Communities In Schools Kicks Off Back-to-School Effort in Nationwide Expansion to Support 130,000 More Students

Contact: Whitney Faison, [email protected], 703-518-2575

Communities In Schools^® (CIS^®), the nation’s leading provider of integrated student supports (ISS), has announced the first round of CIS affiliates to receive a portion of an investment provided by the Ballmer Group, expanding integrated student supports to 1,000 new majority low-income schools over the next five years.  

The first round of funding distributed to affiliates totals $13 million of the $165 million Ballmer investment. The funding is designed to catalyze local public and private investment in the CIS model through a 1:1 match requirement over the first three years and commitments to sustain the work long-term.  

Thirty-six CIS affiliates, in partnership with local school districts, applied to access the funds. The 2023-2024 cohort is expected to reach approximately 213 new schools and deepen resources at 32 existing CIS school sites.

“Communities In Schools is gearing up for back-to-school with a catalytic investment to reach even more students, teachers, and school administrators, with our model of school based integrated student supports. We believe a trained and caring adult, working alongside educators to remove barriers standing in the way of student success is vital at a time that teachers are being asked to do so much. In partnership with Ballmer Group, affiliates and licensed partners are prepared to increase their impact and reach more students this year, ensuring all students have the resources necessary to achieve their success goals.” -Rey Saldaña, president and CEO, Communities In Schools National Office 

The selected CIS affiliates represent 14 states from coast-to-coast, including, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. This investment will also support Pasadena Unified School District in Pasadena, California as a licensed partner.  

This school year, CIS estimates the creation of 260 new jobs, including direct service staff working inside schools. This scaling initiative will provide the CIS model to 130,000 new students in addition to the 1.8 million already served. 

Communities In Schools works by bringing community resources directly into schools through embedding a trained local coordinator whose sole focus is helping connect students with additional supports to help them engage in their learning, advance in grade level and graduate.  

This investment enables CIS, in partnership with school districts and local schools, to provide critical coordinated resources to students through a trained professional who can help connect them to supports and services needed to succeed in school.    

With the increased presence of Communities In Schools nationwide, Title I schools are directly impacted through our proven ISS model. This results in positive outcomes of student success, increased attendance and engagement and more students graduating from high school.   

More About Communities In Schools   

Communities In Schools^® (CIS^®) is a national organization that ensures every student, regardless of race, zip code, or socioeconomic background, has what they need to realize their potential in school and beyond. Working directly inside 3,000 schools across the country, we connect students to caring adults and community resources that help them see, confront, and overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. Together, we build a powerful change movement made up of peers, students, and alumni committed to building an equitable path to education for future generations. For more than four decades, Communities In Schools has demonstrated measurable success in creating equitable outcomes for schools and students of color and students that live in impoverished communities. Visit https://www.communitiesinschools.org/ to learn more.  

About Ballmer Group   

Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities. We focus on multiple impact areas and systems that can impact economic mobility – such as early learning, K-12 education, college and career pathways, housing, behavioral health, and criminal justice – and we support leaders and organizations that focus on undoing systemic racism and the barriers it has created. Ballmer Group is both a national and regional funder – we have a presence and invest deeply in southeast Michigan, Washington State, and Los Angeles County. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at www.ballmergroup.org.