Participation in this Neighborhood Transformation Partnership will not add costs to the County since the partnership commits the various partners to work together in good faith to align their existing resources to be more effectively spent in improving community outcomes. The partnership will also be exploring how to attract additional resources to assist the City of Richmond, the County and the School District in providing effective services. Any recommendations to change existing resource allocations would be required to be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

The California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), in collaboration with the Richmond Community Foundation, seeks to bring together Contra Costa County, the City of Richmond, and the West Contra Costa Unified School District to form a Neighborhood Transformation Partnership (NTP) to improve the lives of the students attending Lovonya DeJean Middle School and their families and to ensure successful learning and improved academic performance by the students. The partnership agreement establishes a framework for County staff to work with the Neighborhood Transformation Partnership to develop an Action Plan and protocols for an Integrated Services Team (IST) to work with families to achieve these goals. The Partnership includes the formation of a Leadership Team that calls for a member of the Board of Supervisors to serve as a co-chair with a member of the Richmond City Council and a member of the West Contra Costa Unified School District. The Partnership will track five key indicators that represent improving the lives and futures of the residents: Education, Jobs, Crime, Poverty, and Health.

Without the Board of Supervisors’ approval, this Neighborhood Transformation Partnership would not be established and the opportunity to have increased public agency cooperation to improve the lives of residents in the Lovonya DeJean School community will not occur.

Speakers: Larry Best, California Emerging Technology Fund.