Enos Garcia as a Community School

Bringing Taos Resources Together to Support Students and Their Families

The Challenge

� Many Taos students falling behind in school

� Significant poverty

� Adverse childhood experiences limit ability to learn

� Some Taos schools struggling with math and literacy and other important indicators

� Teachers and social workers under intense pressure

� Community-wide issue

Taos School Zone

� Collective impact project founded in 2015

� Mission: to bring nonprofits, schools, teachers, caregivers together to achieve common goals

� Special project of Taos Community Foundation

� Advisory Council of community members

� First years spent listening, identifying challenges

� Dozens of teachers

� School administrators

� Parents

� Community members

� More than two dozen nonprofits working with schoolchildren

Taos Municipal Schools

� Has been interested in the concept of community schools as a possible strategy

� Asked School Zone to research various models in operation in New Mexico and elsewhere

� Chose an appropriate model and decided to move forward with making Enos Garcia the first community school in Taos� Build on existing resources and programs at Enos Garcia

� Enos Garcia Nurturing Center

� Existing social services and community involvement

What is a Community School?

� A place of partnership between school and community

� Integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement� Expanded learning time and opportunities

� Builds resources around supporting the whole child and the family

� Organizes existing resources and programs

� Integrates early childhood efforts with K-12

� Staffed by a full-time community school coordinator

How Will This Work?

� Taos Municipal Schools will hire the coordinator for Enos Garcia

� Taos Community Foundation and TSZ have committed to:� Make a first investment for part of the first year of operation

� Work with TMS to find support for first years of operation

� Advocate for state funding for future support

� HB589 provides $5.1M for community schools statewide

What Are We Asking of the Town?

Passage of a resolution supporting TMS in its efforts to establish a community school at Enos Garcia and encouraging the legislature to provide funding

� Taos children and families deserve all the support we can give them

� We have the resources in Taos—coordination is the challenge

� Community schools have been demonstrated nationwide to be an evidence-based, cost-effective best practice to improve school performance and student achievement