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Read the press release here.

High-Need Schools to Get $52M to Provide More Services to Families

 Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to open 40 new community schools in high-need areas, his office announced on June 17, 2014.
Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to open 40 new community schools in high-need areas, his office announced on June 17, 2014.
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DNAinfo/Colby Hamilton

CIVIC CENTER — The city is looking for 40 public schools willing to work with nonprofits to deliver social services in high-need areas, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office announced Tuesday.

The Department of Education, partnering with the United Way of Greater New York, is giving out $52 million in state grants to enable schools to offer a range of community services, including mental health support, vision testing, physical wellness, tutoring, job training and family counseling.

The city will accept proposals for the four-year grant program, called Community Schools, through July 14.

Schools can apply on their own or in partnership with specific community-based organizations.

“Along with pre-K for every child and expanded after-school programs, launching more Community Schools will help fundamentally transform our education system in a way that lifts up every child,” de Blasio said in a statement.

While the mayor's office hasn't released the list of neighborhoods that will be eligible for the grants, an official with the mayor’s office said the city will actively recruit high-need schools.

Recipients are expected to be announced by August, the official said. Schools will get a full-time resource coordinator to help them work with the nonprofits over the course of the school year. The United Way and other experienced service providers will be guides in the process, de Blasio's office said.

Community Schools already exist throughout the city, run primarily through the Children’s Aid Society. The mayoral official said the city now hopes to expand the program and make it more uniform.