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119-s-4504119th CongressWALLET

Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would create a national Full-Service Community School program that funds and standardizes community schools delivering coordinated health, family, and expanded learning supports through a competitive grant structure and clear accountability rules.

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  • Families and students gain integrated services at qualifying schools, including health, mental health, nutrition, housing and legal supports, plus expanded learning time and college/career supports tied to a six-pillar results framework. These services must track outcomes like readiness, achievement, attendance, and wellbeing.
  • Schools and educators get funding for dedicated staff and leadership: a full-time community school coordinator at each served school and initiative directors for multi-school grantees. Grants include planning awards up to $100,000 per school, implementation grants of at least $250,000 per school per year, and expansion grants starting at $300,000 plus $150,000 for each added school.
  • States, Tribes, Bureau of Indian Education schools, and Native Hawaiian organizations can receive competitive State and tribal grants and technical assistance. At least 80% of funds go to competitive planning, implementation, and expansion grants, with set shares for State grants and TA and a reserved allocation for BIE/tribal programs.

*Authorizes new federal funding totaling about $3.7 billion for FY2027–FY2031, with annual authorizations rising from $500 million to $1.0 billion.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

11 provisions identified: 10 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

New full-service community school funding

If enacted, the bill would authorize new annual funding for a national full-service community school program. It would authorize $500 million for FY2027, $600 million for FY2028, $700 million for FY2029, $850 million for FY2030, and $1 billion for FY2031. These are the amounts Congress could appropriate each year to run the program and award grants.

Community school planning grants

If enacted, the bill would authorize competitive planning grants for up to 2 years. Each planning grant would be at least $100,000 and could not exceed $100,000 per eligible school served. Grantees would have to hire or designate a community school coordinator, do needs and assets assessments engaging at least 50 percent of students, families, and staff, convene a community-wide leadership team within 90 days, and submit a planning report within 2 years. Grantees would also need data-sharing agreements and public leadership-team meetings.

Five-year implementation grants for schools

If enacted, the bill would authorize 5-year implementation grants. Each eligible school served by an implementation grant would receive not less than $250,000 per year. Applicants that completed a planning grant could use an expedited application process. All applicants would need a data-sharing agreement with partner entities to ensure timely access to student data.

Grants to expand community schools

If enacted, the bill would authorize expansion grants for 3 to 5 years. Each expansion grant would provide at least $300,000 per year plus $150,000 per additional school named in the budget. For FY2027–FY2029, expansion grants would be limited to no more than 20% of the local competitive grant pool. Expansion grants would fund scaling existing community-school models, coordinators, leadership teams, needs assessments, and end-of-grant reporting.

State grants to support schools

If enacted, the bill would authorize competitive 5-year State grants to plan, implement, and expand community schools statewide. States would have to use no more than 10% of a grant for administration and at least 90% to directly support LEAs and schools. States would also set goals, create a State steering committee of at least 10 members, and may receive one continuation grant for 1 to 5 more years.

Which schools can get community school help

If enacted, the bill would define an eligible school as a public elementary or secondary school that has at least 40% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, or that is identified for support under Federal or State school-improvement rules. Schools that meet this test could be served by planning, implementation, expansion, or other community-school grants.

Reporting, evaluation, and technical help

If enacted, the bill would fund technical assistance and a national assistance center to help grantees with data-sharing, evidence-based practices, and coordination. States that get grants would face Secretary-designed end-of-grant evaluations with data broken down by student groups. Not later than 5 years after enactment, the Secretary would submit a public, searchable report to Congress on program impacts and recommendations.

How community school money is divided

If enacted, the bill would direct that at least 80% of FSCS funds go to competitive local planning, implementation, and expansion grants, up to 15% may go to 5-year State grants, and up to 5% may fund technical assistance. From the 80% competitive pool, not less than 5% would be reserved for Bureau of Indian Education and tribally-controlled schools. The bill would also require that nearly all amounts under one existing account be used for Promise Neighborhoods and that another account fund the FSCS program, shifting how some federal community-education dollars are allocated.

Community school coordinators and teams

If enacted, the bill would require each eligible school served by grants to have a full-time community school coordinator who leads planning, supports, and partnerships. Entities serving three or more schools would be expected to have an initiative director. Schools would need a results framework and a school-based leadership team of no more than 15 members that includes parents, educators, the principal, the coordinator, and community partners.

Grant renewal for successful programs

If enacted, the bill would allow the Secretary to renew an implementation or expansion grant for up to 5 additional years. To get renewal, an eligible entity would need to show satisfactory progress, apply, and submit academic and whole-child outcomes for all students and subgroups. Renewed grants would fund the same activities and follow the same reporting rules.

Priority for high-need and Tribal schools

If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary to give priority for planning, implementation, and expansion grants to applicants that are high-need LEAs or consortia, LEAs receiving certain basic support payments, rural LEAs or consortia, Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian community organizations. This would make those communities more likely to receive grants.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

MD • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]

    NM • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]

    HI • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]

    VA • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]

    NM • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]

    VT • I

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

  • Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 5/13/2026

  • Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 9/14/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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