As the social welfare state contracts, public schools are often the only safety net left in some communities. Community schools can help curtail these inequities, provided the political will. According to a Center for Popular Democracy report, 5,000 schools in more than 150 communities employ some version of the community school model. In nearby Cincinnati, more than 40 of the district’s 55 schools have been converted into community learning centers, catapulting attendance and graduation rates, and just as importantly, mitigating disciplinary issues, asthma, poor vision, food insecurity, and toxic stress, especially for some of the poorest children.

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