To attend CSM, students must have approval for a nonpublic placement. The Community School of Maryland accepts referrals for placement from all county school districts, Autism Waiver, and other county government agencies. A referral packet must be sent to the Director of Education which includes the students IEP, along with an academic, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Psychological assessment. Upon receiving a referral packet with information about the student, the CSM admissions team will review the documents and determine approval for placement. Other documents may also be requested if needed to determine acceptance. Representatives of the admission team will also perform an observation of the student in his/her current placement.