As a solution to the stubbornly persistent problems of chronic absenteeism and lagging student achievement, the city is providing $52 million to launch 45 community schools throughout the city and pair them with 25 community-based organizations to provide much-needed wraparound social services for students.

The Attendance Improvement and Dropout Prevention/Community Schools Strategy grant will be administered by the Department of Education in partnership with the United Way, with the goal of improving student attendance and reducing the number of dropouts in each school.

“Tackling absenteeism and its underlying causes is critical,” said UFT Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford, who has spearheaded the union’s Community Learning Schools initiative. “After all, students can’t learn if they’re not in school, and they can’t focus properly if they are hungry or cannot see the chalkboard.”

Students in the 45 schools will receive help with academic, social and emotional needs, including an array of services that can include medical, optical and dental offerings, mentoring and counseling, art and wellness, and English instruction and other assistance for parents.

“The beauty of a community school is that it is built on the idea that we are stronger together,” said Alford at the Dec. 1 press conference held at PS 15 on the Lower East Side. “Schools are stronger when they are paired with community partners. These organizations can bring targeted resources to answer the specific needs of students and families at a particular school — a cookie-cutter approach won’t do.”

Each of the 45 schools, including four UFT Community Learning Schools, will receive an estimated $1.3 million over four years, with which to hire a full-time resource coordinator to oversee the support programs that are chosen, to fund interventions and to embed services in their school buildings.

Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed during his election campaign to create 100 community schools by the end of his first term in office. “Every student comes to class with different challenges that can make it difficult to learn,” the mayor said in a statement. “Community schools respond to families’ needs in innovative ways so that students become more likely to attend class and better able to focus and succeed.”

See the complete list of the schools that will receive the AIDP grants.