Original Research by School Decision on Catonsville Center for Alternative Studies
Catonsville Center for Alternative Studies is a public alternative high school serving grades nine through twelve within Baltimore County Public Schools. It is located in Baltimore, a city that shifted from heavy industry to a service-oriented economy; Johns Hopkins Hospital and University are now its top employers. The city has a walkable urban fabric with numerous historic districts, a concentration of civic and commercial activity around the Inner Harbor, and civic anchors such as Fort McHenry, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and the National Aquarium. Baltimore’s population has seen a slight decline in recent years, and a major infrastructure project to replace the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is underway.
The school enrolls a small student body, with a grade distribution that shows the majority of students in ninth, tenth, and twelfth grades, and only a very small number in eleventh grade. The student population is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of White students, and small numbers of Asian, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and multiracial students. About three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a high rate that places the school in a higher-poverty context.
State testing data was limited. The only available academic result is a single-year English Language Arts proficiency rate from the 2024-2025 school year, which shows just over one-tenth of students meeting the proficiency benchmark. No math or other subject results were reported, and no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism rate appears in the available data. Because this is an alternative school, it operates under a different accountability framework than a comprehensive high school; standard metrics often are not reported in the same way. A parent or guardian may want to ask the school directly for information about student progress, graduation pathways, and postsecondary outcomes.
The school does not list any program offerings such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, career and technical education pathways, or extracurricular activities in the available data. For a sense of what programs may be accessible through the district, Baltimore County Public Schools has adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading, approved boundary changes affecting attendance zones for several high school feeder systems starting in the 2025-2026 school year, implemented a district-wide cell phone policy restricting phone use during instructional time, and begun implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, which includes expanding pre-K and increasing teacher salaries. Voters approved a bond issue for school safety and security improvements across district schools. How these district-level changes apply to an alternative school setting is something a family would want to clarify.
The surrounding housing market is moderate relative to national benchmarks. Home values and rents in the area have seen slight increases over the past year. The city’s economy is anchored by major employers, and the neighborhood context near the school on Rolling Road is part of the broader Catonsville area, a suburban community within Baltimore County.
Catonsville Center for Alternative Studies serves a specific purpose within the district as an alternative placement for high school students. Its small enrollment, high proportion of students from low-income households, and the limited academic data available mean that a family considering this school will want to speak directly with staff to understand the learning environment, the support services provided, and what a student’s experience and trajectory look like. The school occupies a distinct niche in the district’s offerings, and the fit depends heavily on a student’s individual needs and circumstances.
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