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.
Community School Voices
Marco Harris
Assistant Superintendent, Albuquerque Schools, former Principal, Highland High School, Albuquerque, NM
“What changes the snippets of good love that happened on campuses to a community school is the intentionality….”
"On the Rise"
Cincinnati Community Learning Series
The first of four films that show how community schools have transformed Cincinnati schools since 2001, when the city passed a school board policy to turn all its schools into Community Learning Centers.
Mike Abdale
Director of Parent and Community Engagement, Adams County, Former Principal of Crawford Elementary School, Aurora, CO
“So the purpose of a community school isn’t necessarily to give resources out to the community, although that’s that’s part of it, right? It really is, in my eyes, anyway, just a mindset, a certain way you approach the work…”
Strengthen Your Leadership. Deepen Your Impact.
The National Center for Community Schools helps principals turn the community schools strategy into action with clear guidance, practical tools, and trusted expertise. Ready to move your work forward? Let’s connect.
