The School - Community Connection
MFES will be a living model of a democratic governance structure that requires all stakeholders - students, parents, business and non-profit partners - to weigh competing needs, listen to multiple perspectives, make decisions, and then adapt them as new research, innovation, or changed local or global circumstances require.

Each MFES site will be a place where the community gathers regularly as a real audience for the work of students, to share culture and ideas, and to support each element of the interlocked web of interests.

MFES espouses recruiting, family education, and admittance policies that represent the demographics of the surrounding area, an approach that ensures that a small scale serves a broad demographic. Eventually, each MFES site will include a small number of homes that model sustainable building and land use, enabling some school staff to live on the premises and provide foster care and/or a residential educational experience for a small number of students.