Right before Thanksgiving 2021, without previous warning, we received the shocking news that our community school, Steuart Hill Academic Academy, would close at the end of that academic year. Steuart Hill and two other elementary schools, Eutaw Marshburn and Dr. Bernard Harris, were slated for closure, and our communities had until the second week of January 2022 to engage with the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, which would ultimately decide whether to uphold the district staff’s recommendations. We had only eight weeks between two major holidays to get organized and respond.
To confront this challenge, a strong movement within our communities is building people power and seeking to change the pattern of racist policies and disinvestment that cause blight, as a school closure does. After the news, we managed to coalesce with parents, community partners, and advocates from the three school communities. Close to 100 people participated in school board sessions at which most of the public comment was in opposition to the school closures.
Our efforts managed to save Dr. Bernard Harris Elementary School, and keep Steuart Hill and Eutaw Marshburn open for one more year while, sadly, still closing at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. On Jan. 25, 2022, during the same meeting the decision to close was made, the school board also decided to put a pause on school closures and revise the process for identifying which schools to renovate and which to abandon.
On Feb. 24, 2022, a notice was sent to parents, from which we learned that the decision could be appealed to the Maryland State Board of Education within 30 days. On March 25, 2022, a collective of parents, teachers, and neighbors filed an appeal against the closure of Steuart Hill Academic Academy. Finding our way through this process, we have learned:
- It is very difficult to do this without a lawyer. It is also very hard to find a lawyer to represent the appellants because lawyers with expertise in education normally work for the system, and that represents a conflict of interest.
- The administrative law judges and State Board seem to automatically side with the district’s decision. Of the nine appeals we found on record, five were in Baltimore City, and all were dismissed.
- Delay is the game the system plays, so every step was taken at the latest possible minute. Last November, on the deadline for a response, the administrative law judge upheld the motion of the district to dismiss our case.
From the judge’s notice, we learned we could file an exception, which would give us 10 minutes before the Maryland State Board of Education to argue our case. During a coalition meeting attended by parents, teachers and neighbors, there was a consensus that we would like the Steuart Hill building to remain a school, so we filed the exception.
We are so grateful that the Community Law Center recently helped us find a pro-bono lawyer, Theresa Concepción of Baker Donelson, to represent the appellants, who delivered our argument before the Maryland State Board of Education on March 28.
Unfortunately, the State Board upheld the decision from the local district. While we knew a favorable decision to our appeal was unlikely, based on precedent, we did not understand just how much the system is stacked against us. The State Board had a 35-page opinion document ready on the day of the hearing. They were unwilling to consider the appeal and poignant oral argument delivered by Ms. Concepción by at least waiting 24 hours before issuing a decision.
We are, however, comforted by the dissent from state board member Shawn D. Bartley (pages 9-10 of the opinion), in which he said, “The silence of unanimity of the State Board in most legal decisions suggests that all the board members are fine with Baltimore City school closures as long as the legal procedural method is followed accurately. I am not fine with it.”
Thank you, Mr. Bartley. We are not fine with this either. We strongly urge the Baltimore City School Board of Commissioners to reverse this decision and to stop school closures altogether. Put your money where your mouth is and truly partner with our communities to improve our schools and children’s education.
Yes, Steuart Hill is a small school, but it is a good school. Parents and teachers say that because it is a small school, their children can get more attention and psychosocial support. Additionally, Steuart Hill has several programs other schools do not have, including a pre-kindergarten, an English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) program, a before- and after-care program and community partners that are highly invested.
Parents are concerned about the greater distance their children will have to walk if going to the recommended schools. They will have to cross major thoroughfares through blighted and unsafe blocks. Many of the families have low incomes and do not own a car. Many of their small children walk alone. Because the district does not provide transportation support for distances less than 1 mile, they will have to walk close to a mile to school.
Steuart Hill school facilities are also in better condition than those of some other schools. The lack of air conditioning in many Baltimore City schools is a known issue. Steuart Hill has air conditioning. The school is in a city Impact Investment Zone, which means investment is going into revitalizing the area.
Closing the school will leave a gaping hole in a place trying to recover from blight and cause heartbreak and trauma in the families and children directly affected by it.
In his dissent, Mr. Bartley recognizes the damage school closures cause, stating, “The closure of any school in Baltimore City that serves Maryland children has negative ramifications upon Maryland’s children and the community it serves. Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners appears to have an issue with schools that are not in the traditional model. It appears that other similarly situated traditional schools that fail to meet the metric rubric are not scheduled for legal procedural closure at the same rate of non-traditional schools.”
A better option is to keep our community school open, work with community partners and coordinate with city agencies to improve the school and allow the children to benefit from new state initiatives such as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, which provides Concentration of Poverty Grants for personnel and wraparound services in community schools like ours.
Through the latest notice, we learned we can appeal the state board’s decision in the local Circuit Court within 30 days. Appellants and the coalition are strategizing with our lawyer and still deciding whether to appeal. What is certain is that we will continue building community and coming alongside the children and families directly affected.
We will continue in the fight until the education system stops contributing heavily to Baltimore City’s population bleeding by their poor decisions and lack of accountability in their policies and practices.
Cecilia Gonzalez is a resident and community organizer in Southwest Baltimore. She is a member of the SHAA Strong Coalition of parents, teachers and neighbors who are fighting to save Steuart Hill Academic Academy.
