Community Schools Connection


Issue #9 March 2026

Grantee Spotlight

Aspire Port City Academy and Aspire APEX: Building a Unified Team for Students and Families

Walk into Aspire Port City Academy or Aspire APEX Academy in Stockton and you quickly get a sense that something is different. The school day and the afterschool program feel like one team working toward the same goals for the same kids. That is not by accident. District leadership has made it a clear expectation that the Community School Director and Expanded Learning Director communicate and collaborate regularly across both schools. Vannak Hang, Aspire Central Valley Regional Director of Community Schools and Expanded Learning Programs, describes this approach as having "moved partnership from being optional to being essential."


At Port City, that expectation has taken root in a meaningful way. Community School Site Director Ranetta Collins and Expanded Learning Site Director Petra Sanchez meet regularly to ensure that student needs, family engagement, and enrichment opportunities are aligned and connected across the school day and afterschool program. Their collaboration is "grounded in consistent collaboration and shared purpose" with a clear goal of providing a unified support system for students and families. Collins echoes the same thought, noting that their partnership has led to stronger program alignment, deeper community partnerships, and more meaningful opportunities for scholars.


At APEX, Community School Site Director Achal Nadan and Expanded Learning Site Director Yuliana Acevedo bring that same spirit to their work. Simply put, in their own words, “Community Schools and Expanded Learning are besties.” Built on consistent communication and a unified vision for the whole child, their partnership spans academic interventions, attendance initiatives, family engagement, and enrichment programming. The results of this partnership has led to improved attendance, stronger family connections, and a more cohesive school culture where students feel supported throughout the entire day.

The impact on students across both schools is tangible. Principal Shelby Schmidt at Port City has observed that students in the Expanded Learning Program historically perform better on both standardized and internal assessments. She connects this not just to academic support, but to something broader. Students gain exposure to hands-on enrichment activities with community partners, develop stronger collaboration and independence, and build confidence that carries over into the school day.


Principal Schmidt states, "The program is absolutely an extension of what scholars are learning during the day" and the benefits "help students thrive as learners." For families, this kind of intentional alignment means they are not navigating separate systems but experiencing, as Julie Rietema, Regional Program Manager for Community Schools describes, "a connected network of support" where everything works together around the needs of the whole child.

Meet the Team

R-TAC

Professional Learnings

April








May

SCOE/PCOE Community Schools Related Professional Learnings

PCOE 


January - May


March









April


















May

SCOE 

March





April



  • 13th - Critical Wellbeing, email sel@scoe.net for more information



June



Ongoing Training Opportunities






News & Updates

California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP)

Proposed permanent funding of Community Schools

Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing $1 billion in permanent annual funding to expand California’s community schools model, citing early gains in attendance, behavior and academics. State analysts, however, raise concerns about long‑term costs and accountability. Read the full story to see what this could mean for the future of whole‑child support in California.


2026 CCSPP Reporting Now Open

The California Department of Education has officially opened the 2026 CCSPP reporting season. Grantees will complete three required reports for the 2025–26 program year:

  • Site-Level APR – due June 30, 2026
  • LEA-Level APR – due July 31, 2026
  • Annual Expenditure Report (AER) – due September 11, 2026




State Transformational Assistance Center (S-TAC)

Coherence and Sustainability Webinar

This webinar series focuses on building coherence to support long-term sustainability of the CCSPP. The April 7 session will highlight student, family, and community engagement.

Please find the registration details linked here.


Virtual APR support:

The STAC is hosting virtual sessions, each including a walkthrough of APR expectations, recent updates, and guidance for completing required sections. Upcoming sessions include:

  • March 18, 11:00–12:00 (Site-Level)
  • April 15, 2:00–3:00 (Site-Level)
  • May 5, 9:00–10:00 (LEA-Level)

Sessions will be recorded and uploaded to Digital Commons.


Zoom Information:

Link: https://scoe.zoom.us/j/85803269446

Meeting ID: 858 0326 9446


2026 Community Schools EMPOWER Summit

Join us in Ontario, CA on September 10–11, 2026 for S‑TAC’s annual EMPOWER Summit—bringing together educators, students, families, and partners from across the state to celebrate progress and spark new ideas. Expect dynamic keynotes, interactive sessions, and inspiring stories that highlight what’s possible when schools and communities unite.

Registration coming soon!




Regional Transformational Assistance Center (R-TAC)

Annual Progress Report (APR) Trainings

Additional support sessions will be offered to help LEAs and school sites complete their Site- and LEA-level APRs. More details will be shared soon.

R-TAC Partner Highlight

Third District Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

PTA/Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)/Parent Teacher Committee (PTC) – What’s the difference? Does it matter? The structure of each is similar yet often there are dramatic differences that can matter for your parents and families. PTAs, which is a broad designation of the official California State PTA organization, which is made up of regions (known as Districts) that support the school-level PTAs (known as Units). Locally, here in the Third District PTA, which supports Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba counties. Third District PTA provides direct support to parents, families and communities in starting a PTA, including conducting informational and organizational meetings and thereafter, supporting the governance requirements necessary for establishing each site’s PTA. The support provided includes setting up bank accounts, insurance, training, meeting governance, tax filing support and so much more.



PTA units never walk alone. If you are interested in learning more and/ or would like to establish a PTA in your school or district, please email President@3rdPTA.org and they will reach out to you.

SEL Integration:


CS Forward Framework

Download the full Framework: Essentials for Community School Transformation document.

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