What is a Community School?
About Community Schools
The community school strategy addresses systemic barriers and fosters holistic student success, so that “all students flourish in thriving school communities.” A recent statewide study (LPI, 2025) found that California’s targeted investment in high-need schools led to greater gains for historically underserved students and benefited students across all groups.
Creating a common understanding of what it means to be a community school is the very first role of principals and leaders.
Resources for Learning
For more about Community Schools, click here.
The Core Components of a Community School
An effective community school consists of four core components. These components form the nuts and bolts of a community school, providing the conditions where children flourish and thrive.
I. A Full-time Community School Coordinator
A full-time community school coordinator implements, integrates, aligns, and coordinates the community school strategy at the site level.
Alternative terms: Community School Director, Community School Manager, Resource Director
II. A Comprehensive Assets & Needs Assessment
A comprehensive assets and needs assessment supports community schools in making data-driven decisions by mapping existing resources and pinpointing gaps that need to be addressed.
III. A Representative Community School Leadership Team
A representative community school leadership team guides the development of a community school. The leadership team works to plan, implement, grow, and sustain their community school site.
Alternative terms: Advisory Council, Leadership Dommittee, Design Team
IV. An Implementation Plan
An implementation plan identifies community school priorities and ensures the community school’s work aligns with goals that are inclusive and equitable.
The Community School Coordinator
Understanding the coordinator role and introducing this position to the school ecosystem are important first steps toward implementing the community school strategy.
Key Documents:
Community School Voices
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