Pre-K Center Closing Year Early In Baltimore County

GWYNN OAK, MD — Baltimore County Public Schools will close a disability-focused pre-kindergarten center a year early.

BCPS announced Friday that this will be the last school year for Gwynn Oak's Campfield Early Learning Center. The original plan was to close Campfield at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.

"With fewer than 60 students projected to attend Campfield in the next school year, it was determined that students' needs could be better met by transitioning programs and students to their home schools or to nearby regional programs at the end of the current school year," BCPS said in a press release. "BCPS staff affected by the new timeline would be prioritized as transfers this spring."

The early closure proposal emerged last month. The Baltimore County Board of Education on March 11 voted to approve the early closure.

The decision can be appealed to the Maryland State Board of Education within 30 days.

WYPR reported that the school board initially approved the closure by a 6-5 vote in September 2023.

At the time, WYPR said one-third of Campfield's then 377 students had disabilities and over half came from families with low incomes.

WYPR said those supporting the closure say the school is in poor condition and students would be better served at more modern facilities. Support programs for Campfield students would continue at their new schools. Closure opponents think Campfield students need individualized attention, which is more difficult in a full elementary school, WYPR said.

Campfield is located at 6834 Alter St.

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