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Ednalieze Figueroa, 5, who attends Wiggins School in Camden, protests the closure of her school on Fabruary 6, 2021 with an assist from activist Victoria Pellot. (April Saul for WHYY)
Camden school officials have announced the closure in the fall of three of four schools District Superintendent Katrina McCombs planned to shutter because of budgetary concerns.
Set to close are Harry C. Sharp Elementary School, Cramer Elementary School, and Ulysses Wiggins School. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Acting Commissioner of Education Angelica Allen-McMillan vowed to make the necessary repairs to keep the fourth school, Yorkship Family in Fairview, open.
“With the support of state and local officials, and with input gathered over the course of six months, Camden City School District is now poised to implement a plan that will improve the quality of education offered by our district and place the district on solid financial footing,” Superintendent McCombs said in a statement. “We now shift our focus to the important work of ensuring that each and every impacted family is fully supported through this transition.”
CAMDEN - Three schools here will shut down at the end of the school year, officials said Friday.
The Camden City School District said it will move forward with the closures at the conclusion of this academic year, a plan that will cause the relocation of about 750 students.
The three buildings set to shutter are Harry C. Sharp Elementary and Alfred Cramer Preparatory School in East Camden, and Ulysses Wiggins School in Bergen Square.
Yorkship Family School in Fairview, originally part of the closure plan, will remain open according to the district as the state seeks funding to address the building's emergency repair needs.
Camden City School District announces closure of 3 schools
Camden City School District announces closure of 3 schools
Under financial pressure to consolidate its district, education officials in Camden announced on Friday that three schools will close at the end of the year and students will be funneled to four nearby buildings.
CAMDEN - Under financial pressure to consolidate its district, education officials in Camden announced on Friday that three schools will close at the end of the year and students will be funneled to four nearby buildings.
Sharp Elementary, Wiggins College Preparatory Lab School, and Cramer Elementary will close after a district review found the buildings underutilized and dilapidated.
The schools closing will be Wiggins, Sharp, Cramer, and Yorkship schools.
The announcement from the district stated there has been a six month, long-term school planning process to shift students into higher-quality and newer facilities. Ultimately, district officials said this will put them on a path to long-term financial success.
Currently, the district announced it has a projected $40 million deficit in fiscal year 2022, and every year going forward.
Over a decade the school district is looking at a budget deficit that exceeds $400 million.
The district said three of the four buildings are more than 100 years old, and all four buildings are in need of structural repair. On average, the schools are 30% empty, enrollment in the district has declined by nearly 50% since 2013.
Updated on January 26, 2021 at 10:05 pm
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Four schools in the Camden City school district will close their doors for good this year, as part of a plan to deal with a $40 million deficit.
The Sharp School, Cramer School, Wiggins School and Yorkship School will all close in June. Three of the four buildings are more than 100 years old while all four buildings are in need of structural repair, school district officials said.
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“Our students are entitled to the best facilities, education, and support,” Superintendent Katrina T. McCombs said. “It is my mission as Superintendent to place students in schools that give them the best opportunity to succeed. Many of our older buildings are deteriorating, while we have space available in our newer district facilities. With the plan and support we are outlining today, the Camden City School District is taking another step toward fulfilling our promise of Putting Students First.”
N.J. city to shutter 4 old schools in major district consolidation
Updated Jan 26, 2021;
Posted Jan 26, 2021
Harry C. Sharp Elementary School in Camden is one of four schools in the district that will close at the end of the year.Google Maps
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Four of Camden’s older schools will close at the end of this year as part of the district’s consolidation plan, educators announced Tuesday.
Harry C. Sharp Elementary School, Cramer School, Wiggins School, and the Yorkship Family School will be shuttered at the end of the school year, school officials at the state-run district said. Three of the four buildings are over 100 years old and all four are in need of structural repair, they said.