91 Baltimore County schools serving mostly low-income students receiving extra funding under Blueprint plan

Baltimore County Public Schools will operate 91 community schools next academic year, a key priority of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future , the state’s multibillion dollar education reform plan.

The district added 35 more community schools since October and received $34.6 million this fiscal year to support them, school officials told the Baltimore County Board of Education on Tuesday night.

Schools where 80% or more of their students fall below the federal poverty threshold can be designated as community schools, which act as “hubs” for social services such as medical care and family resources, including academic support. Community schools receive additional funding from state grants, called concentration-of-poverty grants, that must be used for specific purposes under Maryland’s reform plan.

“It must be responsive spending based on school needs,” Melissa Forster, BCPS’ director of community schools, said Tuesday. Each community school completes a needs assessment to tailor the support to the specific neighborhood and community.

Community schools can use the funds to hire positions, such as teachers, paraeducators and literacy and math coaches. School administrations must collect and track data on the effectiveness of the programs supported by state funds.

School districts with multiple community schools can hire a designated “community school facilitator” who helps organize the nonprofit and government resources the school uses and manages its funds. But districts have to hit a threshold of community schools to be able to hire a facilitator.

A February audit by the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education chided state education officials for not giving adequate training about how to use millions of dollars in concentration-of-poverty funds. About $12.3 million in state education funds went unused over several years while local school boards were frustrated by a lack of guidance on how to spend them.

In fiscal year 2022, Montgomery County only spent 30% of over $4.7 million it was allocated for personnel grants and used none of its per-pupil grant money, the report says. The same fiscal year, Baltimore County spent less than half of the funds it was allocated, according to the report.

Related Articles

• Education | Naval Academy Primary School adds eighth grade, marks 75th anniversary
• Education | Concerns grow over Bible-infused public school curriculum in Texas
• Education | Talkspace, a virtual therapy app free for Baltimore County students, shows early signs of success, school officials say
• Education | Carroll school board to consider buying Kessler Building warehouse for $2 million
• Education | Baltimore City Schools hires former BPD district commander as new police chief

The Blueprint seeks to add around 700 community schools across the state by the time the 10-year reform plan is fully implemented.

BCPS received $29 million in federal grants this fiscal year for Title I schools, which are eligible for funding if at least 40% of students are from low-income families. There are 78 Title I schools in Baltimore County.

The district received an additional $6.3 million in federal funding for schools that consistently underperform and for Title I schools that fall in the last 5% of state schools or have a graduation rate below 67%.