continues with Second Step through grade 6, and extends to Brighter Paths substance use prevention at the high school. Students identified for more targeted programming achieved 100 percent goal progress in the first quarter.
Access to career experiences follows the same principle. At the high school, 18 eleventh graders attended EO Career Commons for mock interviews and resume writing, preparing them for opportunities beyond the county. Afterschool programming across all three buildings serves as the gateway to sustained support, from SEL to case management to basic needs. Ridgeview Elementary is pursuing van transportation so that all students, regardless of their distance from school, can access it and benefit from it.
The Back to School Bash brought healthcare, school supplies, clothing, shoes, and food boxes onto one campus, reaching more than 800 families across the division. The Health Wagon, a mobile clinic serving rural Appalachian communities, staffed a table where families could connect to preventive care at the school site rather than driving to the nearest provider. Southwest Virginia Legal Aid and the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Department were on site alongside six other community partners, all of whom serve all three Ridgeview schools in a shared funding model.
Coordinator's Note
Dickenson County exemplifies VCSI Stage 3.1: Align to the Four Branches of Support. With strong support from community partners, the school division works to meet students’ basic and emotional needs.
Community Partners
- Communities in Schools of Appalachian Highlands (CIS-AH)
- EO
- Dickenson County Sheriff's Department
- Dickenson County Department of Social Services
- Dickenson County Behavioral Health
- The Health Wagon
- Cooperative Extension Office
- William King Arts Center
Both of Norton City’s schools — Norton Elementary and J.I. Burton High School — reached 100 percent progress on their social-emotional learning goals in the first quarter, the result of a Community Schools investment in calming spaces, expanded counseling, and access to community-based mental health providers at both buildings. Seventy-nine students receive targeted support, 47 of them through intensive case management.
At J.I. Burton High, the Brighter Paths program brings substance use awareness and healthy decision-making programming into the school. At Norton Elementary, an in-school clinic serves students individually while a schoolwide social-emotional learning curriculum reaches every classroom. The Raiders After-School Program extends that reach, serving approximately 100 students every day with academic tutoring, STEM activities, social-emotional learning, and arts enrichment at no cost to families.
Norton Elementary and Middle School
At a Norton Elementary and Middle School community event, families connected with each other over dinner provided by the school. In the after-school program, students have access to enrichment time, like working with perler beads and geometric straw art. An evening visit from the Norton Fire Department brought one of the school’s community partners onto school grounds.
Coordinator's Note
Norton City exemplifies VCSI 3.1: Align to the Four Branches of Support. Norton City brings families and the community into the schools in authentic and meaningful ways, turning their schools into a neighborhood hub of support.
J.I. Burton High School
J.I. Burton has established eight formal partnerships with local organizations that provide resources to help meet students’ basic needs and collaborate with the school at community events. One event, a nighttime bonfire, brought approximately 20 students together for community building outside of the classroom.
Voices From the Community
The Community Schools model has deepened partnerships across the community.
- EO Partner
Community Partners
- EO
- CIS of Appalachian Highlands
- Wise County Sheriff's Office
- Norton Police Department
- Ballad Health
- Mountain Empire Community College
- University of Virginia's College at Wise
- William King Art Museum
- Frontier Health
- Pine Mountain Music
- Wise County Library
- Norton Department of Social Services
Family & Community Engagement
Community Schools create meaningful partnerships that bring families and community members into the life of the school. Through regular communication, events, and opportunities for collaboration, schools build trust and strengthen relationships with those they serve. By fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment, community schools position themselves as neighborhood hubs of support. Strong partnerships with families and community stakeholders help address barriers to learning and contribute to more responsive and effective school systems.
Henrico County focused its community schools work at Tucker High School and Quioccasin Middle School, where improving attendance requires a different approach. Both schools serve immigrant and refugee families who are challenged to navigate a new school system in a language that isn’t their first. To support them, the division elevated two family advocates into Community School Resource Coordinator positions and partnered with refugee resettlement agencies, cultural navigators, and translation services so they could connect with families in their own language.
At the middle school, an International Family Advisory Committee meets in Portuguese, and the Afghan Community Picnic connects families to the school through cultural celebration. At the high school, students designed Tiger Cart, their own attendance initiative with student-authored branding and an implementation plan. Henrico’s approach is showing results. On-time attendance has increased at both schools, with the strongest gains among the students the program was designed to reach.
Bus stop pop-ups run by both schools brought school staff into neighborhoods this fall where they could greet students before the bus arrived. Staff showed up each day, rain or shine.
John Randolph Tucker High School
Tucker’s family and community engagement team partnered with the YMCA at their English Learner Resource Fair. The fair connected immigrant and refugee families to services, and the staff who manage resource coordination and translation services were available in person to walk families through the types of support the division can offer.
Tucker High’s School Attendance Team shared information at a faith-based leaders luncheon, displaying school materials alongside their community partners. The event connected the school’s attendance work to the faith community. Three faith-community partners serve Tucker High: St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Faith Landmarks Ministries, and Speaking Spirit Church.
Tiger Cart is a student-designed attendance initiative at Tucker High School. Victoria and Mya, two Tucker students, identified absenteeism as a problem at their school and established the objective of “improving our numbers through healthy rivalry with our peers”. The cart offers snacks, fidget toys, and other incentives that students can purchase with points earned through collective class attendance.
Quioccasin Middle School
The Afghan Community Picnic at Quioccasin Middle brought families together for an outdoor cultural celebration, with children in traditional dress, soccer on the grass, and the Afghan flag displayed alongside shared food. The event is part of the school’s Afghan Family Navigator work, connecting families to the school and to each other through cultural celebration.
The International Family Advisory Committee at Quioccasin Middle meets in Portuguese, and the school’s translation work extends across every communication so that language is never the barrier between a family and their child’s school.
Coordinator's Note
Henrico County Public Schools’ Community Schools exemplify VCSI 5.1: Honor the Ideals and Values of the Community School. The Community Schools host events that bring families and the community into the school, such as advisory meetings and cultural celebrations. These events provide opportunities to celebrate shared values and foster connections.
Community Partners
- Acclaim at Carriage Hill Apartments
- CAPAZ-IT
- Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) / Resettlement Program
- Faith Landmarks Ministries
- Feed More
- International Rescue Committee (IRC)
- Speaking Spirit Church
- St. Andrew's United Methodist Church
- Virginia Department of Health
- Volatia Language Services
- YMCA
Page County’s chronic absenteeism rates told a consistent story across the division’s eight schools. One in five students were chronically absent, and the division recognized the need for a coordinated approach. All eight schools share one framework, one community partner, and one goal. Rather than hiring new staff, the division pays stipends to existing teachers to serve as coordinators at each building, putting the work in the hands of people who already know the students and families.
Seven of the eight schools operate clothing closets, food pantries, laundry rooms, and school supply programs to make sure students arrive not just present, but ready to learn. Through a series of events, the division engaged thousands of attendees, from community read-alouds at the elementary level to a college campus visit for middle schoolers. The programming spans the full K–12 range, demonstrating how a single goal can drive division-wide commitment.
