There is a buzz throughout the country about the benefits of community schools. As defined by the Coalition for Community Schools, a community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. The connected and integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities. Schools become centers of the community and are open to everyone – all day, every day, evenings and weekends.
The Alexandria School Board members and I are very enthusiastic about the possibilities of making better use of our schools by working with city agencies and community groups to offer services to students and their families in one, convenient location. As we look towards building new schools in the years ahead, the concept of connected services through community schools will be central to our planning. as evidenced in our proposed Capital Improvements Plan for FY 2011-2016.
Our long term planning includes not only the community schools effort, but also the proposal to address the replacement of the Jefferson-Houston facility with a multi-use school and community building funded through a public- private partnership. This facility is proposed to be replaced in FY 2014 with a new mixed-use complex that would incorporate three components:
- Building a pre-K-8 elementary school to replace the existing school building
- Collaborating on school and community programs such as an arts center and a separate competition-sized swimming pool to replace the existing Durant Center and pool
- Moving ACPS central offices to be part of a complex of school, city, and private enterprise.
The School Board will hold a work session (open to the public) to discuss this public-private partnership proposal at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Materials from the work session will be posted online at http://www.acps.k12.va.us/board/meetings/2009-2010 .
