* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Mitchell
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
School Closings - Let's Give Charter Schools a Chance to Grow
FOR the purpose of requesting that the Baltimore City Public School System establish a process to determine the best way to utilize closed school buildings, by giving communities the option of utilizing them and providing communities the option of opening new or expanding current charter schools.
Body
Recitals
In Baltimore City, we are currently witnessing the closing of numerous public schools. The students who attend these schools are being moved and told which other schools they should go to. The problem that arises from these school closings is an interesting one. What is to be done with the school buildings after they close and are vacant? It seems that it would be a waste to allow the buildings to lie vacant until their use is needed. Being that we are limited in space and resources, we should use these school buildings to either expand or refresh our ailing school system or provide the community with some type of use agreement.
Once a school is closed, the building is then turned over to the City as "surplus property." It is at this point that the City has control of the property and can use it if it chooses to do so. Once the City has these buildings as surplus properties, the City should investigate whether there are any community uses for these now vacant buildings.
One of the first places to turn would be to the neighboring charter schools. Charter schools are often growing too quickly and have nowhere to expand. In many communities these charter schools must turn students away due to a lack of space. The school closings may provide the opportunity for charter schools to grow, expand, and provide a quality education to far more students than they currently are serving.
Expanding charter schools and allowing them to utilize vacant school buildings could provide an opportunity to bring the schools back to the communities. With the growth of charter schools come more community involvement and more community input in the education system. With more community involvement comes more local teachers, more parent involvement, and a more active community that put education on the forefront of the community agenda. With the schools being closed and students being constantly moved and shifted, we now have the opportunity to create educational opportunities where there were none before. We can use these closed schools to continue to educate and start to bring the schools back where they belong . . . the community.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body requests that the Baltimore City Public School System establish a process to determine the best way to utilize closed school buildings by giving communities the option of utilizing them and providing communities the option of opening new or expanding current charter schools.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, the Baltimore City Public School System, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the Council.
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