From a Portfolio Review to an Annual Review of Schools
City Schools’ primary goal is to make sure that every student has high–quality educational experiences that support their learning and their personal growth where our students will thrive and graduate from our high schools with the skills, knowledge, and understanding to succeed in college, careers, our community and wherever their dreams will take them.
For over a decade, City Schools has used a “portfolio” strategy to review, discuss, plan, and implement recommendations for physical and programmatic developments that best foster student learning and professional growth and have called this process “Portfolio Review.”
Words can be important indicators of what we value. While numeric data is an important component, consideration of the qualitative and lived experience of our school communities is essential to co-create quality schools for every child. Given we value a holistic approach, we have decided not to call this process “Portfolio Review” any longer and are calling it the “Annual School Review.” We have also continued to expand and shift the review process to be more inclusive and centered in the communities we serve. Please read the Annual Review Report linked below to learn more about this.
The Annual Review results in a set of recommendations to the Board of School Commissioners each fall that can include: |
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To see this year’s recommendations, please review the summary table below and select the Annual Review Report link for details on this year’s process, ongoing work of the district that impacts all of our schools, and reports for COMAR recommendations (or recommendations that are for closure, surplus, or relocation).
2024-25 Annual Review
On January 14th, 2025, the Board of School Commissioners voted on the 2024-25 Annual Review recommendations. A summary of the recommendations and votes appears below. To learn the details about the recommendations, please review the full report linked above or each school’s individual report linked in the table below. Please see letters communicating different parts of the process and other ways for school communities to engage.
In February, the Board will issue a written report documenting COMAR's decisions to close and combine schools. For COMAR decisions, members of the public can appeal in writing to the Maryland State Board of Education within 30 days of the final COMAR report being issued. All reports will be shared on this website. If applicable, copies of the written report will also be available at related schools listed in the table below.
The Annual Review process includes reviews of our traditional schools and their facilities, as well as operator renewal, which is a review of contract schools run by outside entities, such as charter, transformation, or contract operators. For more information on operator renewal, please visit: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/page/renewal
School / Building | Program Recommendation | Building Recommendation | COMAR report (applicable only for recommendations for closure, surplus or relocation) | Community Letter/How to Engage | Outcome | Board Vote |
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Schools Proposed for Combining and Closure |
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Edgewood Elementary | Close and combine with Gwynns Falls Elementary School, with a smaller number of students being rezoned to Windsor Hills Elementary School | Surplus to the city of Baltimore in summer 2025 | COMAR Report | Spanish coming soon | Approve | In favor: 6 | |
21st Century Building Plan Amendments |
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Joseph C. Briscoe building | n/a | Add to surplus list (Exhibit 6) and surplus in summer 2026 or when the renovated Frederick Douglass/Briscoe campus is complete | Approve | In favor: 9 | ||
Southeast Middle | n/a | Remove from surplus list (Exhibit 6) and replace with Joseph C. Briscoe building | Approve | In favor: 9 | ||
Thurgood Marshall | n/a | Change surplus date from summer 2027 to summer 2026 | Approve | In favor: 9 | ||
Other School Communities that may be impacted by recommendations
School | School/Building w/Related Recommendation | COMAR report (applicable only for recommendations for closure, surplus, or relocation) | Community Letter/How to Engage |
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Gwynns Falls | Proposed receiving school for Edgewood Elementary School | ||
Windsor Hills | Proposed receiving school for Edgewood Elementary School |
Operator Renewal
School | Renewal Recommendation | Community Letter | Renewal Reports | School Effectiveness Review | Outcome | Board vote |
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Baltimore Design School | 8-year renewal | Approve | In favor: 8 | |||
The Tunbridge School | 8-year renewal with conditions | Approve | In favor: 9 | |||
Furman L. Templeton Preparatory Academy | 5-year renewal | Approve | In favor: 9 | |||
City Neighbors Charter School | 3-year renewal | Approve with modification: added conditions for improving practices serving students with disabilities | In favor: 9 | |||
City Neighbors Hamilton | 5-year renewal | Approve | In favor: 9 | |||
City Neighbors High School | 8-year renewal | Approve | In favor: 9 | |||
City Springs Elementary/Middle School | 3-year renewal | Reject original recommendation; approve with modification: 5-year renewal term | In favor: 8 | |||
Elmer A. Henderson: A Johns Hopkins Partnership School | 3-year renewal | Approve | In favor: 8 | |||
Govans Elementary School | 3-year renewal | Approve | In favor: 8 | |||
Bard Early College High School | 3-year renewal | Approve | In favor: 9 | |||
Belair-Edison School | 3-year renewal with conditions | Approve | In favor: 9 | |||
ConneXions: A Community Based | 3-year renewal with conditions | Approve | In favor: 9 | |||
New Song Academy | 3-year renewal with conditions | Approve with modification; additional conditions | In favor: 10 | |||
Baltimore Montessori Public | 3-year renewal with conditions | Approve with modifications: remove conditions and approve for a 3-year term | In favor: 7 | |||
Frederick Elementary School | 3-year renewal with conditions | Approve | In favor: 10 | |||
Southwest Baltimore Charter | Updated recommendation: non-renew the operator and keep school open as a traditional school starting in school year 2025-26 | Approve the updated recommendation | In favor: 10 | |||
Creative City Public Charter School | Updated recommendation: 3-year renewal with conditions. | Approve with modification; additional conditions | In favor: 10 | |||
The Green School | 3-year renewal with conditions | Approve | In favor: 10 |