Pending funding approval from the Florida Legislature, the Community School Grant Program (CSGP) will soon be accepting applications for the 2025-26 school year.
Interested in getting a head start? The information and resources below are available to help you begin planning and preparing your CSGP application.
Note: While some details may be subject to change, the materials provided are intended to serve as a planning guide. All awards are contingent upon the approval of funding for Fiscal Year 2025-26.
The Florida Legislature established the Community School Grant Program to fund and support the planning and implementation of Community Partnership Schools across the state.
Community Partnership Schools offer integrated academic, social and health services for students, staff, families and community members — all with the goal of improving academic outcomes for children. Services are coordinated and aligned based on identified student and family needs, and they are organized around clearly defined results and outcomes developed in collaboration with the core partners.
Grant Information
The Community School Grant Program aims to address critical education needs in public elementary or secondary schools by supporting students in meeting rigorous academic standards through a community school strategy. The UCF Center for Community Schools will award up to $80,000 in planning grant funds to selected applicants to support the establishment of new Community Partnership Schools in Florida.
Grant awards must be used to establish a Community Partnership School, including the onboarding of a Community Partnership School Director. Remaining funds may be allocated toward staff, supplies and/or other project-related needs outlined in the proposal and approved by the UCF Center for Community Schools. A 25% cost share of the full award amount is required. The nonprofit core partner is responsible for securing the cost share across the partnership, regardless of when the director is onboarded.
In addition to funding, established partners will receive ongoing training and technical assistance from the UCF Center for Community Schools to support effective planning, implementation and evaluation of the Community Partnership School.
Note: All applications must include the name, email address and phone number of a primary contact who can answer questions and discuss award information.
Begin planning for the 2025 Community School Grant Program application!
Introduction to Community Partnership Schools (CPS)
Learn more about the Community Partnership School model.
Build and Prepare Your CPS Team
The planning grant application requires a commitment from four or more core partners (a community-based nonprofit, a school district, a university or college, and a healthcare provider) interested in implementing a Community Partnership School in a public elementary or secondary school.
The nonprofit organization must serve as the fiscal agent for the award, be responsible for hiring the CPS director, and demonstrate the capacity to manage fiscal responsibilities under a cost-reimbursable model. All four (or more) core partners must have a primary contact listed in the application and agree to an active role in supporting the proposed CPS site. Review the roles and expectations of CPS core partners in the additional resources packet.
Begin Preparing Application Materials
Provide a summary of the Community Partnership School proposal (500-word limit). Review the required signature page in the additional resources packet.
Explain how the proposed Community Partnership School will benefit the community. Provide detailed information about the school and broader community the project aims to serve. Include relevant demographic information, school grade, population and enrollment figures, as well as information related to attendance, behavior, academic achievement, family and community needs, and overall well-being indicators. Highlight existing community assets, explain how needs were identified, and describe how the proposed project will address those needs (500-word limit).
Demonstrate a committed, long-term core partnership consisting of a school district, a university or college, a community-based nonprofit, and a healthcare provider. Describe the roles and contributions of each core partner, including assets they bring to the project. Describe how the four core partnership entities have previously worked together, including dates, years and a summary of joint activities or initiatives. Outline the partnership’s governance structure and explain how the core partners will maintain a collaborative, shared decision-making approach (500-word limit).
Letters of support/intent from all core partners and/or a core partner memorandum of understanding (MOU) must be included as part of the application submission; an MOU is preferred. A letter of support from the school principal must also be included, along with a signed agreement of support from the school district.
If a planning grant is awarded, the partnership must submit a fully executed MOU or final draft of the MOU by the end of the planning grant year. An example MOU template is provided in the additional resources packet.
Successful Community Partnership Schools are rooted in strong local support. Describe the involvement and commitment of faith leaders, service providers, businesses, community members and other stakeholders who are dedicated to advancing the goals of the community school. Highlight specific contributions — such as services, funding, volunteer hours or in-kind resources — and include quantifiable community assets that will support the school’s success (500-word limit). Letters of support are encouraged.
Describe the proposed Community Partnership School project in detail. Outline the programs and services to be implemented and explain how they will align with and complement the school’s existing assets, resources and services. Describe how both new and existing supports will be integrated into the school’s core operations and programming. Additionally, explain how the proposed programs and services will align to the four CPS pillars of collaborative leadership, expanded learning, wellness supports, and family and community engagement (750-word limit).
A statement of work must be also completed and submitted. A template is provided in the additional resources packet.
Outline preliminary goals for the CPS, organized according to the four CPS pillars. Describe a comprehensive, long-term evaluation plan that focuses on results-driven outcomes aligned with these goals. Explain how the alignment of goals, objectives and measurable outcomes will support increased student achievement and complement existing school improvement strategies (500-word limit).
Ensuring sustainability by leveraging resources and maintaining a diversified budget is crucial to long-term Community Partnership School success. Partnerships must avoid over-reliance on a single funding source. To be eligible for an award, a portion of the planning-year project budget (at least 25% of the awarded amount) must be supported through other contributions, such as cash and/or in-kind donations.
- Provide a detailed project budget for the Community Partnership School planning year, along with an accompanying narrative. The budget should demonstrate diversified sources of revenue and leveraged resources, including at least a 25% match/cost share. The funding formula for a planning year equals $80,000.
- Provide a projected Year 3 project budget, along with an accompanying narrative. The narrative should describe how the partnership plans to avoid over-reliance on a single funding source. Explain what resources are being leveraged to support the Community Partnership School and how they will be utilized. Include documentation and/or letters of commitment for the required match/cost share. The anticipated funding formula for Year 3 High School or Combined High School equals $322,047. Year 3 for all other schools (elementary, middle, combined K-8) equals $271,170.
- A CPS Budget template and Fiscal Agent Handbook for Fiscal Year 2024-25 are provided in the additional resources packet and can be utilized for planning purposes. Both documents may be modified for Fiscal Year 2025-26 in the official application.
Check back here for the official Request for Proposal, launching in Summer 2025. For access to the additional resources packet, email Shannon Elliston.