In Leon County, more than 9,400 children live in poverty – one of the highest rates in Florida. Their caregivers wake up each morning worried about necessities: housing, food, healthcare, and employment. For these families, education takes a back seat to survival.
But what if a school could address a child’s education as well as provide healthcare, nutritional support, and family resources all under one roof?
This innovative approach exists in our area through the Community Partnership Schools model. The concept is both simple and revolutionary: transform Title I schools into community hubs where education, healthcare, and social services unite to support the child and their family.
Students at Sabal Palm Elementary School make their way through the halls to get to their classrooms on the first day of school Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023.
The results speak for themselves. While Florida schools saw a 7.8 % rise in absenteeism post-COVID, rates for Community Partnership Schools dropped 3.5 %. Disciplinary referrals drop by an average of 50% after implementation. Furthermore, high schools with this model have seen graduation rates increase by an average of 30%, generating an $800 million economic impact for Florida.
Leon and Jefferson counties each have a shining example of this transformation: Sabal Palm Elementary and Jefferson K-12 schools.
Located in 32304 – one of the poorest zip codes in the state with more than 40% of children living in poverty – Sabal Palm faced significant challenges before becoming a Community Partnership School in 2018. The school had limited access to healthcare services, with virtually no nearby doctors or dentists.
Today, through partnerships with Florida State University and Bond Community Health Center, Sabal Palm hosts a bi-weekly on-campus health and mobile dental clinic. Recently, a student experiencing tooth pain for over two years received treatment through the on-site dental clinic, missing limited instructional time.
Nearby, Jefferson County K-12 became a Community Partnership School in 2022, with strong commitments from local partners. When Hurricane Debbie destroyed the home of a family of two students last August, the school mobilized quickly, providing food, clothing, shoes, and toiletries.
As a member of the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Prosperity Advisory Board, I’m deeply committed to the goal of cutting childhood poverty in half by 2030. Our Community Partnership Schools are collaborating with local businesses, creating talent pipelines into higher-paying careers for the youth they serve, thus breaking the cycle of generational poverty.
The Community Partnership Schools model represents what’s possible when institutions work together with a common purpose and strong leadership of superintendents like Rocky Hanna (Leon) and Jackie Pons (Jefferson). By supporting families and removing barriers to learning, we help children come to school ready to learn and start on a pathway to economic mobility.
Sen. Corey Simon listens to Senate President Ben Albritton speak during opening day of the Florida legislative session on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
This is working – but we can’t stop now. Our sincere gratitude to Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee and Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee, who have fought to expand these services statewide.
We are requesting House and Senate champions to continue their support and commitment and fund an additional $9.7 million this session to expand this model to thousands more students and their families. Our children deserve it. Our community depends on it.
Andry Sweet
Andry Sweet is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Home Society of Florida. For more information about Children’s Home Society of Florida and Community Partnership Schools, visit chsfl.org/community-partnership-schools.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Community Partnership Schools are changing lives in Florida | Opinion
