August 28, 2024
Stretched along °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼×ÊÁÏ County’s southern coastline, the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District (LHPUSD) has cultivated robust community partnerships over the years to meet the unique needs of its students and families – 65 percent of whom are Latino/a/e or other people of color.
Since receiving a (CCSPP) planning grant in 2023, the district has created even stronger and intentional community partnerships to foster a more collaborative environment that supports student success.
Gathering Community Input
During the 2023-24 school year, after receiving the CCSPP planning grant, the district began an extensive community input process that would drive the formation of its community school implementation plan.
“It's hard to get people to come into meetings, more so because of our rural location, some families only have one car – it's just a lot for families for many different reasons,” shared Kristen Lindstrom, a Pescadero native who serves as the district’s Director of Special Education, Community Schools, and The Big Lift. “And so we came up with the idea that we would go to our families.”
The district held small weekly meetings in various venues such as ranches, churches, and community centers. Its efforts to provide comfortable, convenient meeting spaces led to successful conversations to co-create a vision for the future and generate an authentic needs assessment. In addition, the LHPUSD sent out a translated survey, gave community presentations, engaged student groups at Pescadero High School, and held focus groups with parents from across the district, including those with young preschool-aged students and families who are new to the country.
Strengthening the Impact of District Services
Through these sessions, school community members reaffirmed the importance of the district’s many community-oriented services. For example, the district’s partnerships with local farms, where leftover vegetables are donated to school kitchens and given away to families, have proved to be invaluable. They also appreciated family nights on science, mental health, and other topics of interest.
“More often than not, we received input about how we can enrich what we already established and be more intentional about meeting the specific needs of our community,” shared Lindstrom. “For us, the community school model is just about incorporating and building on what already exists.”
In addition, LHPUSD staff were able to use what they learned throughout the input-gathering process to refine the district’s services throughout the year. During the focus groups, for example, parents shared that they would appreciate English language classes. As a result, the district partnered with °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼×ÊÁÏ County Libraries to offer beginning English language classes for the whole community during the summer.
Parents also shared a desire for enrichment activities outside the classroom. In response, the district used Expanded Learning and Opportunities Program (ELOP) funding to provide family field trips to places like the Academy of Sciences.
Looking Ahead this School Year
During the 2024-25 school year, LHPUSD is solidifying its goals and establishing clear objectives, based on the community feedback it received, to create a community school implementation plan that best serves its unique community. The district will use this plan to apply for a community schools implementation grant in spring 2025.
“It’s been great to be in the planning grant cohort with other districts and have thought partners to bounce ideas off or hear how they are addressing their community needs,” reflected Lindstrom.
By fostering collaboration, identifying needs, and leveraging existing partnerships, LHPUSD is successfully creating a stronger and more supportive learning environment for its students.