Foundation Aid: Community Schools Set-Aside Guidance

Introduction

The set-aside within the State’s primary operating aid formula applies to school districts that have been identified as high-need, with an additional requirement for schools with extraordinary high levels of student need, as defined by the Commissioner of Education. Districts will use the funding to provide students and their families with the supports students need to ensure readiness to learn a rigorous curriculum; support connections between schools and community organizations that offer enrichment or social/health services; and encourage the use of school sites as community resources.

Definition of Community Schools

Community Schools are public schools that emphasize family engagement and are characterized by strong partnership and additional supports for students and families designed to counter environmental factors that impede student achievement. While some of the specific attributes of a Community School program vary based on the needs of the respective community, all Community Schools share the following characteristics:

• A rigorous academic program with strong supports to prepare all students for college, careers, and citizenship, that supplements quality curriculum with expanded learning opportunities, keeps students engaged, and ensures high levels of accountability;
• A full range of school-based and school-linked programs and services based on a needs assessment of the community that address the comprehensive needs of students and their families and that work with families as essential partners in student success;
• Partnerships that demonstrate collaboration with the local community by engaging families and other community stakeholders, and drawing on a broad set of resources by incorporating local and State government agencies, non-profit service providers, institutions of higher education, and the philanthropic and business communities to extend the impact and depth of services and programs.

Allowable Expenditures by Category

Subdivision 4(e) of section 3602 of the Education Law provides guidance on allowable expenditures.

For services outlined in the statute and addressed below, costs for provider salary/benefits or contracts are eligible expenditures, except where otherwise specified, whether the service is provided by district employees, contracted individuals, or community-based organizations, as long as the costs support an expansion of an existing service or resource, or for new Community Schools strategies.

District expenditures of set-aside funds from prior years are not subject to the supplement-not-supplant requirement.  Districts may continue to use these funds in the current year in the same manner as previous years, or may choose to reprogram them to another allowable purpose to maximize effective use of funds. Districts opting to reprogram funds must use the funds to supplement and not supplant existing services and resources.

Eligible expenditures may include, but are not limited to:

1. Academic

• New contract and/or salary and benefit costs for the provision of professional development that improves classroom instruction for providers of regular instruction, credit-bearing enrichment programming or academic support services for students;
• New contract and/or salary and benefit costs for providers of enrichment and or supplemental academic services provided to students;
• New contract and/or salary and benefit costs for providers of high school equivalency, English language or similar instruction for families or community members;
• Costs of supplemental instructional materials to support regular classroom instruction or academic enrichment services for students;
• Provision of developmentally appropriate early childhood education programs, not otherwise provided by the school;
• Other costs of academic support services approved by the Commissioner.

2. Health, Mental Health and Counseling, Dental Care

• New contract and/or salary and benefit costs for fully licensed and certified professional providers of these services;
• New contract and/or salary and benefit costs for providers of career counseling services for students, families, or community members;
• Initial site preparation and set-up expenses;
• Provision of pupil services (including violence prevention counseling) and referrals for such services;
• Referrals for medical, dental, other health services, and social service;
• Other related costs which are not supported through other available funding such as Medicaid.

3. Trauma-Informed Support

• New costs to improve sensitivity and response to trauma, including contract and/or salary and benefit costs for staff or services to improve understanding, recognition of, and response to the effects of trauma, and to provide physically, psychologically, and emotionally safe environments for learning.

4. After-School Programming

• New costs for other services to students and their families, including but not limited to: a) extended day programs; b) after-school academic enrichment and/or youth development programs; c) after-school tutoring or academic support; and d) after-school nutrition and/or physical education programs.

5. Allowable Programs for English Language Learners (Dual Language Programs)

• New costs associated with approved program models for ELLs in school districts including: a) Bilingual Education which includes Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) Programs and One- or Two-Way Dual Language Programs (OWDL/TWDL), and b) English as a New Language (ENL) Programs (formerly known as English as a Second Language or ESL).⁽¹⁾

6. Nutrition

• New contract and/or salary and benefit costs for providers of nutritional education;
• Site preparation for ‘food bank’ type spaces;
• Seeds, growing equipment, etc. for a community garden;
• Other costs of nutrition programs approved by the Commissioner.

7. Legal Services

• Districts may prepare and provide space for the provision of low- or no-cost legal services by external providers.

