Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) recently co-sponsored a bill that would establish a competitive grant program to increase the number of full-service community schools available across the country.
The Full-Service Community Schools Act of 2014 would take steps to expand the number of K-12 schools that provide education, as well as health and social services to its students, according to a press release.
“As a former school board member and school board president in Peoria, I know firsthand the challenges that parents, teachers and school administrators face every day,” Schock said. “Motivating children to learn, teaching them to succeed and meeting their basic needs are a daily concern for everyone involved. Full-service community schools are important tools in this effort.”
The measure would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to authorize the Department of Education to issue five-year grants that would help states offset the costs of implementing full-service community schools.
“These schools are making a difference for educators, parents and most importantly the students,” Schock said. “The Full-Service Community Schools Act of 2014 will expand opportunities and benefit neighborhoods in need.”
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who co-sponsored the bill, said it would help close the achievement gap and ensure that graduating seniors are career-ready.
“This bill, which I am pleased to introduce with Rep. Schock today, is a bipartisan measure that will help children from low-income families close the achievement gap,” Hoyer said. “In Maryland, a network of Judith P. Hoyer Early Childhood and Family Education Centers, named for my late wife, has employed the full-service community school model with great success in making sure children are prepared for kindergarten and that parents have the tools they need to support their children’s learning. I hope the House will act on this bill without delay so that children across the country can benefit from this approach as well.”