The Awful Truth About Neighborhood Schools

This post may be unpopular in fact, I don't like it much myself but I can't not write about something because the subject matter isn't good news. In this case, it's Neighborhood Schools. At the this point in time, the City just can't do it. The enrollment is too low and the cost to maintain so many small dilapidated buildings is just too high. What this means is closing a large number of Schools and consolidating them into one larger building. In many cases a shuttered Middle School will fit the bill.

There is a silver lining at the edge of the clouds though. The closed School sites can still serve their Communities. The buildings may be torn down and the Sites will continue on as Parks and/or Community Centers. Another idea to float around is the idea of moving Police Stations into Schools that are in better shape i.e. renovated somewhat recently since Police Stations and other public facilities are collectively in bad shape as well. A user comment from an older post suggested this and I support it and I thank them for suggesting it.

Now lets get down to the nitty gritty. What schools are closing where and where are they going to end up? As I've mentioned earlier I plan on using Middle School buildings (and renovating/replacing them) to house Elementary and Middle School Students K-8. This post won't cover High Schools all that much except maybe a pet project of mine here and there. There are also some cases where there has been adequate funding for school renovations and their districts won't be touched. If a school isn't mentioned, it's not a part of this plan. Now, lets divide the City into Districts and get this show on the road.

Northwest 

Fallstaff/Mount Washington:
Close Mount Washington ES
Close Fallstaff ES/MS
Close Cross Country
Relocate to old Northwest HS

Park Heights
Close Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ES
Close Edgecombe Circle ES/MS
Relocate to old Greenspring MS
Keep current program(s) housed in Greenspring MS building

Forest Park
Close Grove Park ES
Close Asburton ES/MS
Close Callaway ES
Relocate to old Garrison MS

Walbrook Junction
Close Gwynns Falls ES
Close Hilton ES
Close Windsor Hills ES
Relocate to Old William H. Lemmel MS

Mondawmin
Close Edgewood ES
Close Rosemont ES/MS
Close Belmont ES
Build new ES/MS on North Avenue

West
Sandtown
Close Matthew Henson ES
Close Gilmor ES
Close William Pinderhughes ES/MS
Build new ES/MS adjacent to Carver Vocational HS

Upton
Close Eutaw-Marshburn ES
Close Samuel Coleridge Taylor ES
Close Furman Templeton ES
Relocate to Booker T. Washington MS

Calverton
Close James Mosher ES
Close Alexander Hamilton ES
Close Calverton ES/MS
Relocate to old Calverton MS

Edmondson Village
Close Mary E. Rodman ES
Close Sarah M. Roach ES
Relocate to old Gwynns Falls MS
Keep current Green Street Academy program at Gwynns Falls MS

Beechfield/North Bend
Close Beechfield ES/MS
Close North Bend ES/MS
Close Thomas Jefferson ES
Relocate to old West Baltimore MS

Franklin Square
Close Franklin Square ES/MS
Close Lockerman Bundy ES
Close Mary Ann Winterling ES
Build new School along Lexington St. Saratoga St.

Southwest
Close Stuart Hill Academic Academy
Close George Washington ES
Close Charles Carroll Barrister ES/MS
Relocate to old Diggs Johnson MS
Keep current Southwest Baltimore Charter School at Diggs Johnson MS

South
South Baltimore
Close Federal Hill Preparatory School
Close Thomas Johnson ES/MS
Close Francis Scott Key ES/MS
Relocate to Digital Harbor High
Move Digital Harbor High program to Old Southwestern HS with SEED School

Brooklyn/Curtis Bay
Close Bay Brook ES
Close Curtis Bay ES/MS
Close Marie Garnett Farring ES
Relocate to old Benjamin Franklin MS
Relocate HS to Arnett J. Brown MS Building with current programs

Southeast
Close City Springs ES
Close Commodore John Rogers ES
Close General Wolfe Academy
Move to old Charles Carroll of Carrollton ES Building

Demolish Lombard MS, Thomas G. Hayes ES, and Dunbar MS

East
Move to Johnston Square to Madison Square ES Building with Community Initiatives Academy

Demolish Old Elmer A. Henderson ES Building

Close Harford Heights ES
Close Collington Square ES/MS
Close Dr. Bernard Harris ES
Close St. Vincent De Paul Head Start
Move to William C. March MS Building

Move Lakewood ES to Fort Worthington ES/MS

Close Montebello ES/MS
Close Abbotston ES
Close Stadium School
Build new School on Harford Road and The Alameda

Move all programs out of Lake Clifton HS and demolish. Restore Lake

Northeast 
Close Armistead Gardens ES/MS
Close Brehms Lane ES
Close Sinclair Lane ES
Build new ES/MS at Sinclair Lane ES Site

Close Furley ES
Close Hazelwood ES/MS
Close Moravia Park Primary
Close Garndenville ES
Build new ES/MS at Barbara and Parkwood Park Site

Close Woodhome Heights ES/MS
Close Hamilton ES/MS
Close Glenmount ES/MS
Build new ES/MS at Burdick Park Site

North
Close Yorkwood ES
Close Northwood ES
Close Lois T. Murray ES
Close Northwood Community Appold Academy
Build new ES/MS at Belvedere Ave and Hillen Road

Close Guilford ES/MS
Close Walter P. Carter ES/MS
Close Govans ES
Build new ES/MS at Dewees Park Site

Close Cecil ES
Close Barlcay ES/MS
Close Dallas F. Nichols ES
Close Margaret Brent ES
Build new ES/MS in Barlcay Neighorhood

And there you have it, the awful truth about Neighborhood Schools. With enrollment declining the way it is and the excess classroom space Citywide while most of the School Buildings are decaying, there's only one way to address it all at the same time. Sadly that means closing several Schools at once in order to balance capacity and renovate/replace what's left. The good news is, if crowding begins to occur, the old School Sites are ready and waiting to have new Schools rebuilt on them.