By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com
The Baltimore City Public School Board voted to not renew the charter of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys in a 6-4 decision on Jan. 14.
Officials in the school system’s district office cited overwhelming financial issues, low test scores and the inability to support the school’s special education program. Baltimore City Public Schools Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sonja Santelises also said that keeping the school open would set a precedent for keeping schools open that fail to meet district standards.
The school will remain operating until the end of the school year in June. The school enrolls 362 students, which fell below the “allowed minimum” of 480.
Baltimore Collegiate is the only all-male charter school in Maryland and part of the school’s mission is to not only educate students but also assist young Black boys psychologically and beyond through mentorship and personal development.
On Jan. 8, Baltimore Collegiate alumni attempted to rally in an effort to keep the school open. 2018 alumni D’jibril Barry shared with the AFRO that the school equipped him with interpersonal skills such as leadership and hard work.
In December, during the first public hearing regarding the potential closure of Baltimore Collegiate, current student Zachary Clark credited the school with helping him to get through personal trauma and impacting his personal growth.
“The brotherhood I feel at this school is very powerful,” said Clark. “Everyone here supports me and just helps me get through whatever I am feeling as if they were my actual brothers.”
While some members of the school board did support Baltimore Collegiate’s mission and impact, ultimately they found it hard to renew the charter given some of the school’s struggles. It is unclear
whether there is an appeals process.
Two other Baltimore City schools were also at risk of closing on Jan. 14, but survived. Renaissance Academy, which is only a couple miles away from Baltimore Collegiate, and Dallas F. Nicholas Elementary School both survived closure for at least one more year. The school board decided to defer the decision on closure of these schools until next year. Both schools face issues of low enrollment.