BALTIMORE — Students in Baltimore City returned to the classroom Monday.
Already, some parents said the school day was faced with challenges.
From no air conditioning in some schools to children being sent home because of paperwork issues, it was certainly a rocky start for some Baltimore City Public School students and parents.
Many are hopeful the semester will be much smoother than it started.
Parents with children attending Baltimore City schools said before school started that leaders sent out a message stating there will be early dismissal for students for the first two days at some schools with no air conditioning.
“I have five kids, all my kids went here,” said parent Michelle Sherman.
Sherman said the Empowerment Academy where her son attends was one of the 14 schools on the list with no air conditioning.
However, despite the air conditioning, or lack there of she like many other parents loves the school so they’re willing to let their kids wait it out.
“You know we want our kids to have a great education, they can sweat through for a couple of weeks but you know other than the air everything else is perfect,” Sherman said.
Mayor Brandon Scott said it’s an issue they’re working to resolve.
“We’re talking about six years ago having 70 schools in our system with no air, and through this plan we’re now down to 14," Mayor Scott said. "That’s significant progress and every single one of those schools is funded to get air conditioning."
Kendal Ford said her sixth-grader started her first day of middle school with challenges after being sent home from Baltimore Design School due to paperwork showing that she wasn’t enrolled.
“Last week, we went to orientation at her school they gave her a new laptop," Ford said. "They told her everything was going to be good to go and all she would do is show up for school."
However, when Ford dropped her daughter off at the school, the school leaders called her to come back. That’s when they sent her to the administration building where she spent two hours resolving the problem with dozens of others facing similar issues.
“I got there and the line was so long, it was almost out the door, I was shocked. It was not the start to the school year that we would have liked,” Ford said.
As for the broken air conditioning in some Baltimore City Public Schools, city leaders said all of the schools are on track to have the air conditioning units repaired or replaced.
However, it does not include the two buildings the Empowerment Academy and Youth Opportunity that are not owned by the district.
For a list of schools impacted by early dismissal, click here.
