It's no
secret that many schools in the Baltimore area are overcrowded. Baltimore
County Public Schools recently held a series of community events in which the
Interim Superintendent, Verletta White, met with students, families, and
community members to discuss many issues, including possible solutions to
currently overcrowded high schools. One of the most obvious solutions presented
at the meeting was to redistrict schools to even out numbers. While this
suggestion seemed acceptable to many BCPS community members, there was one area
in particular that seemed to push back.
The
southwest side of Baltimore County has historically been a drastically
economically and racially segregated area with very clear neighborhood lines. If
you were to look at a map of Interstate 695, you would notice that moving from
south to north, you would first enter the zoning district of Lansdowne High
School, then Catonsville High School, then Woodlawn High School. It would be
logical to assume that these neighborhoods blend into each other, and that if
one school's demographics differed drastically from another, these schools
would be on the opposite ends of this south-to-north spectrum. But if one were
to compare the demographic data of these three high schools they would notice
that that is not the case (see chart below). Catonsville has historically
been able to maintain an affluent population, despite being wedged in between
two less comfortable groups of neighborhoods.
Because
of this, it should be no surprise that community members in the southwest area
responded to a survey stating that their most important concern was to ensure
redistricting impacted "the fewest number of students" rather
than stating that their most important concern was to "reduce the
overcrowding at high schools" as most survey responses in other
communities stated.
At
the community meeting—held at Catonsville High School—Interim Superintendent
White was described by the Baltimore Sun as understanding that “communities in
the Baltimore area feel a connection to their schools.” Looking at the socioeconomic data from each
high school, it seems more likely that communities in the Baltimore area don’t
have as much of a connection to their high school as they do a fear of being
placed in another high school.
Hopefully,
as the suggested options are presented BCPS, will make a decision which
benefits all students and their families, not only one neighborhood.
|
|
LANSDOWNE
|
CATONSVILLE
|
WOODLAWN
|
|
%
OF FARM STUDENTS
|
60%
|
28%
|
61%
|
|
%
OF CAUCASIAN STUDENTS
|
42%
|
53%
|
3%
|
|
%
OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS
|
29%
|
28%
|
78%
|
|
%
OF LATINO STUDENTS
|
18%
|
5%
|
11%
|
|
TOTAL
STUDENT ENROLLMENT
|
1338
|
1754
|
1409
|
|
*all information taken from the 2017 MSDE
Report Card
|
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