How Schools Use Grant Funds:
Westside Middle School, one of the six schools included in the federal grant, recently held a grand opening for its new Parent Resource Center. This vibrant, welcoming space was designed to support families and strengthen community connections. It features a workshop and meeting space, digital access for job searches, a reception area, a clothing closet, and a food pantry with convertible refrigerators/freezers.
Additional uses of funding include a New Ballet partnership for programming at Northaven Elementary and Millington Intermediate, full-time social workers in all three Millington schools, a mobile computer lab at Northaven Elementary, increased athletic partnerships at Memphis Business Academy, and an additional bus route at Westside Middle School to support transportation for students pursuing afterschool programs or tutoring.
Measurable Outcomes:
It’s important to recognize that meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight. While some long-term indicators like chronic absenteeism and in-school suspensions saw slight increases in the first year of implementation, the overall trends point to a model that is expanding access, improving systems, and setting the stage for long-term success.
To understand the full picture, it’s critical to note that the 2022–2023 school year served as the baseline year—before the Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grant was implemented. The 2023–2024 school year marks the first year of grant-funded programming across the six-school cohort.
1. We’re Reaching More Students Than Ever
The foundation of the community schools model is connection and access. In just one year:
Students who participated in program services doubled (from 9.9% to 20.1%)
Students receiving integrated student supports increased [nearly] sixfold (from 15.6% to 91.8%)
Participation in extended and enriched learning opportunities during the school day jumped from 11% to 52.4%
Participation in extended and enriched learning opportunities beyond the school day (i.e. before or after school) rose from 1.6% to 14.9%
These numbers show that support systems are expanding rapidly—bringing more students into contact with the interventions and opportunities that address their whole-child needs.
2. Discipline Trends Are Shifting in the Right Direction
While in-school suspensions slightly increased, we saw:
This suggests that schools are more often choosing to keep students in learning environments, shifting toward restorative practices and in-school support models over exclusionary discipline.
3. Chronic Absenteeism Reflects Broader Challenges—Not Model Failure
Chronic absenteeism is a national crisis, often tied to housing instability, transportation, health, and trauma. A single year of implementation is not enough to reverse these trends—but what the model is doing is:
Identifying barriers earlier through student support teams
Connecting families to wraparound services
Increasing family engagement capacity at the school level
The increase in chronic absenteeism may reflect better tracking and more accurate data—a necessary first step toward solving the problem. This is a signal to dig in deeper, not pull back.
4. Students Are Closer to Graduation and Future Success
One of the most powerful outcomes: the percentage of Ready Graduates rose from 88.8% to 97.8%. That’s a tangible impact on students’ futures—college, careers, and beyond.
5. Culture and Belonging Are Still Growing
Early climate data shows:
While there’s room for growth, this kind of student voice data helps schools focus their improvement strategies on what matters most—creating supportive, inclusive environments.
