Los Banos Unified wins $20.19 million Community Schools grant to fund coordinators, social workers and family resource center

The Los Banos Unified School District announced that the State Board of Education approved its Community Schools grant application and awarded the district $20,187,500 to create a districtwide community‑schools program, Superintendent Dr. Richie told the board on May 14.

Dr. Richie said the award — among the largest in the state cohort — will fund two community coordinators, six social workers, a Family Resource Center and contracts with behavioral-health and public-health partners. "It's going to be an opportunity for us to bring more services to Los Banos," Dr. Richie said, framing the grant as a hub model to connect families to medical, dental, mental‑health and social services while expanding after‑school enrichment.

The grant application drew on nearly 1,700 stakeholder survey responses and a district decision to pool funds across eligible campuses so sites can share services rather than each site applying separately, Dr. Richie said. He told trustees the district ranked eighth among awardees in this cohort and that Charleston Elementary was not funded for site‑staff positions because it did not meet the state’s unduplicated pupil‑count threshold, although Charleston families will be able to access several districtwide services.

Trustees pressed staff on program details and long‑term funding. Board member Valdale asked whether grant‑funded roles would disappear after five years; Dr. Richie replied that positions are grant‑funded and could end without a sustainability plan, but staff will seek ways to continue effective programs if they demonstrate results. "Year one and two will be spent getting started — writing job descriptions, creating a Family Resource Center, and developing partnerships," he said.

The plan calls for coordinators to oversee implementation and for social workers to both deliver direct services and coordinate referrals. When asked whether social workers would visit student homes, Dr. Richie said, "ideally that's what you do — you go out to our families," adding that community engagement is essential to the model.

The Q&A also touched on implementation sequencing: Dr. Richie said year‑by‑year plans are included in the district application and that the first year will focus on setup and hiring, with incremental rollout thereafter.

Labor and other stakeholders raised separate concerns earlier in the meeting about how staff input was sought during planning. Javier Powell, a community member who attended an LBTA forum, said staff who worked directly with students did not feel their input was incorporated. "Teachers and classified workers had not been asked for their input in the plan," Powell summarized during public comment.

Jennifer, speaking for the teachers’ association, criticized recent district bargaining communications and said staff should be treated as partners in decisions about student and classroom needs. "LBTA or myself will not be bullied or cornered into accepting anything that is less than what our members deserve," she said.

Next steps: Dr. Richie and district staff will bring year‑one implementation details back to the board as hiring and contracting proceed; the board did not take a formal vote on the grant award during this agenda item because the State Board of Education approved the award and the presentation focused on implementation planning.