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CAROLINE COUNTY — This week, Caroline County Public Schools is celebrating Community School Coordinator Appreciation Week. All nine schools now carry the “community school” designation, which is a state initiative bringing extra hands and funds to low income areas. More importantly, it’s a shift in philosophy that recognizes learning doesn’t happen in a bubble.
Nicole Fisher, Supervisor of Community Schools for CCPS, has seen firsthand how this approach is transforming our public schools. Each school building— Federalsburg Elementary, Preston Elementary, Denton Elementary, Ridgely Elementary, Greensboro Elementary, Colonel Richardson Middle, Lockerman Middle, Colonel Richardson High, and North Caroline High — have a coordinator dedicated to assessing and addressing the needs of their students and families.
Community schools are part of a statewide initiative launched under Maryland’s Blueprint for Education. The designation is tied to data about poverty levels in school communities. “They’ve identified the fact that there are areas and schools that sit in areas of concentrated poverty, which can have an impact on how well students perform and their overall well-being, and the well-being of their families,” Fisher said. Eligibility is determined through free and reduced lunch counts.
When the program first began, the threshold was higher: requiring that about 85 percent of students received free or reduced school lunch. Federalsburg Elementary was the only school to qualify at that time. As the percentage gradually decreased over the years, more schools in Caroline County became eligible. North Caroline High School recently joined the list, making all nine CCPS schools officially “community schools.”
Under state law, every community school must have a coordinator stationed within the school and they must help to address health service needs. That was easy for CCPS. “We’ve been fortunate for 25 years to already have school-based health services,” Fisher said. “So for us, it’s really been about expanding them.”
Community schools receive state funding to support their coordinators and health services. After those essentials are met, schools can use remaining funds for other endeavors. Fisher emphasized CCPS’s focus on “wraparound services”—everything from tutoring and enrichment trips to mentoring, social work, and safe transportation.
Each school begins by conducting a year-long needs assessment; surveying families, staff, students, and community partners to identify assets and gaps. In year two, those needs turn into concrete goals. “Part of the goal is that coordinators become part of the school family,” Fisher said. “But we also want them out making connections with partners, being involved in community-level meetings, and learning about resources they can bring back.”
The list of local partners includes Choptank Community Health and Caroline Behavioral Health to Minary’s Dream Alliance, the YMCA, Mid-Shore Mediation, and Lions Clubs. These collaborations help schools provide mentoring, behavioral health support, recreational programming, and more.
According to Sandi Barry, CCPS Director of Communications, the impact often comes down to meeting basic needs. “Sometimes it’s clothes, shoes, or food,” Barry said.
While community schools are a state initiative, Fisher believes Caroline County was ahead of the curve. “We had already recognized that our families needed more support,” she said. “We were doing it implicitly before it became explicit.”
Parents, students, and community members are an important part of the process. Every school has a steering committee that helps dictate priorities. Fisher plans to launch a districtwide committee this year to strengthen collaboration across the county.
Fisher said she enjoys this work because it reminds her of her school counselor days, “In many ways, I feel like I’ve gone back to being a counselor for the district,” she said, “I get to really talk to people, figure out how to make this sustainable, and grow partnerships so our schools aren’t just asking for help…I’ve always loved student voice…We’re growing that piece—asking kids what they want, and then making sure we’re providing opportunities that make them want to be here.”
This week and every week, Fisher proudly celebrates the work of CCPS’s community schools coordinators. “Schools will be doing their best to show them how much they’re appreciated [this week]” she said.
