Camden school district announces plan to merge its three magnet schools into Camden High

The Camden school district plans to close its three magnet schools and merge them with Camden High beginning in September, State District Superintendent Alfonso Q. Llano Jr. said Sunday.

The move would consolidate the Dr. Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High, the Creative Arts High, and the Big Picture Learning Academy on the Camden High campus in the city’s Parkside section, where all four schools are located.

Llano, who became the state-appointed schools chief in March, stopped short of saying the magnet schools would no longer exist. He said they would no longer be independent schools.

“They will no longer operate as separate schools,” Llano said in an interview. “They are being combined under the umbrella of Camden High and maintain their current programming.”

Llano made the announcement in a letter sent to employees after speculation spread on social media that changes were planned at the Camden High campus. The district began notifying guidance counselors and students about a new cross-campus schedule.

Instead of attending one separate magnet school or Camden High, a comprehensive school, students would be able to pursue pathways in classes in the disciplines, healthcare, arts, and independent learning, Llano said.

Beginning in 2030, graduates would obtain a “unified diploma” that will say “Camden High,” the superintendent said. Until then, graduates will be given a diploma for the magnet school they attend, he said.

Llano said the restructuring process began last year when the district cut more than 100 positions to help close a $91 million budget deficit. The Camden High campus was left with only one principal, but the state required a principal for all four schools, he said.

With the change, all four schools will follow the same period schedule to allow students to take classes in various disciplines currently not possible, Llano said. Students may choose from different pathways, he said.

“We’re not eliminating the programming. We’re revising the magnet school programs to allow for more access to a wider range of students,” he said.

The plan sparked a debate among community leaders, teachers, and alumni, who lined up on both sides. There were calls for people to pack a school advisory board meeting on Tuesday, where Llano is expected to release more details.

“It’s a disservice to our students. It’s just not right,” said Karen Borrelli, a health and physical education teacher at Brimm since 2004.

Keith Benson, a Camden High history teacher, said consolidating the four schools would save money. He believes some of the opposition has come because Camden High has been unfairly targeted as “a terrible school.”

Camden Education Association President Pamela Clark said she believes the changes would allow students to better select classes that match their interests and keep them engaged.

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Llano said personnel changes were made last year and additional cuts were not expected due to the new magnet programming. About 80 positions will likely be cut to balance the budget by not filling vacant positions, he said.

Previously, Camden High was a standalone comprehensive high school. In its heyday, Camden High enrolled as many as 4,000 students. Today, the campus has about 1,200 students. Enrollment has dropped districtwide with the expansion of charter and Renaissance schools.

After Camden High was demolished in 2017 and replaced with a new $130 million campus in 2021 on the same site, the three smaller magnet high schools were added. The district also operates Eastside High in another location.

Each school has its own wing, with color-coded floor tiles, and was designed to operate independently as “learning communities.”

Brimm opened in 1994, and has been the best-performing school in the district. It was named for Dr. Charles E. Brimm, a highly respected family physician who made house calls, who died in 2010.

Cam’ron Klotz, a first-year student at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, who graduated from Brimm in 2018, credits his experiences there with helping him pursue his dreams of becoming a doctor. Changing the program “makes absolutely no sense,” he said.

Linda Brimm, a retired Camden school nurse, said she was shocked to learn that the school setup may be changed.

“My dad is probably rolling over in his grave now with this whole idea,” she said. ”I would hate to see his legacy just gone.”

Community activist Jose Delgado, who served on the board that approved Brimm, said the change would be a disservice to students.

“It won’t be the same vigor and focus,” Delgado said.

Omar-Frederick Pratt, a special education paraprofessional at Creative Arts who assists with vocal and dance lessons, said allowing students to take courses across disciplines would water down the arts program. Llano said arts students would be required to audition for advanced courses.

“To take that away will leave a huge hole ,” said Pratt, who graduated from Creative in 2009. “It’s a terrible thing to even process.”

Magnet schools are smaller, theme-based schools that offer specialized instruction or programs in a discipline. Students typically must apply for admission.