Where will Camden
High students attend school in Fall 2017?
Starting in fall 2017, Camden High School students in grades
9-12 will attend school less than half a mile down the road at the Cooper B.
Hatch building (1875 Park Blvd).
Where will BPLA
students attend school in Fall 2017?
Big Picture Learning Academy high school students, who
currently use the Hatch building, will move a few doors down to the KATZ
School/Boys and Girls Club building (1725 Park Blvd).
Big Picture Learning Academy middle school students will
move into the annex of the Hatch building.
How did the District
make this decision about temporary space?
The District made this decision based on the feedback of a
few hundred people on a community survey and a series of town hall meetings
with Camden High students, parents, alumni, staff, and the community. The
District also held several meetings with particular school communities this
winter and spring.
Based on this feedback, the priorities were to keep Camden
High students together and keep them in Parkside and this plan was the most
successful.
Why couldn’t Camden
High move into the KATZ/Boys and Girls Club?
The Boys and Girls Club is too small to accommodate all
Camden High School students and programs. Hatch is a bigger school building
that will allow The High to maintain more of its academic classes and extracurricular
programming.
Why is the KATZ/Boys
and Girls Club building good for BPLA?
The KATZ/Boys and Girls Club building was constructed in
2001 and renovated within the last decade. There are enough classrooms and
meeting space as well as a large gym and a beautiful pool. In addition, the
building is near the Hatch building and in Parkside.
How will BPLA be led
by one principal when it is in two buildings?
The BPLA leadership team will be based across both
locations, working together to ensure a positive climate and culture in the
middle and high school buildings.
Will BPLA be able to
use the pool in the Boys and Girls Club?
The District is working with the Boys and Girls Club to
determine whether BPLA students can access the pool at specific times after
school.
Where will KATZ students
attend school in Fall 2017?
KATZ students will attend other schools in the Camden
Charter School Network.
Will the temporary
spaces for Camden High and BPLA change during the five-year reconstruction
process?
The District’s goal is to give students a consistent
learning environment throughout the reconstruction of Camden High School. Therefore
we do not expect any changes until the new Camden High Campus opens in 2021.
Will all of the
classes currently offered at Camden High be offered when the school is at
Hatch?
The core academic courses offered at Camden High School
(math, science, social students, English) will be available when the school is
relocated this fall. Three Career and Technical Education programs that require
specialty equipment—auto body, construction trades, and electrical engineering—will
not be available during the reconstruction. Based on current enrollment, fewer
than 20 students will be effected by these changes, and those students can choose
to continue their CTE pathway at Woodrow Wilson High School.
Where will Camden
High sports teams practice and have games?
Right now the District is working with Camden High administrators,
community partners, and the Schools Development Authority to find temporary
spaces for athletics and as many of The High’s extra-curricular programs as
possible. The District will inform families and the community in the coming
months as locations are finalized.
Will the Parent
Linking Program be part of the Camden High School at Hatch?
Camden High School students with children under 2-years-old
can still benefit from the Parent Linking Program during the relocation. The
program will be based less than half a mile down the road at the Early
Childhood Development Center. Students interested in signing up for the program
should call 856-966-2000 ext 65572.
Will the Camelot
Program be part of the Camden High School at Hatch?
The Camelot program will be relocated to another
District-owned building in the neighborhood. The details will be announced here
this summer.
What will happen to the gymnasium floor and scoreboard?
The Schools Development Authority will work with District
staff to remove and, whenever possible, preserve key features of The High
before demolition.
How many students will attend the newly constructed
Camden High School?
The new Camden High School campus is expected to be home to
1,200 students. There will be four traditional District public high
schools under one roof, all with grades 9-12: Camden High School, Creative Arts
Morgan Village Academy, Brimm Medical Arts High School, and Big Picture
Learning Academy.
Will the new Camden High School campus be home to any charter or renaissance schools?
No. All four small learning communities housed on the Camden High School campus will be traditional District public schools.
What is a Small Learning Community?
Smaller Learning Communities are independent District high schools formed around a specific curricular theme. Examples here in Camden are the Big Picture Learning Academy, Brimm Medical Arts High School, and the Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy. These schools teach fewer students than traditional public high schools, and often have higher graduation rates and fewer drop-outs. Trenton Central High School in New Jersey credits its rising graduation rate on the decision to break the large traditional public school into four small learning communities.
What facilities will the new campus offer?
Every space in the new Camden High School will be
purpose-built to meet students’ diverse educational, social, and emotional
needs. Students will have access to two state-of-the-art gymnasiums and locker
rooms, as well as an occupational therapy/physical therapy center, a weight and
training room, and a cardio fitness center.
Classrooms will be built to support the diverse academic
pursuits offered on the new Camden High School campus. Overall, the campus will
offer four modern media centers (one in each school), nine state-of-the-art
science labs, an engineering and robotics lab, a forensics lab, a black box
studio, and more.
The campus will also boast a new, light-filled cafeteria, guidance
offices, modern nurse’s office, a special space for bilingual student services,
a school-to-career advice center, a nursery for the children of teen parents,
and a dedicated space for students to access community services.
How will The High’s history be preserved?
The District is working with the SDA and the Camden High
Community Committees to get the new Camden High School campus to include design
features honoring the history and legacy of Camden High School, including a
tower along the Park Boulevard side of the building, and a room or wall with
mementos from the century-old building. The District is committed to working
with alumni and the community to make sure the new Camden High pays tribute to
the rich history of the Castle on the Hill.
How can alumni and residents get involved in the preservation and celebration of the building’s history?
To receive periodic updates about the Camden High School renovation plan, alumni can register interest here. Separate from the District, there is also a Camden High alumni association on Facebook.
Who is ultimately responsible for the new building’s successful completion?
Approved by the Schools Development Authority board, the reconstruction of Camden High School is a project funded and managed by the State. Mayor Redd and Superintendent Rouhanifard have consistently advocated for the funding and commitment to give Camden students access to a 21st-century facility. We will continue to support, guide, and lobby the Schools Development Authority until students attend a new Camden High School in fall 2021.
Where is the money coming from? How do we know it won’t “disappear”?
On October 5, 2016, the Schools Development Authority’s Board of Directors approved a $133 million commitment to reconstruct Camden High School. This is further than the City’s ever gotten in securing a State commitment to restore The High, and the Mayor’s Office and District will continue to push to make sure reconstruction takes place.
How can I stay informed about the preservation and celebration of the building’s history?
You can sign up here to receive periodic updates about the Camden High School renovation plan.