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.

Student Support Branch: 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.

Roanoke City Community Builders

Petersburg Community Builders

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

Page County

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

Henrico County

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