3 Baltimore schools, including 2 charters, recommended for closure
Three elementary schools will close at the end of this school year if Baltimore City's school board follows recommendations from the city school system.
The schools on the chopping block include Edgewood Elementary School in Mt. Holly, Creative City Public Charter School in Towanda-Grantley and Southwest Baltimore Charter School in Washington Village/Pigtown. The first is a traditional school while the other two are charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately operated. Those schools, of which there are over 30 in the city, must receive a charter from the school board to operate.
The district reviewed 19 schools in this year's annual review which seeks to ensure all students receive a high-quality education. Eighteen of those, double the normal amount, were charter schools up for operator renewal.
Executive Director of Southwest Baltimore Charter School, Inc. Timothy Smith said the board's recommendation was "incredibly disappointing," especially given the school is celebrating its 20th anniversary. He said that while the school is concerned about the "disadvantages of the current charter system," their number one priority is maintaining equity for the Southwest Baltimore community by keeping the school open.
"Closing schools destabilizes communities," Smith said. "It disenfranchises the very people that need them the most."
In her letter to the Southwest Baltimore Charter School community, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools Sonja Santelises said the recommendation that the school close after this school year was based on the "not effective" rating of the school's overall academic performance and the school's history of three-year charter renewals. The three-year renewal, as opposed to five- or eight-year terms, is extended to schools that are making progress but still need to improve.
The recommendation to close Creative City Public Charter School was also based on low ratings, a lack of consistent improvement in academics and a lack of progress towards the prior conditions of the charter renewal. The school has also struggled to effectively care for its students with disabilities, according to the district.
In June 2023, the city school system emerged victorious after seven charter school operators accused the district of improperly withholding some of their funding .
The district also recommended that Edgewood Elementary close after this school year and send students to Gwynns Falls Elementary School and Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle, which have space and are within walking distance for students zoned for Edgewood. Four citywide special education programs housed within Edgewood would be relocated. The school building would be added to the city's surplus properties after the closure.
In its recommendations, the school system said Edgewood "has been the smallest school serving students in grades pre-kindergarten through 5 in City Schools for many years" with continued declining enrollment. Still, the recommendation acknowledged that the school performed well on recent state testing.
"Each year for the past several years, the school has needed supplemental funds to meet basic budget requirements," the summary said. "When schools rely on supplemental funds to meet basic requirements, they do not have the resources needed to provide rich and robust programming that students deserve and have access to at other schools."
On Nov. 21 at 5:30 p.m., Edgewood community members can gather at the school to share their feelings on the potential closure.
Another decision, for New Song Academy, is still pending as the school system seeks to learn more about the school's finances; the recommendation is set to be shared at the Dec. 10 board meeting. Six charter schools received renewal recommendations with conditions the schools should meet before the next charter renewal.
Angela Alvarez, the executive director of the school system's Office of New Initiatives, said the investment from everyone involved in educating kids makes it difficult to share negative recommendations.
"It may not always work," Alvarez said, "but we have committed people that are really trying to do their best."
Charter operators can make their case to the board on Dec. 5 at a virtual public work session.
Community members can tell the board how they feel about these potential closings at virtual meetings on Dec. 12 and Jan. 9. The school board will vote on the recommendations Jan. 14.
