Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel is in full support of the Full-Service Community Schools Act, which aims to expand full-service community schools across the nation. He is an original co-sponsor of the legislation. The bill was introduced on Wednesday by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

These public schools coordinate academic and non-academic services, including health services, career counseling for parents, nutrition services, and early childhood education. They also provide students a full support network to help them succeed.

“Community schools are an essential tool towards providing every child in America with the best education possible. These schools incorporate the community’s resources into the education experience for children – including working with community members and businesses to provide services for students and families. Hillary Clinton’s book, ‘It Takes A Village,’ talked about how many diverse people and groups help raise and educate a child. Perhaps we should say ‘it takes a community’” said Rep. Engel.

The 11-term Congressman added, “Leading educators, along with President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, are strongly supporting this new generation of schools. Full-service community schools see better parent participation, higher attendance, and higher student achievement. As a former educator, I recognize those results are exactly what we are seeking from our schools.”

Some community services incorporated into the program are:
• Health clinics and dental care
• Mental health counseling
• English lessons or adult courses for parents
• Nutrition education
• Career advice

Community schools stay open well past regular school hours and are also open on weekends—and they quickly become the heart of their neighborhoods. The House bill would provide grants for school districts and states to create the kind of community-centered programs which have had so much success across the nation.

Harriet Cornell, Chairwoman of the Rockland County Legislature, stated, "It is now fully known how important the home and community are to the education of our children. When you improve one, you improve them all, and you greatly increase the odds of every child getting the best possible education. Money invested in the optimal development of children is wisely invested and, in the long run, saves money--and lives.” Cornell, founder and Chair of Rockland 21C (Rockland 21st Century Collaborative for Children and Youth), a unique countywide public-private collaboration which includes eight school districts, has an extensive history in the effective integration of family, school and community programs.

The bill is supported by the Coalition for Community Schools and many members of the education community, including: Rockland 21C, the American Federation of Teachers, Children’s Aid Society, Communities in Schools, National Education Association, the National Association of State Boards of Education, National Assembly for School-Based Health Care, and other higher education institutions.