August 28, 2024
The Jefferson Elementary School District (JESD) serves more than 5,000 ethnically, economically, linguistically, and culturally diverse students across Daly City and its surrounding areas, making it essential for the district to build trusting relationships and align resources to create rich learning opportunities for all of its students.
To help coordinate its many community-focused partnerships and programs, the district secured a (CCSPP) planning grant to develop a comprehensive community schools program.
“Demographically we are very diverse…which just adds to the richness of our community,” shared Lusia Santos, Community Schools Coordinator for the district. “We wanted to apply for the grant so that we can get more programs and services on-site and not only support our students but our families as well.”
Identifying District Assets and Needs
JESD staff spent the first year of the grant focused on collectively visioning and identifying assets and needs in each school community. At every opportunity, the district invited families to participate in a survey to share their thoughts on school programs and services, student and family engagement, and priorities moving forward. The survey was translated into multiple languages and distributed digitally and physically to all families.
Once the survey was ready to launch, JESD shared it widely to ensure all voices were heard. Copies were readily available during school events, where staff made themselves available to walk families through the questions. Staff also emphasized that their voice mattered and could help the district receive more funding to meet their needs. These efforts were highly successful at engaging families and school community members in the process.
“Our schools have this unique opportunity to really embrace the foundational belief that we take care of each other and transform into community hubs where all can get the resources and support they need, whether it is food, shelter, clothing, housing, transportation, immigration and legal services – you name it,” shared Santos.
Strengthening Community Partnerships
Another key task during the 2023-24 school year was building and strengthening the district’s relationships with community-based organizations. The district deepened its partnerships with community organizations such as Vibes and Smiles and Daly City Partnership to hold many community-facing events, including a back-to-school supply drive, food distribution, costume drive after Halloween, housing workshops, and period poverty awareness week.
One of the most impactful initiatives was a community care closet, where families can book a 30-minute shopping appointment and have free access to clothing, baby supplies, canned goods, housewares, hygiene products, and other supplies donated by staff or community organizations. The closet has been in demand almost every day, and seeing families filled with gratitude has been extremely rewarding for staff.
“I really love it – the opportunity to serve families, not just students. It speaks to the whole-child approach and the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. And in order for the child to be well, the village needs to be well first,” shared Santos. “Trying to make resources more readily available for our families so that our students can thrive has been a game changer for me.”
Another impactful event was a Know Your Housing Rights workshop with Legal Services of East Palo Alto to help families know their housing and tenant rights. Other family workshops that they hosted helped attendees connect with CalFresh, Second Harvest Food Bank, Digital Citizenship, and other resources. The workshops left families feeling empowered and confident knowing they had someone to call if they needed help with their landlord.
Developing a Plan to Move Forward
With the new school year underway, JESD is building on last year’s work by hosting more listening sessions, deepening its partnerships, and expanding its community event and service offerings. The district will also create an advisory council to develop a community schools program implementation plan, a key requirement to apply for a CCSPP implementation grant.
“It's been a super positive experience. I feel very supported not only by the County Office of Education, regional team, and State team but just even within the district,” reflected Santos. “We’re all looking forward to doing the work and taking this to the next level.