By MDBayNews Staff
A recent X post by Chris Papst has reignited a long-running debate in Baltimore: why are some underperforming schools swiftly closed while others with similarly dire academic results remain open?
The comparison at the center of the controversy involves Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, Maryland’s only all-boys public charter school, and Achievement Academy at Harbor City High School, a traditional district-run school within Baltimore City Public Schools.
A Charter School Shuttered
On January 14, 2026, the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners voted 6–4 not to renew the charter for Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, forcing the school to close at the end of the current academic year.
District officials cited declining academic performance, insufficient special education capacity, and serious financial problems, including low cash reserves and unpaid obligations. While the school had narrowly avoided closure in 2023 with a conditional renewal, the board’s majority argued that continuing to grant exceptions would weaken accountability standards.
Supporters of the school, including City Council member Odette Ramos, lamented the loss of a unique all-boys model aimed at supporting young Black students through mentorship, discipline, and social-emotional development. School leaders countered that traditional test score comparisons failed to capture long-term outcomes such as alumni persistence and graduation rates.
A District School With Zero Math Proficiency
In contrast, Achievement Academy at Harbor City High School remains open despite a September 2025 investigation by FOX Baltimore’s Project Baltimore revealing that zero students tested proficient in math on the state’s MCAP exams for four consecutive years.
The school serves students who are over-age, under-credited, or at high risk of dropping out, and district leaders often argue that standardized test scores are an imperfect measure for alternative programs. Still, critics note that the school’s enrollment of roughly 200 students and a favorable student-teacher ratio have not translated into measurable academic improvement.
Adding fuel to the criticism is the cost: per-student spending has reportedly risen from roughly $20,000 in 2021 to more than $42,000 by 2024, even as outcomes have remained among the worst in the city.
Two Systems, Two Standards?
At the heart of Papst’s “wonder why” critique is a structural reality. Charter schools face periodic renewal reviews tied directly to performance benchmarks. Traditional district schools do not. Closing a district-run school typically hinges on enrollment numbers, facilities planning, or political considerations—not academic failure alone.
Former city officials such as Carl Stokes have long argued that this imbalance shields district leadership from consequences while holding charters to a stricter standard. The result, critics say, is a system where accountability depends less on outcomes and more on governance structure.
A Broader Baltimore Problem
Both cases underscore the deep challenges facing Baltimore’s education system: persistently low proficiency rates, rising per-pupil costs, and a growing disconnect between spending and results. City Schools leadership, under CEO Sonja Santelises, has pledged long-term improvement, including a goal of reaching 25 percent math proficiency district-wide by 2029.
For many parents and taxpayers, however, the question remains unresolved: if accountability truly matters, why does it appear to apply unevenly?
As Baltimore continues to invest heavily in public education, the contrasting fates of these two schools have become a symbol of a larger concern—that good intentions and high spending mean little without consistent standards and clear consequences for failure.
Keep This Reporting Free
If this work matters to you, please consider supporting it.
Your contribution helps fund independent reporting across our entire network.
Have a tip or documents to share?
We review submissions confidentially and responsibly.