BALTIMORE — New Era Academy hasn't had a student in or out of its doors since it was closed in 2023.
WATCH: This Baltimore school has been empty for 2 years
The school board voted to close it because of low enrollment and deteriorating infrastructure.
Lamont Witherspoon had to send his son to a different school after the closure.
Now he has to look at the empty school across the street from his home every day.
"It was like the school was a role model for a lot of the kids, and for them to be closed down for a couple of years, I mean, we find money for everything else," Witherspoon said.
He told us that the school was a great source of structure for students.
"All the kids in this community could've used that discipline. I used to see kids coming out of there dressed up in their uniforms and took great pride."
He thinks it's part of a trend he says he's seen in the city.
"I look at when I drive out in the county, I see those schools getting built up, but schools in majority African American neighborhoods are always the first to go."
A Baltimore City Public Schools spokesperson told WMAR 2 News that securing vacant schools is a significant undertaking.
They say City Schools has taken multiple steps to protect the property, including using reinforced materials to secure doors, windows, and other openings.
But even so, since 2024, around 43 City School Police reports have been filed related to the school, including cases of arson, burglary, and disorderly conduct.
"I see police come out a lot because it's abandoned. The kids don't have nowhere else to go but abandoned. If we had use for it, then it would serve a purpose again," Witherspoon told WMAR 2 News.
He looks towards the school district to do something about it.
City Schools said it already is.
The district issued a Call for Proposals for the New Era Academy property.
That process is now underway, and proposals are currently being reviewed.
Lamont has a proposal of his own.
"I think they should reopen it. If I have to help start a petition, I'd be more than happy to."
City Schools says its goal is to identify a partner who can both support the creation of a new City Schools high school and develop the land so it can be of greater use to the community.