Elementary Schools
At Shenandoah Elementary, a community read-aloud on the front porch captures what family engagement looks like when it’s unhurried — children gathered on a porch swing, listening intently while an adult reads aloud under string lights. Stanley Elementary filled every seat in the cafeteria for Title I family engagement night. At Springfield, students performed to a full auditorium. Luray Elementary’s Trunk-or-Treat drew a long line of families at dusk against the Shenandoah mountain backdrop — in a rural community where students can’t always go door to door, the school parking lot becomes the neighborhood.
Secondary Schools
Page County’s middle schoolers visited James Madison University for a campus tour — early college exposure that builds aspiration and gives students a reason to stay engaged now. At Luray Middle, staff led the way during the annual Trunk-or-Treat, showing up in coordinated costumes to model the participation they ask of families.
Coordinator's Note
Page County exemplifies VCSI Stage 2.2: Develop and Action Plan. The division is focused on measurable goals that support the shared vision.
Petersburg’s Community Builders program at Vernon Johns Middle School created the Family Engagement University (FEU) to remove the barriers that keep families from participating in school events. Each session provides childcare, food, and transportation so that families can attend as learners themselves, gaining knowledge and tools to support their children while connecting with each other and community resources. Branded as “A Different World,” a name that carries cultural weight in an HBCU-adjacent city, FEU is the division’s primary vehicle for connecting families to the school community, organized around Superintendent Brown’s 4 E’s framework: Enrolled, Enlisted, Employed, and Entrepreneur. The annual 4 E’s Expo drew nearly 400 attendees in a single evening.
The Builders Hub 8th Grade Edition extends the same 4 E’s framework to students. Thirty-three Vernon Johns eighth graders participated in an after-school program and a four-day summer experience organized around career pathways. Beyond the sessions, FEU’s reach extends to community events and neighborhood outreach, including hygiene kit distribution where staff meet families where they live.
Coordinator's Note
Petersburg City’s Community Builders program exemplifies VCSI 3.1: Align to the Four Branches of Student Support. Petersburg City created a program for their 8th graders that increased engagement, boosted motivation, and expanded learning.
The Expo brought college representatives, career programs, and community organizations together at Petersburg High School for one evening. Brightpoint Community College offered guaranteed admissions agreements at one table while Chester Career College engaged students in career conversations at the next. A parent brought a young child along to the Brightpoint booth, the child reaching for a prize wheel while the representative talked across the table. Beyond the Expo, a packed Family Engagement University session offers the opportunity for families to connect with each other and community resources.
Voices From the Community
As a parent of a child in Petersburg Public Schools, I feel The Family Engagement University is one of the current strengths of PCPS. I feel that parent engagement is essential for the overall success of our kids and the school. It is a great opportunity to stay engaged with what is going on at PCPS and as parents how we can help the division reach their goals. My child loves to attend because of all the fun activities & door prizes. As a parent I love the opportunity it gives me to network with other parents. I believe FEU gives me the tools and knowledge to support the whole family whether it’s money management, self-care, understanding SOL’s, improving my child’s study habits and so much more. They provide childcare, food, transportation and a lot of knowledge on various topics at each session. There are always vendors there to provide information about community events and resources available that we may not know about. I encourage all parents and guardians to attend FEU and be part of the solution to support PCPS.
- Lakesha Tinsley
6th Grade Parent
Between FEU sessions, staff take the program out to families directly. A distribution table is set up beside a PCPS school bus marked “The Wave,” and at an outdoor site in a residential area, staff hand out hygiene kits under a red tent.
The Builders Hub 8th Grade Edition was presented to the Petersburg City Public Schools Board in May 2025, documenting how the program structured four days of career exploration across the 4 E’s pillars for Vernon Johns eighth graders.
The Builders Hub summer experience organized four days around the 4 E’s pillars. On the Enrolled day, eighth graders gathered around Omni, a humanoid robot, at Richard Bland College for hands-on time with STEM and AI. The Enlisted day brought them onto a military installation, where they climbed inside a Humvee and explored it firsthand. On the Employed days, students practiced CPR on training mannequins under instructor supervision and walked through an EMS demonstration with a paramedic at a medical facility.
The Builders Hub 8th Grade Edition summer experience was captured on video, showing eighth graders from Vernon Johns Middle School across four days of career exploration at college campuses, military installations, and workforce training sites.
Community Partners
- Hilaal Temple #229
- The B.R.A.V.E Project
- Katies Soles
- 2 End the Stigma
- United Healthcare
- CVHS
- Collegiate Connections
- JJD Heart Association
- Pretty Purposed
- Foundation for Family and Community Healing
Builders Hub Partner Sites
- Richard Bland College
- Brightpoint Community College
- Haus of Market
- Military installations
Roanoke City’s Community Builders program identified a need to move critical data points at the city’s five middle schools. The program is working toward a reduction in chronic absenteeism, suspension days, and report card failures, alongside a reduction in juvenile gun violence incidents across the city. The division hired dedicated staff at each school and built year-round programming designed to reach beyond the school building through partnerships with community organizations — career conferences at local universities, cultural celebrations with local partners, and civic events where students present alongside city leadership.
The program’s reach is already visible, from the 21 community partnerships established across the city to former participants returning as high school mentors. City leadership has taken notice. The mayor and school board members have spent evenings in the schools, but rather than their typical guest capacity, they spent an evening at Lucy Addison Middle sitting across from students over a game of Jenga.
Voices From the Community
Innovations such as mentoring networks, family engagement events, and partnerships with local agencies have expanded access to mental health, career exploration, and enrichment opportunities. Early outcome data reflect reduced absenteeism, fewer suspensions, improved academic performance, and a marked decline in juvenile-involved gun violence, underscoring the program’s growing impact on student well-being and community safety.
- Joshua Johnson
Youth Development and Intervention Coordinator
WDBJ7 News Segment
WDBJ7 covered the Community Builders program in a March 2025 segment, reporting on how the program is building pathways for Roanoke City eighth graders. The segment includes student voices from Starr Walker and Andrew Hairston on college visits, career exploration, and hands-on trade experiences at DAYTEC, and staff perspectives from Morgan Hill and D’Sean Adams on the program’s daily work with students.
Roanoke Times Article
The Roanoke Times profiled the Community Builders program in January 2025, reporting on its outcomes in reducing absenteeism and academic failures across the city’s five middle schools. The article is one of two print features the program has received alongside its local television coverage.
Coordinator's Note
Roanoke City exemplifies VCSI 5.2: Acknowledge Progress and Efforts. The program prioritizes public recognition that acknowledges the efforts of Community Builders, fostering a sense of pride and community.
Woodrow Wilson Middle School
For Hispanic Heritage Month, a Salsa Noke guest speaker shared Latin culture and taught traditional dances with students. At Hollins University, the “Ignite Your Purpose” Conference brought young women into college classrooms for workshops on health, careers, and art.
