Board Vice President Maria Flores proposed turning Olympia School District schools into neighborhood hubs that bundle academics with health clinics, after-school programs and family services.

Flores made the suggestion at the Oct. 22 board meeting, calling on the district to form a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) to study a "community schools" model, The JOLT News Organization reported. The idea would reshape how individual school buildings serve the families around them.

"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.

How it would work

The process would begin with a needs assessment and asset mapping. The needs assessment would compile what students, families and neighborhoods require. Asset mapping would catalog resources already available in the community.

Flores said the goal is to avoid layering on "disconnected programs" and instead integrate services so partnerships serve students and families in a coordinated way.

The approach could also bring financial and in-kind resources into the district through community partnerships, according to the JOLT report.

Under the framework Flores described, referrals that now go to outside providers would be coordinated inside the building.

Families would have a shared voice in shaping what services their school offers. Programs scheduled around the school day would become extended learning before, during and after school.

Six pillars

The model rests on six pillars: strong and proven curriculum, high-quality teaching, inclusive leadership, positive behavior practices, family and community partnerships, and community support services.

All six must operate together, Flores said.

What comes next

If the CAC starts work in November, the 120-day review could stretch into March 2027 and produce a recommendation for the board.

Key questions remain open. It is not clear whether other board members or the superintendent have endorsed the proposal, or whether the district has identified a funding source.

Official minutes from the Oct. 22 meeting have not been published.