Hawthorne School District awarded an unprecedented $14.25 million community partnerships grant
The substantial grant facilitates support services at no cost for Hawthorne students and families through key partnerships with local community organizations.
May 18, 2023
The California Department of Education (CDE) and the State Board of Education (SBE) have awarded Hawthorne School District an unprecedented $14.25 million community partnerships grant as part of the 2022-2023 California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP).
One of the largest grants of the 128 issued across the state, Hawthorne School District’s community partnerships grant will fund initiatives that fall within four main pillars. These pillars thematically identify programs and resources to be made available at no cost to students and families, aiming to assist and enrich the local community for years to come.
“This grant is not just an investment in our schools, but a testament to our commitment to the future of our students and our community,” said Hawthorne School District Superintendent Dr. Brian Markarian. “We are excited about the possibilities this presents, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our schools and the broader community.”
All Hawthorne School District schools that were eligible to receive funding were successful in securing the grant awards. Funding will be allocated over a five-year period to enable four main categories of services for students and families:
- Pillar 1: Integrated Student Supports
- Pillar 2: Expanded Learning Time & Opportunities
- Pillar 3: Active Parent/Guardian & Community Engagement
- Pillar 4: Collaborative Leadership & Practices
Schools select their pillar and corresponding partnership with an outside organization to provide services free of charge. Community partnerships include: the UCLA Parent Project; Richstone Family Center; the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work; Beach Cities Health District; Family First Charter Schools; South Bay Workforce Investment Board; Los Angeles Education Partnership; Venice Family Clinic; Providence Health Services; Footsteps2Brilliance; California State University, Dominguez Hills GEAR UP, and many more.
The innovative and expansive grant makes a commitment to local families and Hawthorne School District students to support in areas such as mental health, basic needs, family engagement, physical health and well-being, support for special populations, college and career readiness, behavior interventions and support, and enrichment and intervention programs.
The wide array of programs and services aims to increase graduation rates, decrease chronic absenteeism and drop-out rates, drive a reduction in suspensions, and increase family engagement.
With the support of the grant, Hawthorne School District is poised to build and strengthen lasting relationships between our schools, students, families and the local community while also promoting wellness, equity, justice, and academic achievement.
Hawthorne School District is well-equipped to make significant progress in this area. According to a report published by the Learning Policy Institute in 2019, the district is designated as being a "positive outlier" district, one of only seven in California to be selected as a case study for the report. This was due to students in the district performing better than predicted on California’s math and English language arts tests from 2015 through 2017, even after accounting for differences in socioeconomic status. It was noted that Hawthorne School District achieved these results in part due to its commitment to a climate of respect, trust, and strong relationships, strong and stable district leadership, and a consistent approach to supporting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) instruction.
The "Hawthorne Way" has proven successful in supporting all students and closing gaps in achievement. With the support of the CCSPP grant, Hawthorne School District is well-positioned to continue improving educational quality and equity for its students.
As more information about the grants and their impact on the district becomes available, Hawthorne School District will provide regular updates.