Voices From the Community
I think after today I want to go to college now.
- Woodrow Wilson Student
Community Partners
- Salsa Noke
- Pueblo Chico
- Hollins University
- Roanoke College
- Oliver W. Hill Justice Center's Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
- Humble Hustle
- YMCA
- TAP
- Motivate the Game
James Madison Middle School
The Fuel Your Future Conference took students to Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine for a boys’ empowerment day covering science, health, entrepreneurship, and team-building.
James Madison’s Community Builders programming covered career exploration, creative work, and physical activity in a single semester. Students built and decorated birdhouses and Star City Cycling ran the bike rodeo on the school parking lot, teaching bike safety and riding skills.
Community Partners
- Oliver W. Hill Justice Center's Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
- Humble Hustle
- Virginia Western Community College
- Star City Cycling
John Fishwick Middle School
Latinas Network, an organization that empowers Roanoke-area entrepreneurs and businesses, visited John Fishwick for a classroom session. Approximately 20 students sat together with “Welcome to Community” displayed on the smartboard behind them.
Voices From the Community
The reason I keep coming back because Ms. McIntyre wants me to.
- John Fishwick Student
Community Partners
- A Tree Planted
- Latinas Network
James Breckinridge Middle School
A former James Breckinridge student returned as a high school mentor, embracing staff in the cafeteria. The Community Builders program brings former participants back each year to mentor the next group of eighth graders.
Students led their own planning session to brainstorming ideas for future Community Builder acts of service, field trips, and other activities. Students and summer site leaders presented to the Roanoke City Schools school board on the work of Community Builders program.
Community Partners
- Trap and Tone
- Roanoke Police Department RESET
- EmpowerHER
Lucy Addison Middle School
The “Generations in Play” event at Lucy Addison brought together students, family members, and community leaders. School board members and Mayor Joe Cobb joined together with students for an evening of games and dinner.
Community Partners
- Bell Effect
- FEDUP
- Trap and Tone
Student Motivation & Engagement
Learning remains a central priority in Community Schools, with a focus on expanding both opportunity and engagement. This branch includes strategies that extend learning time and provide meaningful experiences that connect students to school. Supports may include tutoring, enrichment activities, and career exploration, alongside strong instructional practices and high expectations. Together, these efforts help increase student motivation, engagement, and connection to their learning.
York County designed its Community Schools program around the idea that belonging drives attendance. All three participating schools — Queens Lake Middle, Yorktown Middle, and Magruder Elementary — paid stipends to staff to build programming that gives students a reason to come to school, supported by dedicated coordinators, implementation teams, and professional development on community school strategies. The division is working toward a 10% increase in student attendance and a 5% increase in family engagement by the end of the grant period.
Each school shapes what belonging looks like for its community. At Yorktown Middle, student-versus-staff dodgeball is earned through attendance, behavior, and grades. At Queens Lake, after-school clubs drew standing-room-only attendance at their very first meeting. Magruder Elementary, the newest addition and the division’s first elementary community school, is where that belonging starts.
Coordinator's Note
York County exemplifies VCSI Stage 3.1: Align to the Four Branches of Student Support. York County offers programming that sustains student motivation and engagement and authentically engages school-based staff, families, and community stakeholders as empowered partners.
Magruder Elementary School
William & Mary gymnasts and volleyball players lined the school entrance on the first day of school, cheering students as they walked in. On Yorktown Victory Day, kindergarteners paraded with the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps. A Magruder teacher (Mr. Bennett) and parent (Mr. Wilson) are corps members. A former Magruder student, known to the students as “Miss Summer,” returned as a Bruton High School career intern to tutor elementary students.
Voices From the Community
The impact of the award will allow our partnerships to continue to grow in meaningful ways. High school students regularly volunteer to provide mentorship and support, fostering leadership and connection across grade levels. Family engagement through the PTA strengthens collaboration between home and school, while community members actively participate in school events and activities, creating a network of support that enhances student success and a sense of belonging for all.
- Sharay Cotman
School Social Work Lead
Queens Lake Middle School
A bulletin board covered in 50+ student sticky notes answered “What CommUNITY Means to Me” as part of Topic Tuesday during Bullying Prevention Month. The William & Mary Eco Club, facilitated by Mrs. Hubbard and W&M students, brought hands-on plant identification into the school. Local artist Bob Oller spent a month in residence, beginning with a field trip to Jamestown Settlement for historical sketches and ending with a collaborative tape art mural in the school.
The first clubs meeting of the year turned out to be standing room only as students packed the Queens Lake cafeteria. Approximately 150 to 200 students showed up for a chance to sign up. On social media, the school posted “standing room only at our first clubs meeting day!” They publicly credited the community schools grant for making the clubs possible, “we are able to provide so many engaging club opportunities thanks to our Community Schools Grant through the Virginia Department of Education”.
Accent on Academics: Reimagining School through Community Schools Programming
Queens Lake’s principal and students describe how the Community Schools Grant has changed their experience of school. Spirit club members talk about planning pep rallies and posters, jewelry club members talk about making jewelry with friends after school, and the principal shares how a new student who was struggling academically connected to school through robotics club, improved his attendance, and pulled his younger brother into the school community along with him. The principal also reflects on the partnerships built through the grant, including a K-9 club run with the local sheriff’s office and SPCA.
Voices From the Community
The Community Schools Grant has supported the growth of student clubs that foster belonging, leadership, and collaboration. Increased participation in clubs, influenced by student voice and choice, has strengthened student connectedness and inspired greater community involvement through events and volunteer engagement. Staff mentoring initiatives have deepened relationships and provided consistent support for students’ social and emotional growth.
- Sharay Cotman
School Social Work Lead
Yorktown Middle School
At Yorktown Middle, the student-versus-staff dodgeball game spells out behavioral expectations for students who want to earn the right to play: no behavior referrals, no F’s, no unexcused absences during a two-week window, and 20 Falcon Bucks earned through positive behavior. The SOAR Store runs on the same points system, giving students a reason to stay on track throughout the semester. At a family engagement night, a cheerleader staffs a table with silver pom-poms while student art fills the trophy cases behind her. Families browse and sign up for one of the many student clubs offered at the school.
Yorktown Middle’s Fall Fest Open Nest encouraged family members to attend with their students. The flyer’s messaging of “no drop offs” and “everyone in the family is welcome to attend” made messaging clear and intentional. Each school department planned activities and food trucks were on site to make the Falcon’s Open Nest truly welcoming.
Voices From the Community
Our school has been able to create innovative programs and engaging events that strengthen connections between students, families, and staff while promoting school pride and community involvement. Through initiatives such as the Student SOAR store, student vs. staff dodgeball game, family engagement night, and PTSA events, the grant has helped increase family engagement, strengthen student motivation, and build a more supportive school culture.
