Crossroads school prepares to open in fall

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Crossroads Center, a new school that will offer intensive reading and math instruction for struggling Baltimore County students, is nearly complete, school officials said Tuesday.

“On Feb. 1, there was nothing but a plan, and, as of today, we are probably 80 to 85 percent complete,” said Dale Rauenzahn, executive director of student support services for Baltimore County Public Schools.

The school, located at the Baltimore Crossroads@95 business park in eastern Baltimore County, will be the county’s fifth alternative-education school when it opens this fall. There are plans to open a similar model in western Baltimore County in fiscal 2009.

About 540 sixth- through 10th-grade students from the school system’s southeast, northeast and central districts have been selected to attend the so-called secondary academic intervention model school. Students were referred if they scored “basic” — the lowest category — in math and reading on the Maryland School Assessments, had at least one disciplinary offense, and were recommended by their school principals, Rauenzahn said.

Only about 30 students appealed their referrals, he said. Those students and their parents were asked to sign a contract with their home schools pledging to improve their performance or be referred again, Rauenzahn said.

The school’s developer, St. John Properties Inc., said construction on the 50,000-square-foot building is almost complete.

The school will officially be turned over to the county on Aug. 17, but staff will likely be able to enter as soon as Aug. 6, said Dennis Castleman, a spokesman for St. John Properties Inc.

“We know they need to get in there and get used to the building,” he said.

mmcilroy@baltimoreexaminer.com