Maryland: Baltimore school board considering closing more city schools – IOTW Report

Maryland: Baltimore school board considering closing more city schools

Baltimore Sun:The Baltimore school system has recommended closing four more city schools, in addition to two others previously announced, because of declining enrollment and poor academic performance.

The new schools targeted for closure at the end of the academic year are Coldstream Park Elementary/Middle School and Friendship Academy of Engineering and Technology in Northeast Baltimore, Knowledge and Success Academy in Southwest Baltimore and William Pinderhughes Elementary/Middle School in West Baltimore.

The Baltimore school board will hold a special session Tuesday to review and discuss the recommendations and hear from community members, some of whom already are mobilizing against the closures.

“The community wasn’t involved in the front end of this recommendation,” said Alexandria Warrick Adams, director of Elev8 Baltimore, an education advocacy group and community partner of William Pinderhughes.

The recommendation follows an annual review of district schools by a committee assembled by the Office of New Initiatives, which manages the district’s schools.

he school board previously announced the suggested closures next summer of Rognel Heights Elementary/Middle School and Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson Elementary/Middle School.

The school board will vote on these recommendations Dec. 19, following a series of public meetings to answer questions and gather feedback from parents, school administrators, teachers and others.

The board also is being asked to approve the reconfiguration of grade levels in several schools and to turn over some district-owned buildings to the city as part of an effort to reduce the district’s utility and maintenance costs. School board members also have been advised against renewing the contract of Independence School Local I, a public charter high school.

Elijah Etheridge, the executive director of Baltimore Teachers Network, which operates Independence, said revoking the school’s charter would be a devastating loss. The school currently serves about 150 students, the largest student body in its 14-year history.

The district found that Independence had low graduation rates and college readiness assessment scores — figures that Etheridge disputes. He said he plans to present evidence showing more positive outcomes at Tuesday’s meeting.

“We believe the recommendation was made out of a lack of knowledge of the true value of this school,” he said.

23 Comments on Maryland: Baltimore school board considering closing more city schools

  1. “We believe the recommendation was made out of a lack of knowledge of the true value of this school,”

    Value to who, the DNC?

    Perhaps the recommendation was made out of a complete knowledge of the true value of the school – and therein lies the problem for a bureaucrat.

  2. B’more used to be a nice city. It’s a shithole now. If you are traveling on 95 go around the west side of 695 beltway or stay on 95, but don’t take any exits while inside the beltway.

  3. Closing these schools would be such a waste of resources. Build walls and a fence, hire armed guards, convert classrooms into cell blocks, and presto chango – necessary buildings Baltimore can actually use.

  4. does that mean they are going to start busing them to white schools? If you live there, take a loss-sell your house-find a new job and move elsewhere, unless you are a liberal and then your kids can hang out with L’mar or Sharisah.. 🙁 Don’t Tread On Me!!

  5. Everything in the Baltimore school is true all the school are so bad kids can’t even read or write . It rum by communist people and the idiots in Baltimore keep voting for the communist .

  6. The article should go more deeper into the story a couple a month the people was asked were is the money that belongs to the school the boards of education didn’t know a couple of rats took millions of dollars from the kids school

  7. The problem in Baltimore isn’t the money because this people get more money than the rest of Maryland the problem is the communist people running the school and the Maryland people that running Maryland like the mayor of Baltimore the congressman and congresswoman and senators nothing but communist stilling the taxes from hard working people. . Plus the crime is so high

  8. Here. In Maryland we didn’t have on single casino but the communist in Maryland wanted casino for the kids in school.know we have so much casino and no one knows were is the money or the missing money in Baltimore. This reminds me of the Cigarette money

  9. Reminds me of the Lottery here in Ohio. Back in the 70s they said the proceeds would go to the schools. A few people questioned this, but that’s what they maintained. Meanwhile the lottery is doing great and every year there’s a new school levy.
    The lesson here is if you give them the money, it is never enough, they will find a way to burn it!
    The solution is to shut off the damn spigot and let them tear off a few top-heavy layers of administration and re-align the salaries of those left over to reduce expenses!

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