By Stacy Broach
Mendota Elementary School

The Community School Committee at Mendota Elementary has been meeting since August. There are 40 members that include Mendota staff, students, parents and community members. Our first meeting focused on what defines a community school, the process of implementation and the role of the community school committee. We also examined school-related data on demographics, academics, climate and behavior.

Subsequent meetings focused on creating a list of assets of the Northside and categorizing them by the particular needs they serve. We were then able to visualize where there are gaps in resources within the community and develop a list of potential partners moving forward. We also engaged in a focus group where we discussed the needs of the Northside based upon a variety of perspectives from families, students, school staff and community members.

For the needs assessment process, we used a multitude of data to determine the needs of the students, families and larger community. Our quantitative data consisted of input from over 200 individuals at the school and community level. The community input we received was rich and helped inform this process.

We supported conversations with community members by examining a diverse body of reports at the school and community level. These analyses provided a wealth of knowledge that was school and neighborhood specific. Mendota had 14 emerging priority areas. The committee went through a scoring process and settled on three priorities:

• out of school time; before and after school time;
• support for homeless and highly mobile families; and
• job training opportunities for parents and working age students.

Moving forward our community school committee will be tasked with leveraging our assets and available resources to address these three priority areas and revisiting all of our identified priorities.

For more information on the Community School at Mendota Elementary or if you want to help, contact Stacy Broach, Community School Resource Coordinator at sdbroach@madison.k12.wi.us.