Lake Clifton Eastern High School

Lake Clifton Eastern High School (LCEHS) was a public high school that closed in 2005. It was located in the Clifton Park area of northeast Baltimore, Maryland. Originally named Lake Clifton High School, it was commonly 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 designed to help relieve overcrowding in Baltimore's public high schools, especially nearby Baltimore City College and Eastern High School, which both had too many students.

In 1986, Eastern High School closed, and Lake Clifton High School merged with it, becoming Lake Clifton Eastern High School. However, after the 2004–05 school year, LCEHS also 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 several shooting incidents on campus during the 1980s and early 2000s.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

From 1971 until the early 1990s, Lake Clifton Eastern High School had many sports such as tennis, badminton, and swimming & diving. However, these sports were later stopped. In its final year, 2002–03, the school had only 7 athletic activities. During its time, the school's teams won several championships in swimming, tennis, football, and boys' basketball in both the state and city competitions.

The school’s swimming team won a state championship in 1993. The tennis team won state championships in 1991 and 1992. The football team won state championships in 1990 and 1999. The boys' basketball team won city championships in Baltimore City (District 9) in 1993 and 2003, and state championships in 1995 and 2003.

Layout and site

The building has a central part with main offices, a big auditorium for shows, two places to eat, two gyms, a swimming pool, a library, and other offices. This central part connects through walkways to two other buildings. Each of these has its own area leading to smaller sections with classrooms stacked on four levels. These sections 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 campus 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 special small greenhouses built in 2009 to help provide food and teach people about farming in the city.

Notable alumni

Lake Clifton Eastern High School had several students who went on to play basketball professionally. Some well-known names include Will Barton, who plays in the NBA, and Thomas Jordan, also an NBA player. Other notable alumni are Shawnta Rogers and Josh Selby, both professional basketball players, as well as Chester Frazier, a basketball coach. Rodney Hawkins played in the ABA, and Michael Antonio "Mike" King became a professional player in Europe.