Baltimore City schools delay relocating students from charter school New Song Academy

The relocation of students from Baltimore's New Song Academy will be temporarily delayed to give district officials more time to reassess the situation.

New Song Academy, a charter school in the Sandtown-Winchester community, is scheduled to close. Students were originally set to move to the Harlem Park school building, which is located half a mile down N. Gilmor Street, on January 7.

However, city schools say this delay gives them more time to reevaluate the options that may allow the students to remain in the building for the rest of the school year.

Last month, Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises wrote a letter to staff and families, citing several maintenance issues with the school building and the financial issues with the school's operator, New Song Community Learning Center.

"Recently, we have learned about additional serious financial obligations of the school's operator, including concerns related to the school's building. Additionally, the conditions of the current New Song building are deteriorating, specifically the school's roof and HVAC system. Although the operator has made some repairs, the systems are at the end of their lifespans and may not last through the remainder of the current school year, school year 2025-26," the letter reads.

Can the students remain in New Song?

Baltimore City Schools is determining whether it is feasible for New Song students to remain in the current facility for the duration of the year or if it is necessary to relocate the school to the Harlem Park facility over the February intersession from February 16 to 20.

However, the district has lingering concerns about the legal questions, the uncertainty about the finances of the school's operator, as well as the age and condition of the building.

New Song Academy opened in 1994 after it was founded by Allan and Susan Tibbels, who had previously started a nonprofit to benefit the Sandtown-Winchester community, according to our media partner, The Baltimore Banner.

"There are significant questions about whether it will be feasible to remain at the current location following this delay," the school district stated. "During this time, we will also clarify operational responsibilities to ensure continuity of services for students and staff."

The New Song Academy school year ends on July 14, 2026.

Financial concerns at New Song

The academy's charter was renewed in January 2025. However, there are conditions following financial issues. 

The district and board of education required the operator to provide a funding plan and fulfill other conditions by July 31 to keep the charter in good standing.

However, Angela Alvarez, senior executive director of the Office of New Initiatives with Baltimore City schools, claimed the operating organization was hiding important information.

The district says it didn't know how bad the finances actually were until late October or early November, saying the organization wasn't paying any of its bills, including utilities, nor maintaining the school building.  

"And deeper, we dug into their financials. We learned things we did not know," Alvarez said.

The school district said it didn't know how bad the finances actually were until late October or early November, saying the organization wasn't paying any of its bills, including utilities, nor maintaining the school building.  

Families voice concerns

In several community meetings, families shared their anger about relocating the students, arguing that such a move is a major disruption.

"The delay of the relocation is in response to community feedback and our shared preference to minimize disruption to students, staff, and families," the school district stated. 

Parents said that moving their children mid-year, with no input, is not fair to the students.

"They don't care. This was just another school that's being shut down," said Hope Crosby, the president of the New Song Academy Parent-Teacher Organization.

Parents also expressed concerns about transportation, claiming that many of the academy's students live nearby and can easily walk to school.

They say the academy and Harlem Park's building sit about half a mile away from one another, leaving some students to walk further to get to class. Many say attendance will drop and cause students to fall behind.

Others are concerned about safety, saying these two neighborhoods have had past issues that could impact their children.

"We're now asking students to go into an atmosphere and then maybe hostile, if not towards them, definitely their parents, who are familiar with the difference in neighborhoods," said Lamar Richards, the president of the New Song Academy Alumni Association.

"You, on your worst day, would not walk through Sandtown and that part of Edmonson Avenue," another parent said.