The Hartford Foundation has committed $3.1 million over three years in support of a public-private partnership to help develop “community schools” in Hartford.

Other members of the Hartford Community-School Partnership, which launched in July, 2008, are the Hartford Public Schools, the City of Hartford Mayor’s Office (including Hartford Office for Young Children and Office for Youth Services), and the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut.  The partnership is an outgrowth of a plan developed by Superintendent Steven Adamowski to create a new system of high quality, high performing schools to close the urban-suburban achievement gap.

Built around a strong instructional core, community schools remain open well beyond the hours of a regular school day – before and after school, into the evening, even weekends, and throughout the summer – to offer an array of educational, cultural, medical and social services for the entire family.  A nonprofit agency coordinates the services with school officials.

A review of more than 40 major community school models across the country shows gains in student attendance, academic achievement, parent involvement, safety, and improved student-teacher relationships.

Hartford Community Schools is being implemented in five schools in Hartford over several years:

• Alfred E. Burr School
• Dr. Joseph J. Bellizzi Middle School
• Core Knowledge Academy at Thirman L. Milner
• Hartford Magnet Middle School
• The Academy for Latino Studies at Burns

Agencies receiving grants from the Hartford Foundation to coordinate the services are COMPASS Youth Collaborative, The Village for Families & Children, and Catholic Charities.

“Research shows that community schools improve student development because they have advantages that traditional schools, acting alone, do not have,” said Sara Sneed, senior program officer, who oversees the initiative.  “By mobilizing numerous human and financial resources, these schools foster students’ social, emotional and physical growth, as well as specific academic gains.”

The development of community schools in Hartford builds on many of the core elements of the Foundation’s After-School Initiative, established in 1994 to provide sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in five city schools with a safe, educational and fun way to spend their afternoons by offering sports and cultural programs.