ORLANDO, Fla. — The State of Florida is seeing a growing number of Community Partnership Schools. There are currently 44 with eight more on the way. That’s one of the reasons why Children’s Home Society of Florida is requesting for a $10.6 million dollar budget increase this legislative season.

What You Need To Know

  • Community Partnership Schools follow a model looking at specific areas and curates a program that will support the student and their family through the education process

  • The ACE School in Parramore opened up in 2017, and since then it became more than just a school, it’s a doctor’s office, dentist and even a Boys and Girls Club 

  • The schools work to lower any barrier a student or their family might face in and outside the classroom

Community Partnership Schools follow a model looking at specific areas and curates a program that will support the student and their family through the education process.

Spectrum News got an inside look at the Orange County Public School’s Academic Center for Excellence or ACE School in Parramore on what their secret to success is.

Walking down the hallway, Central Florida native Jania Fuller never thought her career in social work would have her back in the classroom.

“I saw that education was the gap to break some of those cycles, whether it’s poverty or domestic violence,” said Fuller, who is the Community Partnership Schools Director for Children’s Home Society. “It really is being able to access education to change the situation of you and your family.”

She saw the work Children’s Home Society Florida was doing with Community Partnership Schools. Once she saw an opportunity, she ran with it.

“It looks different at every school, but the concept is the same. Having the right resources at the table accessible for students, accessible for their families,” said Fuller.

The ACE School in Parramore opened up in 2017. Since then it became more than just a school, it’s a doctor’s office, dentist and even a Boys and Girls Club. It’s lowering any barrier a student or their family might face in and outside the classroom.

“It’s a big piece of the Community Partnership Schools. We know that there are needs, but a lot of the time we’re not able to meet those needs or we can only meet those needs for a short period of time, but our partners have signed a 25-year MLU, so they’re going to be there meeting those needs,” said Fuller.

Tasha Robinson-Banks is the Senior Service Director of the Boys and Girls Club at ACE. It’s offering these kids a safe and enriching after-school program in their own community that allows them to create a pathway for success.

“Every day we get a kid voting with their feet and walking through these what we call blue doors for hope and opportunity that’s just one more check for as our theme is the broken chain legacy,” said Robinson-Banks

This group of women aren’t just talking the talk, but Community Partnership Schools have seen the success in their numbers. They’ve seen an increase in graduation rates and teacher retention, as well as a reduction of disciplinary referrals.

“It does show where education is going and what we need as far as supporting the whole student,” said Fuller.

As the bell rings and students go about their day. They’re not too far away from the resources at ACE.