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Baltimore City officials tell State Board that concentration‑of‑poverty dollars are reaching schools and expanding services
Summary
Baltimore City officials told the State Board that concentration‑of‑poverty (CPG) funding has been braided into district budgets and used to expand community schools, health services and enrichment, and that more than $420 million has been committed with rapid program growth and reported improvements in attendance and program participation.
Baltimore City School leaders told the Maryland State Board of Education that state concentration‑of‑poverty grant (CPG) funds are broadly in use across the district and supporting community schools, health services and expanded learning. Dr. Sonia Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, said the district has committed just over $420 million in CPG investment and reported it has spent “over 99% of this investment” in schools.
City presenters highlighted how the funding supports a mix of personnel and wraparound services: community‑school coordinators, paraprofessionals and educational associates to support literacy and math, temporary community partners, expanded arts and athletics programming, summer and extended‑learning opportunities, and school‑based health efforts. Indian Head Elementary (Charles County example cited by MSDE staff) and Ben Franklin/Excel Academy family centers were given as local examples of implementation, including increased participation in after‑school programming and food distribution efforts.
Presenters said community schools aim to reduce chronic absenteeism through targeted interventions; Baltimore City reported a drop in chronic absenteeism from 54.1% to 48.7% and attributed improvements to coordinator‑led family engagement and locally tailored attendance work. Officials also described investments in tutoring, paraprofessional coaching for early literacy, and planning for school‑based health centers.
Board members praised the local results but raised questions about capacity and sustainability, including staffing constraints (some MSDE staff noted only one state coordinator for community schools statewide) and the need for continued training and oversight to ensure funds are spent effectively.
What’s next: MSDE staff and Baltimore City committed to continued collaboration and to provide more detailed evaluations; board members asked for evidence about where funds yielded the largest gains and for follow‑up on implementation supports.
