An Aberdeen parent says the Harford school board practices “classism” and hypocrisy, neglecting Aberdeen High School while favoring other schools.
In an attempt to persuade the Board of Education to move operations out of a building next to the high school to solve overcrowding, activist Jerry Lacey plans to revive the Save Aberdeen High School group, which has been dormant since last summer.
“We?re gearing up again,” Lacey said. “We?re going to try to do it and work with them a little differently.”
The school board?s initial plan is for Harford Technical High School to use the John Archer School building when its students begin attending a new wing at another school.
But despite parents? repeated pleas, the board has not allowed the recently built, already overcapacity Aberdeen High to ease overcrowding by using the Center for Educational Opportunities (CEO) building about 200 feet away.
“Harford Tech is becoming an elitist school,” Lacey said. “Those people who don?t wanttheir kids going to Aberdeen, Havre de Grace, Edgewood, Joppatowne send them to Harford Tech.”
He said the board perceives Aberdeen students as a lower class than Harford Tech students and fears they would cause trouble walking between the buildings.
“They don?t think the Aberdeen kids are capable of doing that, but the Harford Tech kids are?” Lacey asked, calling the board?s actions “blatant labeling.”
Tom Fidler, the board president, said it is a “very valid point” to move the CEO building?s employee development and alternative education operations to John Archer.
One reason not to, he said, is those operations have been working so well there.
Aberdeen High had to be built smaller than needed because the state funds only buildings for the number of students enrolled at the time, said Don Morrison, county schools spokesman.
