Facilities Solutions
BCPSS Plans for Future of its School Buildings
UPDATE! BCPSS has now announced additional public meetings on Saturday, January 7, 2006. Participants will see a presentation on options for High School facilities across the City--renovations, additions, consolidations, replacements, etc. Each attendee will individually rank their preferred options, and then discuss their preferences in a small group. The Facility Solutions High School Sub-committee will use the survey results from these meetings to develop its recommendations for the new BCPSS facilities master plan.
The Baltimore City Public School System is currently reevaluating its buildings and schools. It has hired a consulting firm, DeJong, to plan this process. According to DeJong's BCPSS web site, a prime goal of this "New Vision for Baltimore City Schools" is to "right size Baltimore City Schools through modernization, additions, discontinuance, and replacements of the existing school facilities inventory."
For our area, BCPSS will hold two public "community dialogues" at which community input will be allowed. These meetings are on October 19, 2005 and December 7, 2005; both meetings will be from 7-9 p.m. at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (next door to Western).
Western needs strong stakeholder — alumnae, parents, students, community members, and staff — presence at these two meetings. BCPSS will announce its plans for city school changes (new buildings, renovations, closings, consolidations, etc.) in March, 2006. Western's unique heritage and character could be profoundly affected by some such plans.
Please consider attending the October and December meetings; your support is crucial for Western.
We ask your support in another area. While other citywide schools benefit every year from substantial financial and volunteer support from their alumnae, I regret to say that Western does not. Our alumnae have only begun to organize and support Western, and Western desperately needs the kind of alumnae involvement and financial support that the other citywide schools receive year after year. Western alumnae, join the WHS Alumnae Association! Attend its meetings! Make connections!
Finally, please consider contributing to our Western Foundation, which will help us keep our unique program and heritage alive. Western's staff has worked hard to establish this Foundation and donated considerable funds to it, but we are educators, not fundraisers, and our whole hearts are dedicated to educating young Westernites. We need alumnae and supporters to help build our Foundation.
Contributions may be made to the Western High School Foundation (4600 Falls Road, Baltimore MD 21209).
Thank you for your support!