Joanna Connell as a community school

JoAnna Connell Elementary, part of Erie’s Public Schools, became a United Way Community School in 2022. Joanna Connell stands in the northeastern corner of the City of Erie. They span from East Grandview to Pennsylvania Avenue down to Buffalo Road to Downing Avenue to the Bayfront Connector. JoAnna Connell serves about 556 students, with 82% economically disadvantaged, 7.4% English Language Learners, 24.8% receiving special education services, and 1.1% experiencing homelessness. Data pulled from Future Ready PA Index. All data points feature the most up-to-date publicly available metrics.

For more information and district resources, visit eriesd.org/connell, or check out their Facebook!

United Way community school director

Community School Directors are United Way of Erie County employees embedded full-time within each Community School. They serve as the on-site connector between the school and community, building relationships with students, families, staff, and partners to remove non-academic barriers to learning. By coordinating resources and aligning support, Community School Directors, with the assistance of United Way backbone staff, help ensure every student and family has what they need to succeed in school and life.

Meet JoAnna Connell's Community School Director, Leann Sestak

Leann Sestak is an Erie native and Mercyhurst University graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication. She joined United Way from the Erie County Department of Health, where she worked as a program coordinator focused on systems, environments, and policies that influence community well-being.

She is passionate about connecting individuals and families to resources that support healthier, more vibrant lives and was drawn to the Community School Model for its focus on student success through family stability.

Corporate Partners

Corporate Partners are integrated partners, not just donors. Their collaboration creates consistency, resources, and opportunities that directly impact student success and family well-being — key pillars of the Community Schools Model.

These businesses and organizations provide both financial and volunteer support, working side-by-side with Community School Directors to create meaningful opportunities, improve learning environments, and strengthen connections between schools and the community.

Interested in becoming a Corporate Partner? Contact Julie Chacona, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at julie@unitedwayerie.org or Anita Kuchcinski, Vice President of Development at anita@unitedwayerie.org.

Meet JoAnna Connell's Corporate Partner:

cOMMUNITY sCHOOL hiGHLIGHT

Every year, United Way Community Schools make measurable strides across the four pillars of the Community School Model. Here's one highlight from the last school year.

JoAnna Connell is fostering a positive, safe, and welcoming school environment! In the 2024–2025 school year, surveys show:

80 % of students say they look forward to coming to school

96 % of staff feel safe working at Joanna Connell

100 % of families feel proud that their children attend Joanna Connell

Community school data dashboard

This dashboard provides a comprehensive view of academic performance, attendance, and survey data for JoAnna Connell Elementary as a United Way Community School. It contains seven interactive pages, each focusing on a distinct area of data.

Page 1 presents key school facts from the most recent year of available data.
Page 2 displays PSSA scores, allowing users to select metrics and filter by subject and demographics.
Page 3 shows PVAAS scores for the most recent year, with similar filtering options.
Page 4 highlights attendance data, which can be filtered by year.
Pages 5-7 include student, family, and staff survey results, also filterable by year. All visuals and filters are interactive, enabling users to click within charts to explore the data in greater depth.

IMPACT STORIES

These stories highlight real examples of how the United Way Community Schools model is creating lasting change. From improved student engagement to stronger family connections, each story showcases the people, partnerships, and progress driving success across our community.