- Sharay Cotman
School Social Work Lead
Community Partners
- William & Mary
- New Horizons Family Counseling Program
- PTA/PTSA
- Care Solace
Amherst County is where career-connected learning meets Community Schools. Across both Amherst County High School and the Amherst Education Center, the division is working to reduce chronic absenteeism, improve academic performance, and lower discipline referrals. At the high school, students engaged in 354 work-based learning experiences in the first quarter alone, from internships and student-run businesses to supervised agricultural programs and clinical placements. Eleven colleges and universities made on-site visits or hosted field trips, giving students a firsthand look at where those pathways lead. Opening of the new ACHS addition and Community Tailgate drew families, staff, and community partners together across both sites.
At the Amherst Education Center, the division’s alternative program, family engagement has grown through Open House events, monthly art classes, and Brag Day events, an open celebration where students’ progress and achievements take center stage.
By the Numbers
Community Engagement Across Amherst This Fall
The Community Tailgate at Amherst County High School drew 311 attendees on a September evening, filling the pavilion and field with families eating together while division administrators manned a grill and served food to attendees. The event brought law enforcement to the table as neighbors with sheriff’s deputies joining families, eating alongside them rather than in any official capacity. Activity stations ran between the food areas, and the crowd spanned generations, from toddlers to grandparents. The tailgate was one of 36 community events Amherst hosted during the first quarter of the year, drawing 2,000 total attendees across the division.
During College Application Week, students were encouraged to explore postsecondary opportunities through application support and college awareness activities. Throughout the first quarter, eleven colleges and universities made on-site visits or hosted field trips in the first quarter, including Washington and Lee, Longwood, Old Dominion, VCU, VMI, UVA, Liberty, JMU, University of Lynchburg, Randolph College, and Central Virginia Community College. Four branches of the US military are also invited monthly to meet with students as they explore their postsecondary options. The high school held a College Senior Night in September, followed by a FAFSA and Financial Aid Night in October. Each event moved students one step closer to a postsecondary plan, from exploring options to completing applications.
Coordinator's Note
Amherst County exemplifies VCSI Stage 5.1: Honor the Ideals & Values of the Community School. Amherst County fosters connections with families and community partners, which is vital to healthy collaboration.
Community Partners
- ACPS Education Foundation
- Plan Forward
- GLAD
- Hickey
- Johnson's Health
- Impact Living Services
- Amherst Lions Club
- Madison Heights Baptist Church
- Scott Zion Baptist Church
- Formed Families Forward
- U.S. Army
- Army Reserves
- U.S. Navy
- U.S. Marines
Radford City recognized that students facing barriers such as chronic absenteeism, homelessness, or repeated disciplinary removals were at increased risk of falling behind academically and becoming disconnected from school. The division’s answer came through its Community Schools work: after-school programming designed to increase student engagement and help them make up time. The Nighttime Community School (NCS) operates four evenings a week, paying school staff stipends to run the program. It provides subject-area tutoring, meals and snacks, free transportation, and mental health counseling through New River Valley Community Services.
This year, the program expanded to allow students to make up absences. Those who have been late or absent more than seven times are invited to attend evening sessions to restore their eligibility for school-sponsored activities. This new opportunity increased interest in the program, especially in the weeks before the homecoming dance. Thirty-seven students were served through the program during the first quarter, and many return voluntarily throughout the week, averaging more than two hours per session.
Voices From the Community
I tend to fall behind when I miss a few days, and I don’t get anything done at home. I get behind and overwhelmed, and Night School helps me cut the work load down and make it more digestible. The teachers are very nice, and the environment is very positive.
- Radford City Schools Student
“Night School at Radford High — A Virginia Community Schools Program” operates Monday through Thursday with rotating subjects. The program is made possible by Radford City’s partnership with New River Valley Community Services.
Voices From the Community
I go to Night School about every day. I use it to either stay ahead of my school work or when I need extra help. I like that there are always different teachers there to help me, and I like that we always have food there.
- Radford City Schools Student
NCS tutor Paige works one-on-one with a student during an evening session. The Nighttime Community School runs four nights a week, and many students build it into their routines, arriving before or after practice and staying more than two hours at a time.
Voices From the Community
I go to Night School before or after wrestling practice, depending on the time of practice. I will do that day’s work or make up work I’m behind on. Each teacher can help you with different things. Some are good at math, and some are good at helping you get a lot of work done.
- Radford City Schools Student
By the Numbers
Nighttime Community School Reach
Coordinator's Note
Radford City exemplifies VCSI Stage 1.1: Generate a Needs Statement. Radford City observed challenges and used their data to create a solution: implement the Community School model.
Voices From the Community
One of my clients attended Night School during a suspension, which allowed them to maintain both attendance and academic progress. As a result, the principal reduced the suspension to a lesser offense. This experience highlights how beneficial night school can be in supporting student accountability and success.
- NRVCS School-Based Case Manager
Voices From the Community
Night school is a more relaxed setting and I think students feel very comfortable asking and receiving help in a smaller setting where they might not feel that way in a full classroom of peers. I also feel that Night School has become a refuge for some ‘regulars’ — it’s a place to not only get schoolwork completed (with help), but also, and maybe most importantly, to come have a snack and have casual conversations with different teachers and/or a counselor about things other than class work.
- Paige, NCS Tutor
Nottoway County’s Community Schools program is anchored at the high school, where the coordinator built a bridge between the school and local community through an internship program. In the program’s first year, it placed 15 students with five employers across the county. Students gained access to career experiences across local government, higher education, food service, and the military that are often difficult to find in rural communities, but are so important for postsecondary aspirations.
The internships are one way the division is working toward its goals of reducing chronic absenteeism from 26.3 percent to below 15 percent and increasing on-time graduation from 93.8 percent to 95 percent. An advisory group with parent and community voice and a day-to-day implementation team support the work. As employers open their doors, the community has become part of how students prepare for life after graduation, extending the work well beyond the school building.
Nottoway’s internship program is built on the shared leadership and teaming elements that make Community Schools’ work so successful. The program highlights rising graduates as the future of Nottoway County’s future workforce and provides opportunities for the first cohort of students, pictured here, to gain career experience through internships with community partners.
Voices From the Community
Nottoway High School has been on an upward trajectory during the implementation of the community school grant. The grant award has allowed students to have career experiences and opportunities that they normally would not have been exposed to.
- Marcia Martin
Superintendent, Nottoway County Public Schools
Nottoway's 5 community events drew 275 attendees during the first quarter.
Coordinator's Note
Nottoway County exemplifies VCSI Stage 2.1: Organize a Community School Team. Nottoway County has organized a community school team that works toward improved outcomes for students, families, and the community.
Community Partners
- Town of Blackstone
- Southside Virginia Community College
- Mitchell's Restaurant
- Fort Pickett
- Nottoway Ministerial Association
Across 15 schools, Washington County centered its Community Schools work on attendance to drive improvements in student engagement and family involvement. The division built a visible attendance culture through branded campaigns at every building, from “Step into September” shoe drawings to “Bases Loaded” classroom competitions to “World Changer of the Week” recognition. The approach is already showing results: six schools exceeded their 94% attendance target in the first quarter, and the division averaged 95% across all 15 schools.
