Orthodox Jewish School In Baltimore To Close

BALTIMORE (AP) -- A financially struggling Orthodox Jewish school in Baltimore has announced plans to close at the end of the academic school year.

Officials say classes at Yeshivat Rambam will continue as normal until June and that Rambam is working on a plan to transition students to other schools. Rambam has 350 students in kindergarten through high school. Its enrollment has dropped by about 50 students in the past year.

Meyer Shields, the newly elected board president, says board members explored options to stay open but the weak economy and declining revenues and enrollment gave them no choice but to close.

The school opened in 1991 with 52 students in kindergarten through third grade. It added grades each year and graduated its first senior class in 2001.

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