The proposed sale of St. Anthony's school building in Northeast Baltimore to a charter school should be used as an occasion to strengthen rather than undermine Catholic education in our area.
SFA is a great school, valued by our community, but it needs an infusion of resources to undertake capital improvements that will allow it to remain viable and competitive with the other area schools. The proposed sale of the nearby St. Anthony's school to the Baltimore International Academy will present an additional threat to SFA, the last remaining Catholic school in our area. Rather than oppose this sale, we ask that it be turned into a win-win that helps rather than harms St. Francis.
An immediate, visible, and substantial contribution to capital improvements at SFA will help it remain a stabilizing and progressive community asset and will demonstrate the commitment of the Archdiocese to maintaining a Catholic educational presence in NE Baltimore City, while also allowing for the St. Anthony's site to serve as a public charter school.