That attendance culture is reinforced through student-led service projects, peer leadership programs, multigenerational family events, and programming for multilingual families that bring students, families, and community partners together in every building. When Hurricane Helene hit, Damascus Middle became a community hub for families during and after the storm, providing a proof point for the very connections the division had been building every day in every school.
Coordinator's Note
Washington County exemplifies VCSI Stage 3.1: Align to the Four Branches of Student Support. Washington County has formed partnerships that bring families and the community into the schools in authentic and meaningful ways, turning their schools into neighborhood hubs of support.
Damascus Middle
The Bike Build Bash brought 15 students and 10 parents together to build and prepare bicycles donated by the Outride Foundation, working alongside local bike mechanics from Blue Blaze Bike Shop and Virginia Creeper Trail Bike Shop. Damascus Middle also took 64 seventh graders on a field trip along the Appalachian Trail, where students learned to pack a backpack, build a fire, and maintain trails alongside community presenters.
Wallace Middle
Voices From the Community
While they were searching for stable housing, I was able to assist by covering the rental application fee, allowing their application to be processed without delay. With this support, the father was soon able to secure both employment and approval for a new housing unit. I was able to secure a proper bed for the student and covered the cost. Our school principal kindly stepped in to help with transportation and personally delivered the bed to the family’s home. On top of that, a generous teacher who wanted to contribute asked for the bed size and then allowed the student to choose their own new bedding, which was also delivered. This small chain of acts—sparked by community support and staff collaboration—has made a meaningful difference. This student now has a home and a bed of her own—a true foundation for rest, growth, and success.
- Skye Waller
Communities in Schools – Appalachian Highlands Student Support Coordinator
Patrick Henry High
Voices From the Community
At Patrick Henry High School, a simple idea—bringing students together during breakfast and lunch twice a week—has created real change. …. In the first nine weeks, new friendships formed, and the group became a highlight of the week for many. Parents have noticed big improvements, too. Several shared that their children are more excited to come to school, have more confidence, and are making new friends. What started as a small effort to bring students together has grown into something special—a daily reminder that everyone belongs and friendship can start with just a seat at the table.
- Erin Johnson
Communities in Schools – Appalachian Highlands Student Support Coordinator
Valley Institute Elementary
Voices From the Community
One of our first initiatives, Bulldogs Against Bullying, encouraged students to take a stand for kindness and respect. After signing a schoolwide pledge, students traced and cut out their hands to symbolize their commitment to creating a safe, inclusive school environment. The Bulldog Buddies program has quickly become a source of pride and inspiration—developing leadership skills in our upper-grade students while spreading positivity and kindness throughout our entire school community.
- Kirby Hardin
Communities in Schools – Appalachian Highlands Student Support Coordinator
Valley Institute’s Grandparents’ Breakfast drew 264 attendees in September, filling the school gym with grandparents and students gathered around tables for a special morning together.
Watauga Elementary
Voices From the Community
Through their collective effort, Paws for a Cause organized and assembled 221 ‘Bags of Sunshine’—each filled with snacks, coloring books, fuzzy socks, stuffed animals, and other small items designed to brighten the day of children who are sick and in local hospitals. These bags were delivered to Niswonger’s Children’s Hospital to encourage children who are patients, as well as siblings who may be spending long hours away from home. What made this project so special was that it was completely student-led. From brainstorming ideas to delivering the information to their homeroom and buddy homeroom to sorting donations and packing each bag with care, students took ownership every step of the way. The Paws for a Cause club continues to remind us that when students lead with empathy and purpose, they not only change their school—they impact the world beyond it.
- Maegan Brown
Communities in Schools – Appalachian Highlands Student Support Coordinator
Abingdon High School
The Family Resource Center (FRC) at Abingdon High held its inaugural kickoff in September with more than 25 community partners. The FRC began as a resource for families of students with disabilities and is intended to expand division-wide. The event took place inside Blue Ridge Auto Group’s dealership showroom, a private business space donated for the evening. Partner tables from across the community lined the showroom floor alongside the vehicles.
The ESL Tailgate was a joint event between Abingdon High and E.B. Stanley Middle. The cross-school model recognizes that multilingual families benefit from programming that spans grade levels and is one of several events for English language learner families across the division.
Basic Needs
Students cannot fully engage in learning when their basic needs are unmet. Community Schools address these barriers by working with local businesses, organizations, social services, and health agencies to ensure students have access to essential resources. Supports in this area may include food, clothing, school supplies, and, in some cases, on-site health services. By meeting these foundational needs, schools help ensure students are ready to learn each day.
Loudoun County Schools realized that many families at Guilford Elementary and Sully Elementary did not have an established healthcare provider, a wellness gap with real implications for how prepared students were for school. As part of their Community Schools work, the division launched a mobile health clinic at school sites to provide families with physicals, wellness checks, and connections to primary care. A dedicated coordinator runs the work across both buildings, which also provides access to clothing closets, school supply programs, and weekend meal bags for students and their families.
Programming at each school reflects the students it serves. The Inter-School Futsal League at Sully uses indoor soccer as an attendance incentive across four elementary schools, partnering with Deportivo Sterling, a Spanish-language soccer club. At Guilford, the Green Beans Club gives students a school garden. Loudoun County has already recognized the impact of this Community Schools work, recently moving the mobile health clinic into the division’s general operating budget, ensuring it continues to serve the community beyond the current grant.
The Loudoun Mobile Health Clinic rotates between Guilford and Sully so that families at each building have regular access to primary care, removing scheduling and transportation barriers for families in the school community. The full-size Inova Health Services bus operates with a five-person clinical team and a fully equipped exam room.
Coordinator's Note
Loudoun County exemplifies VCSI Stage 5.3: Plan for Renewal & Sustainability. Loudoun County has secured funding to sustain and expand successful practices, such as their mobile health clinic.
The Inter-School Futsal League runs across four elementary schools as an attendance incentive. It is made possibly through a community partnership with Deportivo Sterling, a local Spanish-language soccer club that serves as a cultural partner for families from soccer-playing communities. The league includes a championship game and celebratory ceremony at the end of the season.
Guilford Elementary
The Green Beans Club gives Guilford students a school garden where they grow, harvest, and eat their own food. The club meets regularly during the school year, and the garden beds sit alongside the school building where students can check on their plants between classes. Guilford also runs a Sports Club in the gym with basketball, running, and hula hoops — unstructured physical activity with a coach present, giving students time to move and connect with each other.
Sully Elementary
Sully’s futsal team competes in the Inter-School Futsal League, and the team has its own identity with matching blue jerseys and the school mascot. Programming extends beyond indoor sports to outdoor activities with coaching support on the school’s track. Sully’s PTO grew from 4 to 16 members this year. Students also have the opportunity to join Sully’s Student Council, giving them a role in school decision-making.
