Charles County community schools expand to 14 sites; first school‑based health center set to open this fall

Charles County Public Schools described rapid growth of its community schools initiative at the May 13 Board of Education meeting, telling the board the program will expand to 14 schools next year and will open the county’s first school‑based health center at Indian Head Elementary in the fall.

"Our community school coordinators are the unsung heroes of our school system," said Bethany Goodwin, community school coordinator, noting coordinators run resource centers, food pantries, extended‑learning programs and mental‑health partnerships. She told the board coordinators logged more than 12,700 interventions in district systems during the year.

Why it matters: Community schools bundle on‑site social, health and academic supports in high‑need schools to reduce out‑of‑school barriers to learning. Board members and staff framed the school‑based center as a potential attendance and preventive‑care tool for a portion of the county lacking nearby access to primary care.

Program details and outcomes - Staffing and funds: Under Maryland’s concentration‑of‑poverty grant rules, community schools must hire a full‑time community school coordinator and a full‑time health practitioner (typically a nurse). Goodwin said any remainder may fund wraparound services and that schools may be eligible for additional per‑pupil allocations in a program’s second year. - Primary needs identified: Needs assessments across community schools showed four priorities: access to food, mental‑health services, extended learning with transportation, and health/wellness services (immunizations, dental, vision and hearing screenings). Goodwin and colleagues described specific responses, including weekly resource centers, student laundry and market services, food distributions and extended‑learning clubs. - School‑based health center: District staff said they will open a school‑based health center this fall at Indian Head Elementary to offer primary care, preventive and mental‑health services and oral health screenings. "One of our greatest needs is that there is not access to health care on the western side of the county at all," Goodwin said. The center is expected to include mental‑health services and be available to families in the area. - Data and services: Coordinators reported more than 12,700 logged interventions (food support, SST/504 assistance, attendance work and counseling referrals). Goodwin said community school coordinators also coordinate with Title I liaisons and local partners to sustain programs.

Board reaction and next steps Board members praised the expansion and asked that lessons learned be shared with non‑community schools and Title I staff so practices can scale: "There's something special happening in our community schools. How do we share those learnings with our PPWs?" one member asked. Goodwin said coordinators are sharing through state and regional peer visits and that neighboring counties have already begun studying the program.

The board also discussed sustainability: Goodwin said Maryland has continued concentration‑of‑poverty funding and that state staff have visited Charles County sites. She said coordinators work to build community partnerships so programs can continue if grant funding declines.

Ending District staff said they will provide more detailed school‑level needs assessments and budgets to the board as sites open and the fall school‑based health center begins operations.