Maryland Gov. Hogan calls for investigation into Baltimore HS failing students, others call for shutdown

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has called for an investigation into a Baltimore High School after a local investigation found scores of students at the school are failing.

A senior at Augusta Fells Savage (AFS) Institute of Visual Arts failed all but three classes over four years and still graduated at the top half of his class with a 0.13 GPA, according to a Fox 45 Baltimore report published earlier this week.

"This is something I’m going to ask the inspector general to immediately look into. They have to get to the bottom of this and find out who’s responsible," Hogan told the outlet on Thursday.

He added that the report was "far worse than anything" he has "heard in the whole time" he has been governor.

Tiffany France, the mother of the failing student, thought her son would be receiving his diploma in June but was surprised to discover that he is being sent back to the ninth grade to start over.

"He's stressed, and I am, too. I told him I'm probably going to start crying," France told Fox 45.

Her son failed 22 classes and was late or absent 272 days over his first three years of high school. Only one teacher requested a parent-teacher conference, but France said that didn't happen. Despite this, her son still ranked 62nd in his class out of 120 total students.

"The fact that this particular school in the Baltimore City School system is failing that many kids is just outrageous," Hogan later told the outlet.

A Baltimore City Schools investigation into Augusta Fells is ongoing, according to a March 4 statement posted to the City Schools website and E. Darrell Hope, director of internal audits for the school district.

During the summer of 2019, an investigation into the school was "pending," according to the statement.

"AFS noted other concerns during Summer Graduation, and a small number of students were not allowed to graduate. Those students were given individual action plans," the statement says. In September of 2019, "the principal and assistant principal were placed on administrative leave" and "a managing assistant principal was identified for the remainder of the school year."

In the spring of 2020, auditors began to review individual Augusta Fells student transcripts "starting with seniors."

"Families received a personalized communication -- mailed letters and phone calls -- with an update on their progress toward graduation," the statement says. "The letters were sent before summer school so that students could enroll in summer school if necessary. If we identified a concern, we offered parent conferences to discuss a timeline and plan for graduation."

Another March 2 statement says Augusta Fells students had received letters in the mail informing them of their academic status over the summer and that parents receive automated voice messages when students miss class. The district also said it conducts home visits to check in on students, but France said no one checked in on her son.

Others are calling for the school to shut down entirely.

Hosts of the Bryan Nehman Show on WBAL Radio, Cl... (Read more)

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