Baltimore School

The Everyman Theatre lobby held an air of relaxed anticipation as some 100 guests celebrated a first -- the first time students and faculty from the Baltimore School for the Arts would work with actors and production staff from Everyman's professional Equity theater company. In a few minutes, these theater buffs would get to see the result of this venture -- a performance of "The Crucible" to benefit the FANS (Friends Assisting New Stars) Scholarship Fund of the School for the Arts. Already, the "buzz" was good.

Mission: To exhibit the work of students attending the Baltimore School for the Arts and to provide exhibition space for professional artists. The gallery usually features five exhibitions annually - four for students, and one for outside artists. The public high school, located in the former Alcazar Hotel, was founded in 1980 to provide pre-professional training in the arts for city students in addition to academic courses. Other disciplines offered at the school include instrumental music, vocals, dance, drama and stage production.

Baltimore school officials gave the public its first look at a detailed budget yesterday, one that breaks a promise to reduce an anticipated $41 million carryover deficit next year. Spending in the plan may be adjusted again before the board gives its final approval next month, however, and at least one board member vowed that the deficit would be substantially reduced. "We will cut that deficit by half," said board member Sam Stringfield. "This is not our final budget." But when members of the board's finance committee and representatives of educational advocacy groups began criticizing cuts already made in the proposed budget, the system's chief executive officer, Carmen V. Russo, pointed out that much tougher choices lay ahead if they were to reduce the deficit.

If you're in the mood for spring cleaning, plan to make your mark at a Baltimore school May 11.Thirty city schools will be partly cleaned, painted, repaired and landscaped in the third annual Serv-A-Thon of the nonprofit Hands on Baltimore. On that Saturday, an estimated 1,200 volunteers are expected to help.Last year, 800 volunteers spruced up schools in the Southeastern School District. This year volunteers take on needy schools in the five other districts."We'll have a light breakfast of coffee and bagels at 8 a.m. at Memorial Stadium," said Maria Feit, executive director.

Saying the state has shortchanged Baltimore's efforts to revive its underachieving schools, the city school board is urging the governor to come up with more money -- or face the prospect of another bitter court battle. The school board sent Gov. Parris N. Glendening a strongly worded letter yesterday complaining that he and state legislators had failed to provide the necessary funds for classroom reforms. "The legislative session has now ended, and the funds appropriated for the city schools fall far short of satisfying these most critical instructional priorities, despite the state's billion-dollar surplus," wrote board President J. Tyson Tildon.

A historic Baltimore Catholic school will name its community center in honor of Bill and Camille Cosby, the biggest donors in the school's 184-year history and fierce champions of education, the school announced Friday. St. Frances Academy, which serves 162 primarily low-income high school students, will host the comedian, his wife and their relatives in a ceremony at the St. Frances Community Center on April 20. In addition to giving $2 million to St. Frances in 2005 to support its scholarship program, Camille Cosby also has a strong connection to the founders of the Baltimore school, having been educated by the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the oldest order of African-American nuns in the country, for seven years.

The Maryland State Board of Education is seeking candidates to fill a vacancy on the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners that was created when former board member David J. Stone resigned last month. Candidates must be city residents older than age 18, and should have knowledge of or experience in the education of children with disabilities. The parent of a child with a disability would be considered to have sufficient knowledge and experience. The vacancy is for a term that ends June 30. After the expiration of the term, the appointee could seek a full three-year term.

Baltimore school officials reported last night that the system has spent $30 million less so far this year than had been budgeted, an announcement that drew criticism from school board members. Under-spending by various schools and departments has resulted in the unused money, including more than $10 million in school supplies, $6 million in employee salaries and benefits, and $7.5 million in contract services. The system has spent $392 million compared to $422 million that it had planned to by this time.

The Baltimore school board voted last night to spend nearly $3 million for new math and science textbooks for high schools, one of its largest textbook purchases for secondary schools in years.In September, high school students opened new Algebra I and English textbooks, but the purchase approved last night includes Algebra II, pre-calculus, calculus, chemistry, physics, earth/space science and environmental science textbooks.After being criticized last year for failing to consider a sufficient number of phonics-based textbooks for elementary schools, officials tried to ensure a more rigorous process this year.