KnowledgeWorks Foundation - Communities & Schools - Community Engagement

Do Communities Really Care About Their Schools?

As demonstrated time and time again, people are more likely to support what they help create. Sometimes, a lack of community support is perceived as "not caring," when the truth is that communities do care-they just want that caring to be reflected in their school's decision-making.

The answer? "Yes"
Happily, 90% of Ohioans say they want the opportunity to advise their public schools on major decisions, according to our Foundation's 2004 Ohio's Education Matters poll.

Why is Gaining Community Support Important?

Communities are more likely to financially support improvements that involve them
In the 2002-2003 Ohio's Education Matters poll, community members said they'd be more likely to pay higher taxes on a school built around their needs, and not just the needs of students. Levy support rose from 43% to 63% when the school was proposed as a multipurpose facility open to all community members, and not just students. In addition:

91% of community members favor comprehensive, after-school programs.
84% favor community member use of school facilities after hours.
62% favor locating community social services for children on school grounds.
65% favor locating programs for adults on school grounds.

With Few School-Aged Children, Community Members Need a Reason to Care

Today, securing community support is more necessary than ever, because the amount of parents with school-aged children has fallen significantly - to 20% in most communities. This leaves 80% of tax payers with little to no vested interest in their public school system.

Not only do community members want to be involved in their public schools, they show great potential for improving them. Community engagement in school improvement efforts can:

improve teaching and learning in classrooms;
build greater community trust in schools;
deepen parent and community involvement;
increase the financial, physical, and human resources available to schools;
and develop and support legislative policy reform.*

*Annenberg Institute for School Reform. "Reasons for Hope, Voices for Change: A Report of the Annenberg Institute on Public Engagement for Public Education" (1998).