The Los Angeles County Office of Education's Community Schools Initiative (LACOE CSI) continues to transform education across L.A. County through the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP). This community school model empowers students, families, educators and community members to work together to strengthen conditions for student learning and build sustainable support systems rooted in equity, shared decision-making and student well-being.  

LACOE's Community Schools Initiative operates through two complementary units that work in tandem to drive this positive change:

• The Greater Los Angeles Regional Transformational Assistance Center (R-TAC) provides collective and individualized support to all grantees of the CCSPP.

• The School-Based Implementation unit directly supports 23 school sites with LACOE staff serving as practitioners of the community schools model. 

In the 2024-25 school year, LACOE’s Community Schools Initiative has expanded its reach and deepened its impact by supporting over 464 schools across the region in planning or implementing the community schools model. This support has been made possible through CCSPP investments of over $660 million to schools in L.A. County, which accounts for nearly 24% of all CCSPP grant funding across the state. 

When recent fires affected local communities, LACOE Community Schools staff stepped up to provide direct social-emotional, mental health and basic needs support to school staff, families and students as they returned to the classroom. Alongside Pasadena Unified School District staff, LACOE team members helped create safe, restorative spaces for students and staff, delivered crucial mental health services and connected families to critical resources at school to help them navigate the trauma and stress caused by the wildfires.

Additionally, LACOE Community Schools Initiative staff have been proactive in addressing immigration-related concerns by regularly sharing resources and training sessions with community schools throughout L.A. County. By coordinating such efforts, LACOE has helped ensure that support systems remain accessible, community-centered and responsive to the evolving needs of affected families and school communities.  

The 2024-25 school year has seen remarkable engagement, with the Greater Los Angeles R-TAC offering 77 learning opportunities that reached over 3,100 attendees, representing 745 unique individuals, from various school sites and local educational agencies. The R-TAC also has engaged in 459 support activities with CCSPP grantees across L.A. County, including informal on-site and virtual consultation visits. 

As the new school year approaches, LACOE's Community Schools Initiative is poised for continued growth and impact, expanding its support to over 500 community schools in the region with the addition of new CCSPP grantees (Cohort 4).

LACOE's Community Schools Initiative aims to create equitable, inclusive and socially just learning environments for all students and families. By integrating support services, family engagement and collaborative leadership, LACOE’s Community Schools Initiative shows how the community schools model can transform education to meet diverse student needs in Los Angeles County.