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City Schools proposes modest ADH policy changes to match state law, highlights rental-assistance resource
Summary
District staff presented proposed amendments to policy ADH (Community Schools) to align definitions, wraparound services and evaluation language with recent Maryland legislation and noted a $10 million state rental-assistance program for community-school families.
Baltimore City Public Schools staff presented a set of proposed, limited revisions to policy ADH (Community Schools) at the Jan. 20 Board of School Commissioners meeting to align district policy language with recent state legislation and the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
Tina High Hubbard, chief of communications, engagement and enrollment, and members of the community schools team said the revisions mostly update definitions, add examples of wraparound services and incorporate new state evaluation and transparency requirements tied to House Bill 428 and House Bill 200.
The changes would not alter the district’s community-school model but would add clarity on shared accountability, collaborative leadership, capacity building and family engagement, staff said. Staff emphasized that the policy applies equally to community-school coordinators hired directly by the district and those hired by community-based organizations.
District staff reported that Baltimore currently operates 154 community schools, with 98 coordinators hired by community-based organizations. They also noted that the state created a new rental-assistance program tied to community schools with $10 million in funding being administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development; the program will be separate from district-run assistance and the state will issue guidance on referrals when the program is finalized.
House Bill 200 language requiring evaluation of community schools was added to the proposed policy so the district’s reporting and materials can meet state deadlines, staff said. The district also proposed minor steering-committee membership changes to increase community representation, such as adding a community-at-large seat and increasing the number of coordinators on the steering committee.
Staff said they conducted outreach to lead agencies, the equity advisory committee, community supervisors and other stakeholders; most groups raised clarifying questions but did not oppose the proposed changes. Charter operators requested targeted recruitment of charter-school representatives for steering committees; staff said administrative regulations would be updated to reflect that outreach.
The board offered praise for the community-schools strategy and for departing director Chris Battaglia, who staff and board members credited with helping develop the model. Staff said that if the policy is approved, the district will post implementation documents such as needs assessments, action plans and annual evaluations after MSDE review as required by state law.
Clarifying details presented included the 154-school count, the 98 community-based hires, the state’s $10,000,000 rental-assistance program administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, and the district’s plan to post needs assessments and evaluations after MSDE review.
