BALTIMORE — It's been a five-year run for the Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys and now the school's future is in jeopardy.
The school's future is the center of conversation at a community meeting Tuesday evening.
As teens are in the headlines in Baltimore, often surrounding gun violence and crime, Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys (BCSB) was established as a potential remedy educating boys at a crucial phase of their lives between fourth and eighth grades.
The school even brings professionals they could look up to around the students like Governor Wes Moore.
So far, their first graduating classes are seeing a promising level of success.
"When you look at Baltimore City statistics, particularly when it comes to African American men, typically they're graduating at a 64 percent rate within four years, where our first class graduated within 90 percent and second class is scheduled to graduate at 97 percent," said Edwin Avent of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys.
He heads BCSB where the focus of his staff has been to prepare their students for the future while the future of the school itself remains hanging in the balance.
"Should the board of commissioners decide to vote against renewing us, our families will have to make alternate arrangements for their sons in the following years," Avent shared.
Within the last few months, the school has received several letters of concern from Baltimore City Public Schools stemming from instances like incorrect data entry and improper protocol for suspending a student.
More than five letters, which the school has exceeded, could ultimately cause the district's board of commissioners to revoke renewing of the school's charter.
"We understand their process, we just don't believe it rises to the level of shutting down a school that's doing so much good for so many young people," Avent expressed.
He feels the school's potential early shutdown could have an impact not just on the students it serves but the community that surrounds it.
"At stake is the future of African American males in Baltimore City. The common average reading level is about fourth grade. There's a high level of illiteracy going on in that population that are committing crimes, that are being incarcerated and are being the victims of crime," Avent said.
A few dates to keep in mind surrounding the future of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys:
- February 14th: BCPS CEO Dr. Santelises will make her recommendation to the board of commissioners.
- February 16th : Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys administrators will present their case to the board of commissioners.
- February 23rd: Board of commissioners will vote on the school's fate.
Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys requests parents and families send letters of support to the school located at 2525 Kirk Avenue or by email via Lwhite@baltimorecollegiate.org.
They've also urged stakeholders to reach out to the board of commissioners who'll be voting on Feb. 23.
