Heritage High School (Baltimore, Maryland)

Heritage High School was a public high school located in the northeast area known as Clifton Park of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It served Baltimore City high schoolers from 2004 to 2015.

Heritage High School
Address
2801 Saint Lo Drive

Baltimore
,
Maryland
21213

United States
Information
School typePublic, Comprehensive
MottoPreserving the Past as we Prepare for the Future
Founded2004
FounderKaren Lawrence[1]
Closed2015
School districtBaltimore City Public Schools
SuperintendentGregory Thornton [CEO]
School number425
PrincipalStephanie Farmer
GradesPre-k, 9–12
Enrollment425 (excluding pre-k)[2] (2014)
AreaUrban
Color(s)Royal Blue, Black, and White
MascotBlack Panther
Team nameLakers/Panthers
Websitewww.baltimorecityschools.org/425

Founded in 2004, established as an expansion school and as a result of the breakup of Lake Clifton Eastern High School.[3][4][5][6] It was categorized within District 6, "neighborhood high schools": a comprehensive high school. It officially specialized in the focus of three career and technology completer preparation programs: Business, Management & Finance; Human Resource Services; and Law.

Lake Clifton Eastern High School had existed on the campus since the early 1970s until it was closed down in 2005, after which its building was occupied by the new smaller schools. These schools were still faced with problems common to underfunded urban schools, such as academic performance and discipline.[7] The same problems led to Doris M. Johnson High School being recommend for closure in 2010 and Heritage was identified by the Maryland State Department of Education for school improvement in many years.

History

Founded in 2004 by Karen Lawrence, established as an expansion school originally known as Harford Institute during the time and as a result of the breakup of Lake Clifton Eastern High School. The school began it existence at the old Fairmount-Harford Building of 2555 Harford Road where it shared the building with Harbor City High School for the first two years (2003—2005) with an initial enrollment of up to 310 9th and 10th graders.

After the following school year, the school was relocated to the Lake Clifton Campus with an initial enrollment of 550 students of grades 9th through 11th for the 2004–2005 school year, where it was the last year of the graduating class and existence of Lake Clifton Eastern High School. This building already had science labs, a state-of the art library & media center, gymnasiums, full-service health clinic, and established athletic and extracurricular activities. It was also wired for internet. Beginning with the 2005–2006 school year, Heritage High School shared the Lake Clifton Campus with Doris M. Johnson High School. Both schools had their first graduating classes of seniors in the year 2006. From 2008 to 2012, Heritage offered Advanced Placement courses.

In 2010, the school system recommended Doris M. Johnson High School for closure due to poor test scores, school climate, and discipline problems. The REACH! Partnership School was relocated to the campus for development and replaced Doris M. Johnson after the closure. REACH! Academy had undergone a renovation of $3.5 million to accommodate lab areas construction and health-care (its themes). Heritage continues career & technology pathways into human resources, business, and leadership, and now also includes law. However, as of 2012–2013, the school no longer offered Advanced Placement. As a cost-cutting measure, Heritage High School was slated for closure at the end of the 2014–2015 school year. The graduation ceremony for the final Class of 2015 was hosted in the Lake Clifton auditorium complex on Saturday May 30, 2015.

Sports

The Lake Clifton Lakers won state championships in 1995, 1999, 2009, 2012.[8][9]

Organizations

Beginning in 2008, the school offered a pilot course in conjunction with the Baltimore Algebra Project. Their first class was slated to graduate in 2013. Heritage High School had a JROTC program through the United States Army. Real Food Farm, which cultivates crops on the campus, offered internships to Heritage students.[10]

Students

In 2010, 97.5% of students at HHS identified as African-American. The graduation rate was 54.65% (up from 42.15% in 2009 and 47.32% in 2008). The drop-out rate was 5.16% (down from 7.02% in 2009 and 14.01% in 2008).

The average total SAT score in 2009 was 936.[11]

References
  1. Karen Lawrence is currently serving as ombudsman for Baltimore City Public Schools.
  2. "Enrollment for All Grades All Students : Demographics : Baltimore City - Heritage High School : 2014 Maryland Report Card:". Maryland State Department of Education. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  3. "Big steps in small schools". The Baltimore Sun. June 23, 2003. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  4. "City school board votes to split off part of Lake Clifton/Eastern High". The Baltimore Sun. May 14, 2003. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  5. "Board weighs closing school". The Baltimore Sun. March 16, 2003. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  6. "Ambitious plans for city high schools". The Baltimore Sun. April 28, 2002. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  7. Kozol, Jonathan (1992). Savage inequalities : children in America's schools (1st Harper Perennial ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. ISBN 0-06-097499-0.
  8. Jones, Steve (10 March 2012). "Boys basketball: South Carroll season ends with state semifinal loss to Lake Clifton". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  9. Seidel, Jeff (10 March 2012). "Hard work pays off for No. 4 Lake Clifton in Class 2A final". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  10. "Education Programs for Clifton Area Schools" Archived 2012-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Lawrence, Karen. "School Performance Plan (SY 2010—2011)" (PDF). City Schools Essentials. Baltimore City Public Schools. Retrieved 18 July 2012.

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