Full-Service Community Schools Program (FSCS)

What’s New?

Fiscal Year 2023 FSCS Grant Competition:

The Department announced the opening of the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grant competition on June 7, 2023. Applications are due on August 8, 2023.  More information about the FY 2023 FSCS grant competition can be found on this year’s competition webpage.

Through this Federal Register Notice, we extended the deadline for transmittal of applications for the FY 2023 FSCS competition to August 16, 2023, for prospective eligible applicants in New York counties of Clinton, Dutchess, Essex, Hamilton, Ontario, Orange, Putnam, and Rockland; Oklahoma counties of Beaver, Cimarron, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Harper, Jefferson, Love, Major, Mayes, McCurtain, Payne, Pushmataha, Rogers, Stephens, Tulsa, and Woodward; and the State of Vermont, which are covered by major disaster declarations issued by the President due to major disaster declaration caused by severe storms, flooding, tornadoes, and related weather events in New York, Oklahoma, and Vermont.

For eligible entities in these Federally-declared disaster areas, the revised Deadline for Transmittal of Applications will be August 16, 2023. The revised deadline for Intergovernmental Review will be October 16, 2023.

We are not extending the application period for all applicants. Thus, applications from applicants not affected by the major disaster declaration referenced in the notice will not be accepted as part of this limited extension. We will consider extending the deadline for other affected States/regions if further disaster declarations are made.

Call for Peer Reviewers:

The Department is seeking individuals interested in serving as peer reviewers for this year’s FSCS competition.  Peer reviewers help us select the highest quality applications for funding by reading, scoring, and discussing a set of grant applications.  Please review the FY 2023 FSCS Call for Peer Reviewers for more information about how to become an FSCS reviewer.

FSCS Data Collection and Reporting Information Collection Request:

The Department requests your feedback on the draft FSCS Data Collection and Reporting Tools for FY 2022 and 2023 grantees.  On June 7, 2023, the Information Collection Request went on public inspection in the Federal Register.  It will officially publish on June 8, 2023. The initial comment period is open until August 7, 2023.

Purpose of FSCS Program

The Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) program provides support for the planning, implementation, and operation of full-service community schools that improve the coordination, integration, accessibility, and effectiveness of services for children and families, particularly for children attending high-poverty schools, including high-poverty rural schools.

Types of Projects

FSCS provide comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students, students’ family members, and community members that will result in improved educational outcomes for children. These pipeline services^[1] fall under the four pillars of community schools^[2] and include:

I. Integrated Student Supports

• Social, health, nutrition, and mental health services and supports
• Juvenile crime prevention and rehabilitation programs

II. Expanded and Enriched Learning Time and Opportunities

• Early childhood education programs
• Out-of-school-time programs
• Support for a child’s education transitions
• Activities that support postsecondary and workforce readiness

III. Active Family and Community Engagement

• Family and community engagement
• Community-based support for students

IV. Collaborative Leadership and Practices

Each community school tailors the chosen pipeline services to local needs. FSCS offers support for capacity building and development grants, multi-LEA grant, and State scaling grants.

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^[1] The official definition of “pipeline services” is from Section 4622 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended.

^[2] The official definition of “four pillars of community schools” was published in the fiscal year 2022 Notice Inviting Applications (87 FR 41688).