Community Schools Corner

What are Community Schools?

School districts and communities across Illinois are meeting the full needs of students and their families by adopting the community schools model. Community schools are a specific model of education and community organizing, different from a neighborhood school. Community schools are public schools that partner with families and community-based organizations to provide well-rounded educational opportunities and supports for students’ school success. Effective community schools work collaboratively, assess community needs, give students sufficient learning time and depth, use data to inform improvement, and create and support infrastructure at the administrative level.

Community schools use a variety of funding streams to fund their various components. Some of this funding is from federal and state governments. However, community schools also leverage private grants, donations, volunteers, and in-kind services for funding.

Pillars of Community Schools

Since each community school is a reflection of local needs, assets, and priorities, no two community schools look exactly alike. However, all community schools have four pillars or components in common. These pillars are:

1. Integrated student supports;

2. Expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities;

3. Active family and community engagement; and

4. Collaborative leadership and practices.

Using all four of these components, community schools have the features found in high-quality schools and in better-resourced communities, where families can afford to supplement the services offered by these schools.

History of Community Schools

Community schools—which position schools as the heart of their neighborhoods—trace their roots back to late 19th-century settlement houses like Hull-House (founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr in Chicago in 1889), where education, social services, hygiene, and civic dialogue were combined under one roof. This approach continued through the 1930s, bolstered by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and initiatives that used school buildings for after‑hours programming. During segregation, many Black communities adopted community‑school strategies—offering daytime schooling and evening community activities—to combat poverty and racial violence. The community school model evolved during the civil rights era of the 1960s through the 1970s as a tool for urban education and desegregation support.

Today, community schools are an organized model with a presence around the world. The Coalition for Community Schools estimates that there are more than 5,000 community schools nationwide serving over five million students in the United States. It is estimated that there are 27,000 community schools worldwide.

Community Schools Events

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2025 Community Schools and Youth Development Convening! See highlights from the 2025 Community Schools and Youth Development Convening below.

Check back soon for more information about the 2026 Community Schools and Youth Development Convening!