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MSDE details community-schools funding rules and approves publishing child-care school-age changes
Summary
MSDE presented required countywide implementation plan components for community schools centralized expenditures and received committee approval to publish amendments giving school-age child-care programs greater group-size and CPR/first-aid flexibility under newly authorized statutory authority.
Two regulatory items moved forward in the committee meeting: proposed COMAR language for centralized community-schools expenditures and publication of amendments to child-care center rules for school-age programs.
On community schools, Mary Gable and Derek Anderson outlined a COMAR framework implementing a 2025 statute that allows eligible LEAs to dedicate up to 50% of certain concentration-of-poverty funds to centralized community-school supports if they meet thresholds (at least 10 community schools or 35% of county schools). The department said countywide plans must include staffing and salary descriptions, stakeholder engagement, itemized service lists that benefit at least two schools, two measurable goals with biennial progress assessments, and oversight provisions including possible repayment for improper expenditures.
On child care, Assistant State Superintendent Sarah Neville‑Morgan described amendments to COMAR 13A.16 and 13A.17 that would permit a single school-age group to expand from 30 to 45 children when supervised by a teacher, assistant teacher and aide, and adjust first-aid/CPR certification ratios in recognition of lower risk in school‑age settings. MSDE said it pursued and obtained statutory authority in 2025 (House Bill 150) to modify first-aid/CPR requirements and is seeking permission to publish the rules for public comment; the committee approved the motion to publish.
MSDE staff said guidance will spell out requirements for needs assessments, measurable goals and how LEAs must demonstrate stakeholder engagement and fiscal accountability in their countywide plans.
