Community Schools: Planning Space for Democracy and Civic Engagement

American society in the twentieth century has been characterized by a decrease in voter turnout, a decline in membership in civic organizations, decreasing volunteerism, and a decline in several other indicators of civic engagement and social capital. Enhancing democratic civic engagement and civic space is worthy issue that has not typically been at the forefront of the agenda of planning. This study investigates the role of community schools as a catalyst for enhancing citizen interaction and community planning, and for creating civic space. While school space represents one of the largest investments of public tax revenue in most municipalities, it is often underutilized while public space needs go unmet. Community school systems are joint municipal/school partnerships which often operate with staffed agencies to manage the use and programming of school space after school hours for the benefit of the full community This thesis takes a case study approach to investigate three successful community school systems operating district wide in Bowling Green/Warren County, Kentucky, Greenville/Pitt County, South Carolina, and Birmingham, Alabama. The study documents common factors that increase or enhance 1) civic space, 2) participation in community activities and organizations, and 3) public involvement in local decision making. The research findings indicate that communities with long-lived community school systems increase social networks (social capital) and citizen activity and provide a convenient source of civic space. The concurrence of a community schools system, and a staffed structure of neighborhood organizations using school spaces, results in the greatest level of civic engagement in public affairs. Planners and citizens are advised to become involved in collaborations to promote the establishment of community school systems