School districts are encouraged to strengthen family, school, and community partnerships by creating spaces in school buildings, if space is available, where students and families can access the services they need, such as after-school tutoring, dental and health services, counseling, or clothing and food banks.

The purposes of this section and RCW 28A.620.020 are to:

• (1) Provide educational, recreational, cultural, and other community services and programs through the establishment of the concept of community education with the community school serving as the center for such activity;
• (2) Promote a more efficient and expanded use of existing school buildings and equipment;
• (3) Help provide personnel to work with schools, citizens and with other agencies and groups;
• (4) Provide a wide range of opportunities for all citizens including programs, if resources are available, to promote parenting skills and promote awareness of the problem of child abuse and methods to avoid child abuse;
• (5) As used in this section, “parenting skills” shall include: The importance of consistency in parenting; the value of providing children with a balance of love and firm discipline; the instruction of children in honesty, morality, ethics, and respect for the law; and the necessity of preserving and nurturing the family unit; and
• (6) Help develop a sense of community in which the citizens cooperate with the public schools and community agencies and groups to resolve their school and community concerns and to recognize that the schools are available for use by the community day and night, year-round or any time when the programming will not interfere with the preschool through grade twelve program.

Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 28B.50.250, 28B.50.530 or any other law, rule, or regulation, any school district is authorized and encouraged to provide community education programs in the form of instructional, recreational and/or service programs on a noncredit and nontuition basis, excluding fees for supplies, materials, or instructor costs, for the purpose of stimulating the full educational potential and meeting the needs of the district’s residents of all ages, and making the fullest use of the district’s school facilities: PROVIDED, That school districts are encouraged to provide programs for prospective parents, prospective foster parents, and prospective adoptive parents on parenting skills, violence prevention, and on the problems of child abuse and methods to avoid child abuse situations: PROVIDED FURTHER, That community education programs shall be consistent with rules and regulations promulgated by the state superintendent of public instruction governing cooperation between common schools, community college districts, and other civic and governmental organizations which shall have been developed in cooperation with the state board for community and technical colleges and shall be programs receiving the approval of said superintendent.

This page addresses parent support services