Abstract
The community school movement is a place-based, partnership-oriented approach to school reform, grounded in equity and whole-child practices. While California has embraced this strategy through a statewide systems change initiative, research on community schools in rural contexts remains limited. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examines how rural community schools in California adapt a state-level community school framework to meet their local needs. Drawing on data from a statewide survey and interviews with 11 participants across three rural counties in Northern California, this study highlights both the structural realities of rural communities and the pivotal role of rural practitioners in shaping implementation.Rural schools reported strong implementation in areas within their immediate control including needs and asset assessments, family engagement, and mental health supports. However, as implementation efforts extended to areas requiring complex collaboration and shared power with external partners—such as integrated systems and collaborative leadership—progress moved at a slower pace. This study contributes to a growing understanding of how community school strategies can be effectively adapted in rural places, offering insights for more inclusive, place-conscious school reform strategies.