Lake Clifton Eastern High School

Lake Clifton Eastern High School

Lake Clifton Eastern High School (LCEHS) was a public high school that closed in 2005. It was in the Clifton Park area of northeast Baltimore, Maryland. Originally named Lake Clifton High School, it was often called Lake High School or Lake Clifton.

The school was built in 1970–71 and opened in September 1971. It was named after the Lake Clifton Reservoir and the Clifton Park neighborhood. Lake Clifton High School was built to help with crowded schools in Baltimore, especially nearby Baltimore City College and Eastern High School, which had too many students.

In 1986, Eastern High School closed, and Lake Clifton High School merged with it, becoming Lake Clifton Eastern High School. After the 2004–05 school year, LCEHS closed because fewer students were attending. Two smaller schools, Heritage High School and the REACH! Partnership School, then used the campus. In August 2020, the city planned to sell the property, possibly to Morgan State University.

History

Early years

The land where Lake Clifton Eastern High School now stands used to hold a reservoir called the Lake Clifton Reservoir until the late 1960s. In 1970–71, the reservoir was drained to make way for the school. It was first called Lake Clifton High School and was one of the largest high schools on the East Coast of the United States, covering 441 acres. It cost around $17 million to build in 1970.

In 1985, Eastern High School merged with Lake Clifton High School, and the school’s name changed to reflect this. In 1995, it became a special pilot school, changing its curriculum. It had six smaller learning communities focused on different subjects like business, technology, and the arts.

21st century

In 2005, Lake Clifton Eastern High School closed. Its campus became home to two new smaller schools: Heritage High School and Doris M. Johnson High School. Later, the REACH! Partnership School also moved onto the campus. In 2020, plans were announced to sell the property for possible redevelopment.

Crime

The school faced many challenges over the years, including discipline problems, high dropout rates, and low attendance. There were some safety issues on campus during the 1980s and early 2000s.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

From 1971 until the early 1990s, Lake Clifton Eastern High School had sports like tennis, badminton, and swimming & diving. These sports were stopped later. In its last year, 2002–03, the school had only 7 sports.

The school's teams won many championships. The swimming team won in 1993. The tennis team won in 1991 and 1992. The football team won in 1990 and 1999. The boys' basketball team won city championships in 1993 and 2003, and state championships in 1995 and 2003.

Layout and site

The building has a main part with offices, a big hall for shows, two lunch rooms, two gyms, a pool, a library, and more offices. This main part connects to two other buildings through walkways. Each building has its own area with classrooms on four levels. These areas are called A, B, C, and D units. After the school closed, Heritage High School uses the A & B units, and the REACH! Partnership School uses the C & D units.

Outside, the school has a sports field, a track, and a place to play tennis. There is also a big farm called "Real Food Farm" that grows food to help the community. The farm has small greenhouses built in 2009 to teach people about farming in the city.

Notable alumni

Lake Clifton Eastern High School had students who became professional basketball players. Well-known names include Will Barton and Thomas Jordan, who both play in the NBA. Other notable alumni are Shawnta Rogers, Josh Selby, and Chester Frazier. Rodney Hawkins played in the ABA, and Michael Antonio "Mike" King became a professional player in Europe.