Knoxville News Sentinel / January 7, 2012 The United Way of Greater Knoxville, in collaboration with Knox County Schools and the Knoxville Chamber Partnership, is exploring options for bringing such services to the people who need them most.
And while still in its conceptual stage, planners hope the community schools concept might ultimately transform existing school buildings into hubs of activity with a variety of nonprofit agencies serving students and their family members.
“It’s about providing a level of convenience for those who need the services,” said the United Way’s Caleb Fristoe. “It’s elaborate, it’s big, it will require a tremendous amount of coordination but I really think it’s possible.”
Local leaders observed a similar model during a site visit to Cincinnati in September, where the concept has helped produce one of the highest-performing urban school districts in Ohio and become a national model for the approach.