The 21st-Century Buildings Initiative

Too many City Schools students learn in school buildings that are old and lack the very basics. Many have classrooms that were wired decades ago and can't support more than a single computer, and many lack boilers, air conditioning and fountains with safe drinking water. These conditions hold back learning. We need to give our kids the 21st-century school buildings they deserve.

In the 2011-12 school year, the district commissioned a study of its building portfolio to fully understand the condition of its buildings — and what it would cost to improve or replace them with better building options. The Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners then set a bold vision for Baltimore City Public Schools:

In 10 years, all City Schools students will learn in buildings that embody 21st-century standards of excellence.

To fulfill that vision, the Board reviewed values and considerations that came out of community conversations and articulated principles to guide development of the district's 10-year buildings plan:

1. Invest to support academic success for all students
2. Maximize fiscal responsibility and stewardship of resources
3. Engage school communities to inform the creation of excellent school buildings for their students
4. Align school buildings with demographic trends, enrollment trends and parent and student choices
5. Invest to have maximum impact on community stability, growth or development
6. Provide diverse options in every geographic area of the city
7. Create school buildings on the cutting edge of technology and environmental sustainability

See and hear about our school buildings in this video