By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com
Following a public hearing at the Baltimore City Public Schools District Office on the evening of Dec. 11, parents and students of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys (Baltimore Collegiate) are pleading with the School Board once again to keep the institution open.
This marks the second time in the past three years that Baltimore Collegiate is at risk of shutting down, as the school barely escaped closure in 2023.
Students, parents, teachers, administrators and both city and state officials have come together to speak on the impact and importance of Baltimore Collegiate, citing improved literary skills among students, personal development and necessary male mentorship for students who do not have male role models in their households or in their communities outside of Baltimore Collegiate.
“It is important to me [that Baltimore Collegiate doesn’t shut down] because I have seen all these different changes within myself. I’ve gone through a lot of trauma before entering this school like losing my mother and being adopted. My sister and I, we pushed through it, and I love it at Baltimore Collegiate,” said student Zachary Clark..
Clark continued to talk about how empowered he feels at Baltimore Collegiate and how the school is building him up to be a better man not only today but also in the future.
“If the school shuts down, I don’t know what I am going to do,” said Clark. “The brotherhood I feel at this school is very powerful because when I walk into the classroom, I can feel every emotion. I can be sad, mad, whatever. But everyone there will support me and just help me through it as if they were my actual brothers.”
Zachary’s adopted mom, Maya Clark, also spoke about the impact the school has had on her son.
“His teachers are awesome. He feels cherished at this school. This is his first time making the honor roll. I am a single mom; I don’t know how to tie a tie. Being at a school where they’re teaching how to do that and greet people as they come into the room is something that goes beyond traditional education. Just imagine being at a school with majority Black boys and when you walk by, they have great manners and just teaching these young boys how to be gentlemen,” said Clark.
Baltimore Collegiate serves as the only all-boys public charter school in the city. Baltimore City Schools officials are recommending the closure of the institution due to low test scores and financial mismanagement. Baltimore Collegiate is also currently operating with roughly 300 students enrolled, which is below the 480 student allowed minimum.
The board did credit the school for improved instruction and getting families more involved.
Baltimore Collegiate Chief Executive Officer Edwin Avent argues that his school faces a different set of challenges as compared to other schools throughout the city, including accepting students with low literacy levels and dealing with the unique hardships of managing the budgets set for charter schools. Charter schools are forced to deal with issues regarding building maintenance, things that traditional schools do not have to deal with.
Maya Clark shared with the AFRO that at her son’s previous school, he could speak French but did not know how to read.
Najee Christopher, a sixth grader at Baltimore Collegiate, spoke about how the school is actively breaking the school-to-prison pipeline in Baltimore.
“It is important for the school not to shut down because these boys, similar to me, want to go somewhere in life. They already have jail cells for kids who grow up with no education and no father. I don’t want the boys at Baltimore Collegiate to end up like that. We want to be greater than some of the stuff we see from people outside or people who attend other schools,” said Christopher.
Christopher’s mom, Jeanine Kelly, spoke about how Baltimore Collegiate completely changed her son’s educational experience and outlook.
“Before, it was a struggle to get him to do his homework and take school seriously. The other schools we were at actually wanted to medicate him instead of getting to the root of what the problem was,” said Kelly. “When we got to Baltimore Collegiate, I explained my son’s situation to the principal and that I originally thought he might have to repeat a grade. He said he’s going to put him in his proper grade and if they have to move him they will, but let’s give him a chance. He ended up passing with flying colors. His grades went from 35s and 45s to 85s.”
Avent has plans to help the school get back on track financially, including reportedly negotiating a deal with an undisclosed buyer for the charter school’s building, which would reduce rent by $20,000 a month. Additionally, Avent has proposed installing a workforce program and a pre-K which will serve as additional revenue sources for Baltimore Collegiate.
A second public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting will also take place at the District Office, located at 200 E. North Ave. Registration to comment will be open from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information and ways to support the fight to keep Baltimore Collegiate open, visit https://baltimorecollegiate.com/renewal/.