Community Partners
- Deportivo Sterling
- Sterling Community Center
- Loudoun Literacy Council
- Loudoun Education Foundation FUELED
- Reston Bible Church
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
- Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity
- Christian Fellowship Church
- Food Lion
Grayson County’s implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) across its six schools gave the division a clear structure for integrating the Community Schools work. Rather than building a separate program, the division mapped Community Schools onto the teams, meeting structures, and data practices already in place. This foundation ensures students have consistent support for their basic needs in every building. Every school operates a clothing closet and school supply program. Four of the six have laundry rooms. All six run substance use prevention programming and in-school health clinics.
Staff are paid stipends to mentor students, an intentional investment in a rural community with limited staffing availability. All of it serves a shared goal across every school in the division: reducing chronic absenteeism. At Grayson Highlands School, that rate has dropped from 10% to 5%.
By the Numbers
Community Engagement Across Grayson County This Fall
Fries Elementary Family Night
Fries Elementary hosted a circus-themed family night that brought together 12 community agencies, including: healthcare, banking, law enforcement, fire and rescue, a state park, and local businesses. This was one of five events the school held for families and the community this quarter; across all five, 600 attendees participated.
Coordinator's Note
Grayson County exemplifies VCSI Stage 4.1: Design Systems to Share & Track Data. Grayson County used a systematic approach to track the progress of community school implementation by coordinating the work with their VTSS teams.
At Independence Elementary, the Raising a Reader event brought families into the school for a literacy night. At Grayson County High, students earned incentives for meeting the school-wide attendance goal for the first quarter, including a school-wide costume day. The Red Carpet welcome at Fairview Elementary on the first day of school delivered a balloon arch and velvet ropes despite the rain. At Independence Middle, homerooms decorated their doors as part of a school-wide anti-bullying and kindness campaign.
Community Partners
- Tri-Area Health
- Wytheville Community College
- William King Art Center
- Matthew's Foundation
- VA Cooperative Extension Agency
- Skyline National Bank
- Grayson County Sheriff's Office
- Fries Fire and Rescue
- New River Trail State Park
- Trout Dale/Flat Ridge/Grant Community Center
- Blue Ridge Discovery Center
- Mt Rogers Community Services
- Grayson County & Independence Community Services
Rockbridge County is working to reduce chronic absenteeism by three to seven percentage points across all six of its schools. The division invested its Community Schools grant in two positions. A Family Engagement Coordinator has spent over a year providing resources, food, and connection to families across the county. An Attendance Clerk checks in with students and families when they are absent to understand what they need and provide a path back before missing days become a pattern. The division describes the two positions as its strongest investments.
In-school clinic access now brings physical and mental health services into the buildings where students already are. Food pantries operate in every school across the county, alongside clothing closets and school supply programs. The division hosts campfire nights, tailgates, and culture nights throughout its schools, drawing 432 attendees in the first quarter to events designed to build the kind of connection between families and schools.
Voices From the Community
We have seen great outcomes from both of the positions that we have added. Our Family Engagement Coordinator and our attendance clerk have both paid dividends for our division and our community. Our Family Engagement Coordinator has been providing resources, suggestions, food, etc. for families across our division for over a year now. Our attendance clerk has done an excellent job with checking in with students and families when they are out or if they need anything to make coming to school easier. We have also been able to host events like campfire nights, tailgates, and culture nights throughout the division. Our supports of food pantries in our schools across the county has also had a very positive impact on students and families.
- Jason Kirby
Chief Business Officer
Coordinator's Note
Rockbridge County exemplifies VCSI Stage 3.1: Align to the Four Branches of Student Support. Through food pantries, clothing closets, and school supply programs, Rockbridge County has removed barriers for students so that they can be successful in school.
Community Partners
- Rockbridge Community Services Board
- Rockbridge Area Relief Association
- Boxerwood Gardens
Cohort 2
Danville City is one of the newest divisions in the Virginia Community Schools Initiative. The division will focus on two elementary schools, Arnett Hills and Gibson, in its first year. Danville is currently hiring a dedicated community school coordinator and collaborating with school leadership to plan programming around mentoring, family engagement, and after-school clubs.
Buchanan County is building a Community Schools infrastructure across all eight of its schools, formalizing supports that the division has been providing and expanding them under a coordinated model. The division is working with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Appalachia as its anchor community partner. At the elementary and middle school level, programming includes sensory and calming spaces, dedicated STEM labs, and mental health and behavioral intervention services. At the high schools, the focus is building a career pipeline that includes CTE courses, career fairs, student internships, and work-based learning experiences. All eight schools share a Community Schools Implementation Team that is coordinating this work across the division.
Community Partners
- Boys and Girls Club of Central Appalachia
- Communities in Schools
Richmond Public Schools is launching its Community Schools work by building the Student and Family Engagement (SAFE) Center, a dedicated hub at Clark Springs Elementary designed to serve more than 2,000 families. The implementation team has finalized the physical space and is procuring additional materials and supplies as needed, while continuing to identify people and organizations for partnership and enrichment activities.
The SAFE Center’s engagement strategies for addressing non-academic barriers to attendance include food, clothing, physical health support, resource navigation, and education and empowerment sessions. The division’s anchor event is the monthly RPS Love Market, a large-scale food pantry that distributes groceries and household staples to families across the division. Health and wellness programming includes free physical health services through partnerships with the Virginia Department of Health, Sentara Health, and Smile Garden Dentistry.
Chef Victoria of Victoria’s Kitchen leads a healthy cooking class for more than 40 families and sends them home with the ingredients to prepare the dish themselves. Group fitness classes are part of the center’s health and wellness programming, offered free to students and their caregivers as a way to bring families into movement-based activities together.
Community Partners
- Communities in Schools
- Richmond Behavioral Health Authority
- Richmond Ed. Fund
- Feedmore of Greater Richmond
- Smile Garden Dentistry
- Richmond Henrico Health District
Arlington County is partnering with Edu-Futuro, a nonprofit serving immigrant families across Northern Virginia to provide educational and social services. Through the Community Schools grant, the division is sustaining that work at Wakefield High School and Arlington Community School. Through the collaboration, Edu-Futuro specialists are coordinating cultural celebrations and connecting families to resources like Hands2Hearts CPR training through the Virginia Hospital Center. At Wakefield, the partnership is treating family stability as part of student readiness, and connecting families to rental assistance, job resources, and mental health support to increase their school engagement outreach.
A family needs assessment revealed barriers Arlington is working to address, including increasing the reach of school communication by adding bilingual front desk staff. Families who had not previously engaged with the school are now attending events, building trust with specialists, and beginning to advocate for their children’s needs.
By the Numbers
Engagement Across Arlington This Fall
Community Partners
- Edu-Futuro
- Latinas Leading Tomorrow
- Dream Project
- Liberty Promise
- FACE (Fairfax Area Christian Emergency & Transitional Services)
- Communities in Schools
- AFAC (Arlington Food Assistance Center)
- Amazon
- AHC (Arlington Housing Corp.)
- NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College)
- George Mason University
- Park and Recreation
- Food for Neighbors
Charlottesville City’s Community Schools model is operationalized by the Community Mentorship Coalition that organizes ten schools into three programs: Confidence and Comprehension Clubs for elementary literacy, Bridge Builders for middle school belonging, and the Life Skills Academy for high school career preparation and postsecondary planning. A Community Talent Bank system is recruiting and placing the volunteers who deliver work across the three programs.
The division is also extending its Community Schools model beyond the school day through a growing network of literacy hubs in trusted community spaces, beginning with First Baptist Church and expanding to The Point Church, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, and the Boys & Girls Club. Complementing the hubs, “Crack the Code” is a literacy-focused event that helps parents and caregivers interpret SOL assessments and NWEA MAP reports so they can support their children’s reading at home.
Along with events like, “Storytime with Dr. G,” these efforts are making a difference in the community. Charlottesville’s depth of civic infrastructure supports the Coalition: 134 community partners, including several centers within the University of Virginia.
“Storytime with Dr. G” served as the inaugural community literacy event for Charlottesville’s Community Schools model. It was a partnership between Charlottesville City Schools and Jefferson-Madison Regional Library and was led by Superintendent Dr. Royal Gurley.
Community Partner Highlights
- Abundant Life
- America Reads
- Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia
- Brooks Family YMCA
- Charlottesville United for Public Education
- City of Charlottesville
- City of Promise
- Cville Tulips
- Hearthwood
- International Rescue Committee
- Jefferson-Madison Regional Library
- Kindlewood
- Leather Honey
- Lighthouse Studios
- University of Virginia: AdviseVA, Center for Community Partnerships at UVA, College Mentors for Kids, Innovation Hub at Charlottesville Middle School, Link Lab, Madison House, President's Council on UVA Community Partnerships, Virginia Literacy Partnerships
Roanoke City has built two community hubs serving as access points for health services, family resources, and basic needs within school communities. The Community Empowerment Center at Booker T. Washington partners with the Virginia Department of Health for school physicals and immunizations and has established sixteen community partnerships.
The LIFT Center at Fallon Park Elementary takes a grassroots approach. Three community events, including a “Book or Treat” literacy night, have drawn 1,108 attendees. Both centers share a coordinator and basic needs infrastructure across food pantries, clothing closets, school supplies, and clinic access.
The Community Empowerment Center opened in fall 2025 as a purpose-built facility at Booker T. Washington, offering families a food pantry, clothing closet, school supplies, and an in-school health clinic operated by the Virginia Department of Health. The center also hosts adult education courses through Region 5 Adult Education and Blue Ridge Literacy and has hired its first student intern, with additional placements anticipated.
By the Numbers
Engagement Across Roanoke City's Centers This Fall
Students and civic leaders gather at the Community Empowerment Center while staff and community partners bring literacy nights and ice cream trucks to families at Fallon Park Elementary through the LIFT Center.
The Virginia Department of Health partnered with the Community Empowerment Center to offer free school physicals and immunizations during back-to-school season, operating the clinic directly from the center’s facility.
Voices From the Community
We have begun utilizing our Community Schools funds in order to support our CEC resource center with food pantry items and other basic needs supplies. Families have already begun accessing these resources through a co-investment program called ‘Together for Success,’ and have expressed sincere appreciation for this compassionate and non-judgmental assistance.
- Corey Allder
Director of Community Engagement
Community Partners
- Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
- Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC)
- Region 5 Adult Education
- Blue Ridge Literacy
- Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia
- New Horizons Healthcare
- Roanoke Public Libraries
- Roanoke City Council of Parent Teacher Associations (RCCPTA)
- Carilion Children's Health
- Delta Dental
- Freedom First Credit Union
- Fallon Park Elementary PTA
In Smyth County, substance use is a reality across the school division’s communities, and Smyth’s five Community Schools are building prevention programming that meets students where they are. Each school is shaping its approach around its own students and families, from Narcan training offered to families at a community parade at Marion Middle to a fishing trip with Hooked on Fishing Not Drugs for Chilhowie Middle students.
Smyth County recognized that prevention programming is most effective when it serves the whole student. Every school provides a clothing closet, food pantry, and calming space, and an in-school clinic that brings physical and mental health services into the building. Individual counseling and mental health support are part of the school day, connecting students to the care they need through the people and places they already trust.
Across five schools, coordinators built programming shaped by local need. At Northwood Middle, a back-to-school supply giveaway drew families from across the Saltville community. At Chilhowie High, a Virginia State Police helicopter visit brought students face to face with law enforcement partners working alongside the school. At Marion Middle, Hitachi Energy invested $7,500 in the community school. And at Northwood High, students put their names on a drug-free pledge displayed in the school hallway.
By the Numbers
Community Engagement Across Smyth County This Fall
Community Partners
- Walmart
- Hitachi Energy
- Food Country
- Universal Fibers
- Berry Homebuilders
- Virginia State Police
- Smyth County Sheriff's Department
- Chilhowie Police Department
- Virginia Department of Health
- Smyth County Recovery Court
- Chilhowie Christian Church
- First Church of God
- Bethel Presbyterian
- Christian Faith Ministries
- New Horizons Church
- First United Methodist Church
- Highlands Fellowship Church
- Saltville Ministerial Association
- Careportal
- Chilhowie Lions Club
- Saltville Food Pantry
- Smyth County Public Library
- NMS Class of 1965
- Virginia Kids Belong
- Hooked on Fishing Not Drugs
- Communities in Schools
Portsmouth City is implementing Community Schools work at three elementary schools: Douglas Park Elementary, Waterview Elementary, and Westhaven Elementary. Each school has a site coordinator and distinct program identity, but all three share the same core goals: reducing chronic absenteeism and suspensions and improving academic outcomes. Portsmouth frames their work as community identity transformation and the three schools are at different stages of their Community Schools journey, from building relationships with new partners to implementing community event programming.
By the Numbers
Engagement Reach Across Portsmouth This Fall
Douglas Park Elementary partnered with the Foodbank and a local fraternity chapter to distribute Thanksgiving meal boxes to military-connected families. A reading assembly brought more than sixty students together with a guest presenter, and a community cookout on school grounds drew families and neighbors. At Westhaven Elementary, Gracefully Giving organized a coat donation drive as one of ten community partnerships the school has built in its first year.
Waterview Elementary launched TigerU!, a family empowerment initiative combining parent programming, ENCORE activities, and Community Schools under one umbrella. The PTA executive board behind TigerU! is the first active board at Waterview in more than five years, thanks to the Community Schools work. The first TigerU! event of the year was the Tiger Tales and Treats Trunk or Treat in October and more are planned.
