On January 30, Communities In Schools staff, students, volunteers and board members spent the day in the Capitol meeting with state senators and representatives.
During “Olympia Day,” 53 Communities In Schools supporters attended nearly 60 meetings with legislators, sharing stories and outcomes of the organization’s work and requesting support for expanding existing site coordination programs to serve more students.
“Site coordination is something we can do right now to help give more students the opportunity to stay in school,” says Susan Richards, state director of Communities In Schools of Washington. “Our whole child support is an important part of basic education, allowing students to be surrounded with a comprehensive community of support, empowering them to stay in school and have a better chance to achieve in life.”
Last year the Communities In Schools of Washington network partnered with 160 of the state’s most challenged public schools to reach 54,067 students. Communities In Schools site coordinators’ support helped students improve academic performance, attendance and behavior. Most notably, 99% of students served by Communities In Schools stayed in school and 96% were promoted to the next grade or graduated.
