An F-18 fighter jet took off over the future site of Communities In Schools of Greater Tarrant County’s Center for Student Support.
“We planned that,” Lindsey Garner, president and CEO of CISGTC, joked to a crowd of more than 50 education leaders, local officials and partners who have backed the project since its capital fundraising campaign began in 2023.
Matt Dufrene, CISGTC campaign chair and vice president at Texas Health Resources, could hardly believe the day had come — on Oct. 9, CISGTC celebrated a milestone when shovels ceremonially hit the ground in Westworth Village, marking the start of construction on the CIS Center for Student Support.
The $5.5 million project will serve as the organization’s new headquarters and a hub for resources aimed at supporting thousands of at-risk students and their families throughout Tarrant County, Garner said.
So far, CISGTC has secured $3.2 million in donations from supporters including the Amon G. Carter Foundation, The Morris Foundation and the Ryan Foundation.
Scheduled to open in the fall of 2025, the center will feature a mental health counseling wing, a fresh food pantry in partnership with Texas Health Resources and a training and enrichment facility. The expanded space will allow CIS to extend its services, including trauma-informed training for staff and community members, along with enhanced case management services, Garner said.
What is Communities In Schools?
Communities In Schools, or CIS, is a dropout prevention program funded in part by the Texas Legislature and administered by the Texas Education Agency. There are 27 different CIS programs in Texas, including CIS of Greater Tarrant County and CIS of the Dallas Region. The program received $33.5 million in funding from the Legislature in 2022; other funding comes from schools and private and public donations.
While thanking the organization’s supporters, she spoke to the crowd about the evolving needs of Tarrant County students and the urgency of creating a centralized support hub to better serve the region’s most vulnerable.
“We asked local school districts what they see as the most pressing challenges in the coming years,” Garner said. “All this feedback manifested in the planning for the future.”
Following those conversations, it was clear mental health would be a priority, Garner said.
One of the key features of the new center is its dedicated mental health counseling space, which will allow CIS to expand its services to include after-school and weekend sessions for students and their families. This flexibility is crucial for parents who may work during traditional school hours or for siblings who require joint sessions.
Garner credited the Amon G. Carter Foundation for helping accelerate these services through a $1 million pledge that enabled CIS to lease a temporary space earlier this year. Already, 65 students from eight different school districts are receiving counseling services at the temporary center.
“People asked us if we build it, will the families come?” Garner said. “Not only did they come, but they came from Fort Worth ISD, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, Granbury ISD, Everman ISD and even Lake Worth and White Settlement ISDs. The need is there.”
Dufrene choked up sharing anecdotes about his decade-long involvement with the organization. He highlighted the necessity of providing wraparound services to students, noting that barriers outside the classroom often hinder educational success. Overwhelmingly, Dufrene said, students in CIS improve academically.
“As parents, we desire and strive to provide a nurturing, loving and stable environment for our kids. … We make every effort, every day to show love, encouragement, compassion, affection, but also loving discipline and correction. … We talk about how fortunate and blessed we are,” Dufrene said. “But I think about the reality for many students across Tarrant County today, right now. And, for many, it’s not the same reality.”
Dufrene paused. He wiped away his tears. Those kids just need love and support, he said.
Throughout his 10 years of involvement with CISGTC, he’s seen its fruits.
The organization’s ability to serve students has expanded over the past 30 years, growing from just 200 students in Fort Worth schools to more than 40,000 across 84 schools in 12 districts.
For students like Leilani Landeros, a senior at Lake Worth High School, CIS has been a lifeline, she said. Landeros began using CIS services in middle school and credits her success in maintaining straight A grades to the consistent support she received from Kamika Holmes Brown, her CIS social worker.
“CIS is our safe place to go,” Landeros said. “Whenever we need help with something, we always talk to Ms. Brown, who’s always there for us making sure we’re taken care of and fed.”
For others, CIS has provided the stability to dream bigger. Landeros’ classmate Kalise Ivory said the program helped her develop the focus and determination she needs to pursue a career in engineering, a field where she hopes to break barriers as a woman of color.
“I really used to slack on my work and, really, say forget it. But, once I started going to CIS, I’ve been better at it,” Ivory said.
Need mental health support? These Tarrant County organizations can help:
The programs do come with a cost — Fort Worth ISD board members in June approved a contract for CISGTC services for the 2024-25 school year worth nearly $2 million. Lake Worth ISD spent $230,000 on a contract with CISGTC, while Keller ISD spent $258,000.
Still, even with funds coming from a variety of Tarrant County districts, Garner emphasized that the program’s growth is not just a story of expanded services but of increased impact. She pointed to data showing that CIS students not only stay in school but are more likely to be promoted to the next grade and graduate on time compared to their peers. Many are going to college and getting jobs.
Garner and Dufrene’s next job? To find the $2.3 million necessary to close the project’s remaining funding gap.
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @MatthewSgroi1.
Disclosure: Texas Health Resources and the Amon G. Carter Foundation have been financial supporters of the Fort Worth Report.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.