Report: Community Schools in Philadelphia

Posted by Philadelphia City Council on May 11, 2015

More than a million students in 3,000 schools across the nation attend schools that offer students and families access to a variety of social and health care services on-site, and common sense tells us that’s a good thing for kids. Philadelphia City Council has proposed to expand this model throughout the School District.

Schools with family services are also a “more efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars,” according to Council’s own report. Philadelphia City Council, under the leadership of Council President Darrell Clarke, found that what are known as “community schools” help students achieve academic success by meeting their basic needs for healthcare, family supports and academic and other enrichment opportunities.

Already, Sayre High School in West Philadelphia is putting this model in place. Through a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, Sayre students benefit from an enhanced health sciences curriculum, while the community has access to University doctors on-site.

To read more about Council’s specific proposal for Philadelphia’s school-based family service centers, read their report: School-Based Family Service Centers: A Roadmap for Philadelphia Communities.

http://phlcouncil.com/council-news/school-based-family-service-centers-a-roadmap-for-philadelphia-communities/