In May, Los Angeles Unified, a long-time L.A. Compact partner and signer, received a $30 million CCSPP investment to sustain and expand the District's Community Schools Initiative (CSI) for another five years. Community schools mobilize resources and transform instruction to more effectively meet the needs of students, building and leveraging partnerships to improve student outcomes such as attendance, academic achievement and high school graduation. In particular, community schools address local student and family needs in a culturally responsive manner, centering schools as important community conveners.

In the 2022-23 school year, there are 55 schools in various stages of Community School transformation under the district's Community Schools Initiative; however, CCSPP funds will allow the conversion of 23 additional schools over five years, which includes 21 schools in the newly elected Cohort four, plus Baldwin Hills Elementary and Venice High School (schools from previous cohorts that did not previously qualify for state funding).

Specifically, CCSPP funds will provide community schools with access to new resources, including: two new wellness centers, two high school work-based learning coordinators and college-readiness programs. It will also provide community school teams with more collaborative planning time and leadership training to better support the students in their schools.

To secure funding and strengthen CSI, UNITE-LA and LAUSD co-convened the L.A. Unified Community School Steering Committee in 2019. In September 2023, 16 new members kicked off one-year terms, with representatives from the City of Los Angeles Parks & Recreation, LACOE, UTLA, LAUSD's Black Student Achievement Program, LAUSD's Office of Student Health & Human Services, school site principals, community school coordinators, and community organizations. The Steering Committee plays four key roles:

• Ensuring adequate resources to sustain and expand Community Schools;
• Overseeing the selection of new schools;
• Supporting continuous learning and improvement; and
• Sharing successes and learnings from the initiative.