Communities Serving Schools Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.7333 | Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Susie (D-NV)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Communities Serving Schools Act of 2021
This bill directs the Department of Education to award four-year competitive grants to state and local educational agencies for implementing wraparound services in public elementary and secondary schools. Wraparound service refers to a school-based service that targets academic and non-academic barriers to student achievement, including assistance with academics and physical and mental health, provision of basic needs (e.g., food, housing, and clothing), and college and career preparation.
A state educational agency that receives a grant must award subgrants to local educational agencies. A local educational agency that receives a grant or subgrant must use these funds for certain activities, such as hiring an on-site coordinator to ensure wraparound services are aligned with student needs and to connect students with those services.

To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a program to assist 
   certain schools with respect to the implementation of wraparound 
                   services, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Communities Serving Schools Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. WRAPAROUND SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--From the amounts appropriated under subsection 
(f), the Secretary of Education shall award grants, on a competitive 
basis, to State educational agencies or local educational agencies in 
order to provide, to eligible schools, wraparound services that address 
out-of-school factors that interfere with learning.
    (b) Applications.--
            (1) Grant application.--To be eligible for a grant under 
        this section, a State educational agency or local educational 
        agency shall submit to the Secretary an application in such 
        form, at such time, and containing such information as the 
        Secretary determines appropriate.
            (2) Subgrant application.--To be eligible for a subgrant 
        under this section, a local educational agency shall submit to 
        the appropriate State educational agency an application in such 
        form, at such time, and containing such information as the 
        State educational agency determines appropriate.
    (c) Use of Funds.--
            (1) Use of funds by state educational agency.--A State 
        educational agency that receives grant funds under subsection 
        (a) shall use such funds to award subgrants to local 
        educational agencies served by the State educational agency.
            (2) Use of funds by local educational agency.--A local 
        educational agency that receives grant funds under subsection 
        (a) or subgrant funds under paragraph (1) shall use the funds 
        for the following activities for each eligible school served by 
        the local educational agency:
                    (A) Implementing a planning period that involves--
                            (i) assessing the needs and strengths of 
                        the school; and
                            (ii) selecting relevant programs and tiered 
                        supports that match the individual needs of 
                        each student.
                    (B) Partnering with a nonprofit or community-based 
                organization with a demonstrated record of providing 
                high-quality, evidence-based wraparound services for 
                children.
                    (C) Hiring an on-site coordinator who will--
                            (i) ensure wraparound services are aligned 
                        with student needs; and
                            (ii) connect students to the right services 
                        and supports in an efficient manner.
                    (D) Ensuring integration of wraparound services 
                within the school.
                    (E) Tracking data on an annual basis.
    (d) Duration.--A grant or subgrant awarded under this section shall 
be for a 4-year period.
    (e) Limitation.--With respect to a 4-year grant period, a local 
educational agency may only receive a grant or a subgrant under this 
section for such grant period.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date on 
        which the first grant is awarded under this section, and 2 
        years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report (with information disaggregated in accordance with 
        paragraph (2)) including--
                    (A) with respect to an eligible school receiving 
                assistance under this section, descriptions of any 
                changes relating to--
                            (i) average daily attendance;
                            (ii) on-time graduation rate;
                            (iii) chronic absenteeism;
                            (iv) rate of promotion to the following 
                        grade;
                            (v) student health (including mental 
                        health);
                            (vi) behavioral issues, including--
                                    (I) issues that harm the well-being 
                                of a student; and
                                    (II) issues that put a student at 
                                risk of not graduating;
                            (vii) overall academic progress;
                            (viii) annual dropout rates;
                            (ix) school climate; and
                            (x) school engagement; and
                    (B) recommendations with respect to best practices 
                for implementing high-quality wraparound services in 
                elementary and secondary schools, including with 
                respect to--
                            (i) data tracking;
                            (ii) integration of services;
                            (iii) conducting assessments of the needs 
                        and strengths of a school; and
                            (iv) partnering with organizations.
            (2) Disaggregation.--
                    (A) In general.--The information described under 
                paragraph (1)(A), with respect to a school, shall be 
                disaggregated, where appropriate, by--
                            (i) all students enrolled in such school; 
                        and
                            (ii) all students--
                                    (I) enrolled in such school; and
                                    (II) receiving wraparound services.
                    (B) Further disaggregation.--The information 
                disaggregated in accordance with clauses (i) and (ii) 
                of subparagraph (A) shall be further disaggregated by--
                            (i) race;
                            (ii) ethnicity; and
                            (iii) income.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000,000.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) ESEA terms.--
                    (A) In general.--The terms ``elementary school'', 
                ``local educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and 
                ``State educational agency'' have the meanings given 
                such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
                    (B) Eligible school attendance area.--The term 
                ``eligible school attendance area'' has the meaning 
                given such term in section 1113(a)(2) of the Elementary 
                and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                6313(a)(2)).
            (2) Eligible school.--The term ``eligible school'' means a 
        public elementary school or secondary school that serves an 
        eligible school attendance area.
            (3) Wraparound service.--The term ``wraparound service'' 
        means a school-based service that targets academic and non-
        academic barriers to student achievement, including--
                    (A) assistance with--
                            (i) academics;
                            (ii) mental health; or
                            (iii) physical health;
                    (B) provision of basic needs (including food, 
                housing, and clothing);
                    (C) enrichment and after-school programs;
                    (D) life skills;
                    (E) behavioral interventions;
                    (F) college and career preparation; and
                    (G) service and community-based learning.
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