Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and a coalition of Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced legislation that would pour $3.65 billion into expanding full-service community schools nationwide.
The legislators argue that students struggling with poverty, housing instability, hunger, mental health challenges, and chronic absenteeism need far more than classroom instruction to succeed.
“A quality education is a cornerstone of our children’s success, but for many students, the challenges they face outside of the classroom impact their success inside the classroom,” Van Hollen said.
The Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026 would create new planning, implementation, and expansion grants aimed at helping schools provide wraparound services ranging from health care and counseling to tutoring, transportation assistance, legal aid, after-school programming, and workforce development opportunities.
“Community schools offer a solution — empowering local education and community leaders to connect families with vital services they need while providing a top-notch education. As we’ve seen across Maryland, this innovative approach has been proven to make a positive difference in the lives of our students and their families,” Van Hollen continued. “This bill will further invest in and create a pathway for more community schools, ensuring all of our students have the support they need to succeed.”
The legislation is being led in the Senate by Van Hollen, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), alongside Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) in the House. Additional Senate cosponsors include Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
“Factors affecting student success extend well beyond the classroom. Unfortunately, many students in southern Nevada cannot meet their basic needs off school grounds, then struggle to keep up their mental and physical health and academics,” Lee said. “That’s exactly why we need a fully resourced Full-Service Community Schools Program to help schools meet students where they are and bridge these gaps in education.”
Gillibrand said the legislation would help provide “critical academic opportunities, mentoring programs, and nutritional services so that students in all communities can thrive.”
Ensuring Every Child Has What They Need to Succeed
Under the bill, funding would increase annually from $500 million in fiscal year 2027 to $1 billion by fiscal year 2031.
The legislation would also establish state-level infrastructure teams, provide renewable grants for existing community schools, and direct federal agencies to prioritize Tribal nations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and underserved rural districts during the grant process.
The proposal defines full-service community schools as campuses that integrate academic instruction with health care, nutrition support, mental health counseling, restorative justice practices, mentoring, housing assistance, expanded learning time, and family engagement programs.
Community schools, Lujan explained, “bring community resources into school buildings to improve children’s well-being, especially in low-income and rural schools.”
The legislation also requires public transparency in school leadership meetings and financial decision-making.
In Maryland, where lawmakers say the model already has a substantial footprint, state education officials report that community schools now operate across all 24 school districts and function as neighborhood hubs connecting families with health care practitioners, counselors, social workers, food access, transportation assistance, and extended learning programs.
Mary Pat Fannon, executive director of the Public School Superintendents’ Association of Maryland, said many Maryland community schools have outpaced traditional schools in standardized test performance increases across Maryland.
“[The legislation] addresses students’ needs holistically by partnering with their communities,” Fannon explained.
The bill has drawn support from major education unions and advocacy organizations, including the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, the Coalition for Community Schools, and the Maryland State Education Association.
“Every day, the challenges that students and families face outside the classroom reveal themselves inside the classroom—challenges like poverty, food insecurity and a lack of access to health care,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.
Weingarten explained that the Community School Expansion Act is critical in addressing many students’ overall needs.
“It invests in the proven strategy of wrapping services around students—from mental and physical health care to nutrition and after-school programs—paired with strong academic supports and parent engagement,” the president of the American Federation of Teachers continued. “This bill is a vital step toward ensuring every child no matter their ZIP code, has the support system they need to succeed.”