Community Partners
- Bayport Credit Union
- Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Hosanna Royal Arc (Chapter 358)
- Beta Zigma Chapter
- Alpha Phi Alpha (Portsmouth Chapter)
- Panda Express
- Holy Trinity Church
- The Birthing Place Worship Centre
- WaWa
- Bubbas 33
- Chick-fil-A (Portsmouth)
- McDonald's (Portsmouth Blvd)
- Chili's (Chesapeake Square)
- Starbucks
- Girl Scouts of Hampton Roads
- Westhaven Baptist Church
- New Mount Olivet Baptist Church
- Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
- ForKids
- Emerging Workforce
- Latinos En Va
- Gracefully Giving
- CIS of Hampton Roads
Five Communities In Schools (CIS) affiliates are participating in the Virginia Community Schools Initiative as part of Cohort 2, serving as valued partners in this work. Through their established presence in schools and communities, CIS affiliates help coordinate supports, strengthen partnerships, and connect students and families to needed resources. Their involvement enhances the implementation of community schools by promoting aligned, student-centered systems of support.
CIS Hampton Roads
Hampton City’s Lindsay Middle School and Virginia Beach’s Newtown Elementary are partnering with Communities in Schools (CIS) of Hampton Roads to address chronic absenteeism and provide broader student support. At Lindsay Middle, 48 students are receiving attendance support through Attendance Avengers, a morning check-in incentive program. They also receive academic intervention through lunchtime small reading groups and tutoring in language arts, reading, and math. The school has built calming spaces, and is providing peer mentoring for students, a food pantry for families, and trauma-informed professional development for staff. At mid-year, 88% of students receiving intensive academic interventions had improved their grades.
At Newtown Elementary in Virginia Beach, teachers across six classrooms are using candy jar attendance calendars, in which students add a piece of candy for each day they are present. Two community events, the Tri-Campus Tailgate and Donuts with Grownups, drew nearly 250 students and parents this year. Within the first six weeks of the school year, chronic absenteeism at Newtown dropped from 19% to 12.3%. Both schools share a goal of 75% attendance improvement among supported students by year’s end.
By the Numbers
Engagement Across Hampton Roads This Fall
Community Partners
- Crescent Counseling
- Music Theory Studios
- Sentara
- Regal
- Hampton University Recruitment Team
- Dollar Tree
- The Patriot Center
- Beauty Outlet of Norfolk
- Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast
- The Mount Church at Virginia Beach
- Starbucks (Northampton)
- Krispy Kreme
- Applebees (VB Blvd)
CIS NOVA
Albemarle County is partnering with Communities in Schools (CIS) of NOVA to build family engagement at Greer Elementary and Journey Middle School. At Greer, the bilingual site coordinator is filling the school’s family liaison role on the school attendance team and meeting with families in community locations, using their home language to share information. She also runs a Community Corner program that provides food, clothing, and hygiene supplies to families. At Journey Middle, the coordinator is rebuilding family programming to ensure a welcoming environment for families, anchored by events like a SOL-ebration Party celebrating student achievement after testing and a Black History Month gathering. Social and emotional learning outcomes have improved for 94% of participating students at Journey.
By the Numbers
Engagement Across CIS NOVA This Fall
Community partners are bringing enrichment directly into the classroom at Greer Elementary, where the site coordinator’s outreach has connected the school with local organizations. A second-grader told the coordinator, “I can be myself and you’ll listen.”
Voices From the Community
Communities in Schools has introduced a number of creative arts related activities and programming at a time when there are few outlets for the arts and creative expression. The students are responding very positively.
- Journey Middle School Leadership
Community Partners
- VA Literacy Partners
- BAMA Works Foundation
- Boys & Girls Club
- MVMT Church
- Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
CIS Richmond
Two Richmond City schools, Henry Marsh Elementary and J.L. Francis Elementary, are partnering with Communities in Schools (CIS) of Richmond to implement activities aligned with the Community Schools grant. The division has included a Community Schools voice in the collaborative teams that support student resources, with the work focusing on academics, attendance, behavior, and social-emotional learning. Across the two schools, more than 40 community partners are supporting the work. At Henry Marsh, a Big Buddy, Little Buddy program matches elementary students with high schoolers who visit monthly for mentoring. At J.L. Francis, a partnership with VCU chemistry students brings weekly STEM modeling into the school.
By the Numbers
Engagement Reach Across CIS Richmond
Voices From the Community
If you speak to people about how you are feeling you can change things. I feel like I can share my feelings because Ms. Johnson makes me feel empowered. I know she’s behind me.
- Student
Henry Marsh Elementary
Community Partners
- FeedMore
- Sylvia's Sisters
- Uprop Threads
- Challenge Discovery Project
- Child Savers
- YWCA
CIS Southside
Greensville County is partnering with Communities In Schools to build wraparound support across three schools at different stages of implementation. Greensville County High School anchors the work, with more than 20 active community partnerships providing mentoring and family engagement. Wyatt Middle School is layering in CTE pathways, substance use prevention, and work-based learning opportunities. Greensville Elementary, the newest site, is in early implementation and has launched counseling services through a partnership with From Start 2 Finish Counseling Services.
Nearly all students across the three schools qualify for free or reduced meals, and the division has built its supports around that reality. This fall, the program distributed 32 food vouchers and 19 laundry vouchers to families facing economic hardship, helping reduce barriers to attendance. Translation and interpretation services help families across the community fully participate in their children’s education, and events like Trunk or Treat and financial literacy workshops bring families into the school community while building long-term stability.
Voices From the Community
I’ve noticed a big change in my child’s attitude towards school. They’re excited to share what they learned each day, and the communication with their teachers has never been better.
- Parent
Greensville Elementary School
Community Partners
- Chick-fil-A Emporia
- From Start 2 Finish Counseling Services
- Local veterans organizations
- Toys for Tots
- Washington Park Association
CIS Tri-Cities
All Petersburg City schools are partnering with Communities in Schools (CIS) of the Tri-Cities to provide coordinated support for students and families. Each school operates a food pantry, clothing closet, and school supply program. Vernon Johns Middle provides targeted resources to families experiencing homelessness, and Blandford Academy offers a trusted, judgment-free space for students and families to share challenges. Pleasants Lane Elementary hosted nine community events drawing 471 attendees this year, the highest engagement in the division. At Petersburg High, students are connecting with mentors through Alpha Phi Alpha at Virginia State University, a historically Black Greek organization at a nearby HBCU.
By the Numbers
Engagement Across Petersburg This Fall
Voices From the Community
Students and families feel that [the program] is a safe place for them to communicate their core needs and obstacles they face daily. They look to us to help provide direction, relief, and resolution. They trust us to have their best interest and to listen to them to help the best we are able.
- Melissa Meadows
Communities in Schools of Virginia
Community Partners
- Alpha Phi Alpha (VSU)
- FeedMore
- Good Shepherd Baptist Church
- St. Stephen's Church
- Pretty Purposed
- Saint Joseph Villa
- Scouts of America
- Dignity Grows
- CHHASM
- Walmart
- Amazon
- Bon Secours
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