Olympia School District looking at community schools model 

The idea of adopting a community schools model is being considered at the Olympia School District (OSD), as a means to transform it into a hub of learning, belonging, partnership and support. 

Community schools are public schools tailored to a neighborhood’s needs. The goal of the model is to integrate learning, relationships, partnerships and support into one locally designed way of working. 

At an Oct. 22 meeting, OSD Board of Directors Vice President Maria Flores suggested the district create a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) to examine a community schools model.  

“Community schools … it is an evidence-based, research-based model for a way to organize a school around a child, and it is still a school, so a community school is a public school that provides services and support that match the neighborhood's needs. It is created and run by the people who know children best, all working together,” Flores said. 

She added the idea is for the district not to add “disconnected programs” and instead implement programs in an integrated way, to build relationships and partnerships working to serve students and families well.

The model brings experiences more consistently, including after-school opportunities, school-based health clinics and youth development.

“The key difference is having those community support services embedded in the building, providing community services both to the students and the families in the broader community of the neighborhood surrounding the school,” Flores said. 

There are six connected pillars in the model —  strong and proven curriculum, high-quality teaching, inclusive leadership, positive behavior practices, family, and community partnerships and community support services. 

“The pillars in this model hold the strategy together; all these things need to be occurring simultaneously for it to be considered a community school model,” Flores said. 

The shift is from programs built around students to a system built with students. Programs scheduled around the day become extended learning before, during and after school.

Referrals once handed to separate providers would be coordinated around the child, family outreach would involve students and families having a shared voice, and a building for instruction becomes a neighborhood hub for learning and well-being.  

The model would also bring more alignment and community services into schools, building capacity for the district through partnerships that contribute both financial and in-kind resources. 

Engaging in the community schools process would start with a needs assessment and asset mapping. Needs assessment compiles the needs of the students, family and community, while asset mapping outlines the resources available within the community. 

If the committee process started in November, it could extend into March 2027. A 120-day process could lead to a recommendation for the board of directors.