(a) (1) A community school shall have an experienced and qualified community school coordinator who:
(i) Is hired at the appropriate administrative level;
(ii) Understands, respects, and demonstrates a high degree of cultural awareness of and competency in the diversity in the community and in cross–cultural practice with stakeholders; and
(iii) May be employed by the school district.
(2) A community school coordinator may be a social worker.
(b) (1) A community school coordinator shall be responsible for:
(i) Establishing a community school;
(ii) Completing an assessment of the needs of the students in the school for appropriate wraparound services to enhance the success of all students in the school;
(iii) Developing an implementation plan based on the assessment of needs for the community school, in cooperation with other interested stakeholders; and
(iv) Coordinating support programs that address out–of–school learning barriers for students and families, including:
1. Wraparound services; and
2. As appropriate:
A. Tutoring;
B. English language learner courses;
C. Early childhood development and parenting classes;
D. College and career advising;
E. Employment opportunities;
F. Citizenship education;
G. Food pantries;
H. Rental assistance, in accordance with § 9.9–104.1 of this title; and
I. School–based behavioral and physical health services.
(2) The needs assessment completed under this subsection shall:
(i) Be completed in collaboration with:
1. The principal;
2. A school health care practitioner;
3. A parent teacher organization or a school council; and
4. Members of the community schools’ leadership teams;
(ii) Include an assessment of the physical, behavioral, mental, social, and emotional health needs and wraparound service needs of students, their families, and their communities;
(iii) Be completed using the common needs assessment tool developed by the Director of Community Schools under § 9.9–103 of this title, when the tool is available;
(iv) Be submitted to the Department and the local school system within 1 year of receiving a personnel grant under § 5–223 of this article or within 1 year of becoming a community school; and
(v) Be published online.
(3) The Department may establish requirements for school implementation plans and countywide community school implementation plans.
(4) The implementation plan completed under this subsection shall include:
(i) A strategy for providing wraparound services to address the needs of the students, their families, and their communities, building on and strengthening community resources near the school;
(ii) A set of measurable goals tied to the priorities identified in the needs assessment that will be measured at least once every 2 years by the community school coordinator and principal to determine progress toward meeting the goals;
(iii) Inclusion, if possible and practicable, of community partners in geographic proximity to the school that can assist in meeting the needs identified in the assessment;
(iv) Ensure that time is made available to train staff on the supports available, the need for the supports, and how to engage with the community schools coordinator to access these supports; and
(v) Develop strategies to maximize external non–State or non–local education funding.
(5) The implementation plan shall be submitted to the local school system for approval within 1 year of completion of the needs assessment.
(6) (i) A community school coordinator shall review the implementation plan at least once every 2 years to determine whether the community school is meeting students’ needs and making progress toward the measurable goals established under paragraph (4)(ii) of this subsection.
(ii) A community school coordinator shall alter the implementation plan, using the common needs assessment tool, and the provision of wraparound services to address changes in students’ needs.
(iii) An updated implementation plan shall be submitted to the local school system for approval.
(7) If the Department determines that a community school has not expended funds in accordance with an approved implementation plan submitted under § 5–223(h) of this article, the Department may direct a county board to expend a reasonable percentage of the funds due to the community school under § 5–223(e) of this article on behalf of the community school in accordance with the approved implementation plan.
(8) (i) A school system that is authorized to expend funds on behalf of a community school under § 5–223(g) of this article shall develop countywide community school implementation plans that incorporate school–level implementation plans.
(ii) The countywide implementation plan shall include a set of measurable goals tied to the priorities identified in the needs assessment that will be measured at least every 2 years by the community school coordinator to determine progress toward meeting the goals.