Communities in Schools expanding into Ferndale Area School District

Joshua Byers, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Utilizing a new funding source, Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania is expanding into four more educational institutions, including Ferndale Area School District.

"What a wonderful service its going to provide to our students and our families," Superintendent Jeffrey Boyer said.

He said Ferndale had explored the benefits of Communities in Schools prior to this opportunity and is excited for the opportunity to bring those resources into the district.

Communities in Schools is an organization that provides a "holistic approach" to addressing students' academic and non-academic needs.

The funding, that will allow the group to expand into Ferndale and three other state schools, is a $191,000 Scaling for Success investment from the Ballmer Group.

"In February 2023, Ballmer Group committed to helping Communities in Schools scale its integrated student support model to 1,000 new majority low-income schools," an agency release said. "The funding is designed to catalyze local public and private investment in the model through a one-to-one match requirement over the first three years and commitments to sustain the work long term."

Boyer thanked the 1889 Foundation for helping secure the local match, noting the new offerings will be virtually free for the district.

Communities in Schools will use the allocation to provide resources to the schools, including a trained professional who connects students with services they need to succeed in school and their communities.

"We're obviously very excited about this opportunity to serve additional district, additional families in Cambria County," CISPA Vice President Lyndsey Sturkey said.

CISPA already offers services at the throughout Greater Johnstown School District, Somerset Area School District and the Morrell Neighborhood Preschool.

Ferndale's program will be the same three-tiered level of support offered throughout the state, which includes a range of offerings from whole-school intervention to one-on-one support for learners, Sturkey said.

She added that the organization is thrilled by the opportunity to expand and the ability to do so speaks to the model's success.

Boyer said these services, such as improving attendance and better bridging the gap between the school and home, will be a benefit to the district.