The mission of Communities In Schools is to help young people of Texas stay in school, successfully learn  and prepare for life by coordinating the connection of community resources in the school setting. 

85 %   of the students participating in CIS will improve in either grades, attendance or behavior. 

90 %   of the students eligible for graduation will graduate or obtain a GED.  

95% of the students participating in CIS(not eligible for graduation) will remain in school

Founded in 1977, Communities In Schools Inc. is the nation’s largest national dropout prevention program.  There are 154 local programs serving 350 communities in 34 states at 1,500 school sites serving about 500,000 students and their families.  Local entities are formed through partnerships of state and local governments, school, industry and the community.

On February 28, 1993, the Goose Creek CISD School Board approved a partnership with Communities In Schools – Baytown to provide services that focused on preventing students in Baytown, Texas, from dropping out of school.  In March of 1993, the first three campuses selected as CIS sites included Cedar Bayou, Horace Mann, and Baytown Junior High Schools.  These sites were chosen due to their feeder status for elementary campuses that housed the Gang Activity Prevention Program (GAP).  GAP is an after-school elementary program located in neighborhoods with high crime rates.  CIS-Baytown’s goals and objectives complement the services provided to former GAP students as they moved on to secondary schools.                                                                                                                              

In the fall of 1994, CIS-Baytown expanded to offer services to the School Community Guidance Center, and developed a Transition to Work program for students to develop job readiness skills.  The Transition to Work program included an Arts and Crafts store located in San Jacinto Mall.  In the fall of 1995, services were extended to Robert E. Lee and Ross S. Sterling High Schools. In the fall of the 1996, CIS-Baytown started offering services to Highlands Jr. High school.  In the fall of 1997 serves were extended to Gentry Jr. High School.  In 1999, CIS-Baytown began offering services in Channelview ISD at the Apollo Alternative Campus and absorbed the four original GAP elementary schools.  At the beginning of the 2002 school year, CIS-Baytown expanded to Galena Park ISD on the Galena Park High School Campus.

 Due to funding cuts that occurred between 1999 and 2002, CIS-Baytown was forced to reduce case management services on the elementary level and at Galena Park ISD.   However, through collaboration with Goose Creek CISD’ s 21st Century Community Learning Center Program, CIS-Baytown has been able to coordinate services for after school programs on the 4 GAP campuses.  During the 2001-2002 school year, CIS-Baytown services were discontinued at the School Community Guidance Center due to low campus enrollment.  At present CIS-Baytown offers full time case management services to 8 schools in two school districts.

 The CISB service area is located in a unique region. Our close proximity to Houston gives the region some of the advantages and disadvantages of big city life. However, a majority of the CISB service area can be described as rural with a strong petrol-chemical and agricultural base. However, people that are living in impoverished conditions suffer from a lack transportation and social resources in housed in the area. As a result, service agencies, civic organizations and churches have to collaborate to offer assistance for those in need.
* Hurricanes Katrina and Rita reaffirmed the CISB service areas commitment to working together. As a result of the hurricanes the residents in the CISB service area extended a warm welcome to our eastern neighbors who not only endured the hardship of losing their homes, but everything that was normal in their previous way of life. With funding from the United Way-Baytown Area and the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Gulf Coast, Communities In Schools- Baytown was been able to hire five Hurricane Recovery Case Managers to assist families still struggling in our area.
* Many different agencies in our community are assisting people in our area still suffering from the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. CISB worked with other agencies to coordinate these resources to help relocated residents with: Housing, Counseling, Health concerns, Assistance for school aged children, Utilities, Child Care Assistance, Unemployment assistance, Pre-employment skills training, Adult Literacy, Clothing and food.
* As a result of Hurricane Rita, a consortium of community agencies, business, hospitals, churches, school districts and cities have come together to form the Long Term Recovery Committee. This group is working together to develop a plan of communication and resources so that people in need can receive assistance in a timely fashion.

Corporate Status           Communities In Schools (CIS) is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization devoted to dropout prevention.  Although CIS is a national organization, local charted sites operating in cities and states through out the United States provide the service delivery to students and their families. Communities In Schools (CIS) Baytown, Inc. is a 501-c (3) non-profit organization that was formed during the spring semester of the 1992-1993 school year.  

 Jurisdiction                      Communities In Schools – Baytown provides services to students and their families living in the Goose Creek CISD, Barber Hills ISD Channelview ISD, Crosby ISD and Sheldon ISD.  All school district are located in East Harris County or West Chambers County.