2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 20-A: EDUCATION › Part 4: SPECIFIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS › Subpart 3: OTHER PROGRAMS › Chapter 333: COMMUNITY SCHOOLS › 20-A §9922. Establishment of a community school

§9922. Establishment of a community school
Beginning October 1, 2015, a school board may designate an existing school or establish a new school as a community school.   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
1.  Community school plan goals.
A community school shall collaborate with community partners to provide services to students, families and community members that promote student success while addressing the needs of the whole student. A school board may designate or establish a community school as long as the community school plan developed by the school board is consistent with the following goals:
A. Improving student learning and development by providing support for students to enable them to graduate college-ready and career-ready;   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
B. Improving the coordination and integration, accessibility and effectiveness of services for children and families, particularly for students attending high-poverty schools, including high-poverty rural schools;   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
C. Enabling educators and school personnel to complement and enrich efforts to improve academic achievement and other results related to student learning and development;   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
D. Ensuring that children have the physical, social and emotional well-being to come to school ready to engage in the learning process every day;   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
E. Promoting and enabling family and community engagement in the education of children;   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
F. Enabling more efficient use of federal, state, local and private sector resources that serve children and families;   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
G. Facilitating the coordination and integration of programs and services operated by community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations and state, local and tribal governments;   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
H. Engaging students as resources for their communities; and   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
I. Engaging the business community and other community organizations as partners.   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
2.  Audit.
Following the designation or establishment of a community school, but prior to the opening of a community school, a school board shall conduct:
A. A community needs audit to identify the academic, physical, social, emotional, health, mental health and civic needs of students and their families that may affect student learning and academic achievement;   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
B. A community resource assessment of potential resources, services and opportunities available within or near the community that students, families and community members may access and integrate into the community school; and   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
C. For an existing school that has been designated as a community school, an operations and instructional audit.   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
3.  Plan.
A school board shall develop a community school plan for each school designated or established as a community school.
A. When developing a community school plan for the establishment of a new community school, the school board shall use the results of the community resource assessment under subsection 2, paragraph B to address the specific needs identified in the community needs audit under subsection 2, paragraph A.   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
B. When developing a community school plan for the designation of an existing school as a community school, the school board shall use the results of the community resource assessment under subsection 2, paragraph B to address the specific needs identified in the community needs audit under subsection 2, paragraph A and the operations and instructional audit under subsection 2, paragraph C.   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
C. A community school plan must coordinate, integrate and enhance services for students, families and community members at the community school to improve the academic achievement of students and increase family and community involvement in education.   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
D. A community school plan must include cost estimates or an operational budget for the specified educational, developmental, family, health and other comprehensive services to be provided by the community school.   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
E. When developing a community school plan for the establishment of a new community school, a school board shall designate a community school coordinator to manage the partnerships with community partners participating in the community school plan.   [PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
4.  Funding.
The commissioner may provide state funding to the school administrative units in which community schools are located pursuant to section 15689‑A, subsection 25. In providing funds under this subsection, the commissioner shall give priority to a qualified school administrative unit in which at least 40% of the students are economically disadvantaged students as determined pursuant to section 15675, subsection 2 and that has more economically disadvantaged students than other qualified school administrative units under this subsection.
[PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
5.  Gifts, grants and donations.
A school administrative unit may seek and accept public and private gifts, grants and donations to offset the costs of developing and implementing a community school plan under subsection 3. A gift, grant or donation received pursuant to this subsection must be approved by the school board prior to the receipt of the gift, grant or donation.
[PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. GGG, §1 (NEW).