8. Other services to students and their families including, but not limited to, new costs for:

• Extended day programs;
• Programs that address the needs of homeless students and their families;
• Career exploration or preparation programs;
• Technology access and instruction;
• Provision of education and training to parents of students about the curriculum, post-graduation opportunities, educational rights, and available resources.

9. Salary and benefit costs for a Community School site coordinator.

10. Costs of coordination between schools and service agencies.

11. Excess cost of transportation to services provided under the Community Schools Plan (e.g., portion of transportation expense not covered by State Aid or Medicaid reimbursement).

12. Other costs incurred to maximize students' academic achievement.

In addition, any district whose 2017-18 Community Schools increase amount exceeded one million dollars ($1,000,000) shall use an amount equal to the greater of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) or ten percent of that increase to support Community Schools transformation (as noted in purposes one through ten above) at schools with extraordinary high levels of student need, as designated by the Commissioner of Education, including at least $100,000 specifically in such designated schools.  For a list of designated schools, please see Appendix A.

Accounting and Reporting Community Schools Set-Aside Funds

Consistent with prior year reporting, these funds must be accounted for in the school district’s general fund and under appropriate existing codes within the annual ST-3 report. However, school districts are also required to document new expenditures eligible under this guidance supported by the current year Community Schools aid set-aside increase. These items will be submitted through the State Aid Management System (SAMS), using the NYSED Business Portal.

Contact Information

Districts should contact the Office of Student Support Services at (518) 486-6090 with programmatic questions regarding Community Schools and questions regarding whether and where to include expenses on the new SAMS Community Schools Expenditure Form. Questions related to the operation or submission of the new SAMS form should be directed to the State Aid Office at (518) 474-2977.

County	Community School District	School Name
ERIE	BUFFALO	DR ANTONIA PANTOJA COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF ACADEMIC EXC
ERIE	BUFFALO	HARRIET ROSS TUBMAN ACADEMY
MONROE	ROCHESTER	SCHOOL 28 HENRY HUDSON
MONROE	ROCHESTER	SCHOOL 50 HELEN BARRETT MONTGOMERY
ONONDAGA	SYRACUSE	GRANT MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUFFOLK	BRENTWOOD	LAUREL PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WESTCHESTER	YONKERS	SCHOOL 13
BRONX	NYC DIST # 7 - BRONX	IS 584
BRONX	NYC DIST # 8 - BRONX	PS 48 JOSEPH R DRAKE
BRONX	NYC DIST # 9 - BRONX	LUCERO ELEMENTARY
BRONX	NYC DIST # 9 - BRONX	PS 165 ARTHUR R SCHOMBURG
BRONX	NYC DIST # 11 - BRONX	PS 105 SENATOR ABRAHAM BERNSTEIN
KINGS	NYC DIST # 17 - BROOKLYN	DR JACQUELINE PEEK-DAVIS SCHOOL
KINGS	NYC DIST # 17 - BROOKLYN	MS 246 WALT WHITMAN
KINGS	NYC DIST # 17 - BROOKLYN	PS 241 EMMA L JOHNSTON
KINGS	NYC DIST # 18 - BROOKLYN	IS 68 ISAAC BILDERSEE
KINGS	NYC DIST # 18 - BROOKLYN	PS 135 SHELDON A BROOKNER
KINGS	NYC DIST # 19 - BROOKLYN	PS 149 DANNY KAYE
KINGS	NYC DIST # 21 - BROOKLYN	PS 177 MARLBORO (THE)
KINGS	NYC DIST # 23 - BROOKLYN	BROOKLYN ENVIRONMENTAL EXPLORATION SCHOOL (BEES)
KINGS	NYC DIST # 23 - BROOKLYN	IS 392
NEW YORK	NYC DIST # 6 - MANHATTAN	PS 192 JACOB H SCHIFF
NEW YORK	NYC DIST # 3 - MANHATTAN	STEM INSTITUTE OF MANHATTAN
NEW YORK	NYC DIST # 5 - MANHATTAN	PS 194 COUNTEE CULLEN
QUEENS	NYC DIST # 27 - QUEENS	PS 65 RAYMOND YORK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (THE)
QUEENS	NYC DIST # 29 - QUEENS	IS 238 SUSAN B ANTHONY ACADEMY
QUEENS	NYC DIST # 29 - QUEENS	PS 52
RICHMOND	NYC DIST # 31 - STATEN ISLAND	PS 78

 

(1) For a more in-depth look at these programs please go to the Commissioner's Regulations Part 154 (CR Part 154).