Communities In Schools Prepares to Be Present in 333 New Schools This Year, Expanding Reach and Supports for Nearly 200,000 K-12 Students

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Aug 13, 2024, 08:00 ET

Selected CIS organizations join second cohort of grantees as part of its national Scaling for Success initiative

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Communities In Schools^® (CIS^®), the nation's leading provider of K-12 school-based integrated student supports (ISS), announces the second cohort of grantees to receive funding as part of its national Scaling for Success initiative that aims to expand its evidence-based model to more schools across the country. These investments, seeded by Ballmer Group, will allow for the addition of 375 new full-time staff providing essential resources and support to nearly 200,000 new students for the 2024-2025 school year.

"We are immensely grateful to Ballmer Group for investing in Communities In Schools," said Dr. Heather Clawson, CIS Chief Program and Innovation Officer. "This investment has already allowed us to impact thousands more students nationwide by collaborating with educators, families and community partners to address the causes of chronic absenteeism. Early results are promising, with attendance and engagement increasing as we focus on fostering positive school climates and supporting the well-being of students and families. We look forward to building on this success in the years ahead."

The 2024-2025 cohort includes 56 CIS affiliates from CA, DE, District of Columbia, GA, FL, IL, IN, LA, MI, NV, NM, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WA. Projected reach for the 2024-2025 cohort includes expansion into 64 new school districts and 139 existing districts.

Round-one funding in 2023 distributed $13 million of the investment to 36 affiliates in the CIS network. The 2023-2024 cohort provided targeted services to more than 13,000 students at 227 new school sites and deepened resources at more than 30 school sites.

In February 2023, Ballmer Group made the single largest investment ($165M) ever in the work of CIS to expand its model of integrated student supports to 1,000 Title I schools by 2027. The investment is designed to catalyze local public and private investment in the CIS model through a 1:1 public match requirement over the first three years and commitments to fully fund the work long-term.

Communities In Schools understands the importance of being present and all in for students. When students start the school year strong with a site coordinator who can connect them to the resources they need, they are more likely to regularly attend school and graduate.

CIS works by placing trained local coordinators in schools, who connect students with community resources to help them learn, advance in grade level and graduate. The organization currently serves more than 2 million students in 3,460 schools and community sites nationwide.

More About Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools® (CIS®) is a national organization that ensures every student, regardless of who they are, their ability, zip code or socioeconomic background, has what they need to realize their potential in school and beyond. Working directly inside more than 3,000 schools across the country, we connect students to caring adults and community resources that help them see, confront, and overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. Together, we build a powerful change movement made up of peers, students, and alumni committed to building an equitable path to education for future generations. Follow us for news @cisnational on X, formerly Twitter, or with the hashtag #AllinforKids.

About Ballmer Group
Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities. We focus on multiple impact areas and systems that can impact economic mobility - such as early learning, K-12 education, college and career pathways, housing, behavioral health, and criminal justice - and we support leaders and organizations that focus on undoing systemic racism and the barriers it has created. Ballmer Group is both a national and regional funder – we have a presence and invest deeply in southeast Michigan, Washington state, and Los Angeles County. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at www.ballmergroup.org.

SOURCE Communities In Schools