The arts may be just what a small school in West Baltimore needs.

In fall 2026, Thomas Jefferson Elementary/Middle School in Hunting Ridge will convert from a traditional public school into an arts-integrated charter school. Arts for Learning Maryland, via the nonprofit A4L Charter Inc., will run Dream Academy Charter School. The hope is that boosting arts offerings will draw more students to the charter in its initial years.

The Baltimore school board unanimously approved the charter June 10. It is the first new charter operator to get the green light in 10 years, though there were no new applications between 2022 and 2025 because of the pandemic, according to the school system.

The school will be renamed Dream Academy for the upcoming academic year, although it won’t operate as a charter until the following year.

At Dream Academy, students in pre-K through eighth grade will spend their days with traditional teachers and teaching artists, like musicians, dancers and visual creatives. Initially, six full-time artists will be spread across 12 classrooms, allowing students in all grade levels to get arts-integrated instruction every day, said Kurtis Donnelly, who will serve as executive director of the school.

“We believe that combo of having a certified teacher who really knows the content [and] someone coming from that artist lens that really thinks outside the box, thinks in a different way and approaches learning in a different way, can create a more well-rounded and inspiring type of school environment,” Donnelly said.

The pairing could help marry subjects like math and music said Stacie Evans, president and CEO of Arts for Learning Maryland for 20 years. For example, a beatboxer could break down the use of measures and beats while mimicking instrument sounds to help students conceptualize fractions as different parts of a whole. Or a songwriter may guide students in using rhyming couplets to demonstrate how they understand and use algebraic terms.

There will also be an artist studio class, Donnelly said, co-created by two artists to reflect the interest of students, which could look, in one example, like choreographing a student musical.

Kids need more than memorization to learn effectively, Evans said. The creative process allows kids to make choices and express themselves, which helps them feel visible in the learning process, she added.

“You have to inspire. You have to spark that curiosity, that fire. And we believe the arts is a very effective vehicle for doing that,” Evans said. “They need to understand how what they’re learning actually matters.”

Arts for Learning Maryland, formerly known as Young Audiences of Maryland, has been in Baltimore since 1950, when it introduced young people to the arts through live performances.

Today, the nonprofit embeds artists in hundreds of schools across the state and serves over 160,000 children annually, Evans said. While that happens via short-term residencies and summer and after-school programs, this will be the first time Arts for Learning Maryland operates an entire school.

Ten years ago, the nonprofit launched what is now its largest elementary summer school program at Thomas Jefferson, Donnelly said. Summer Arts for Learning Academy provides free programming for over 2,000 Baltimore students each summer, city schools spokesperson Sherry Christian said in an email. The organization’s summer and after-school programs have improved students’ literacy and math comprehension, she said.

The summer program led families to demand a similar learning environment year-round, said Evans. And because many Thomas Jefferson teachers had taught in that program, there was a community of educators eager to bring the vision to life.

Arts for Learning Maryland has piloted co-teaching residencies and arts integration blocks at Thomas Jefferson, according to a recent presentation before the city school board. Plus, the school’s principal, Danielle Davis, participated in the organization’s principal fellowship program, which helps principals articulate “how they want to use the arts as a lever for change in their building” and pairs them with mentors, Evans said.

Davis, who could not be reached for comment, will continue to serve as principal when the school transitions to a charter for the 2026-27 school year. Thomas Jefferson will also retain its staff and students as a conversion charter school.

Donnelly said the goal is to expand enrollment from 270 to 290 students by the fall 2026 opening and then grow to 350 students within the first five years, prioritizing neighborhood kids. About 10 years ago, Thomas Jefferson enrolled close to 500 kids, Christian said.

A4L Charter Inc. President Bill Buckner said Dream Academy will focus on academic performance, attendance and student and community engagement.

“We really believe that what we’re creating is a culture of joy,” Buckner said, “creating a school where students feel celebrated and safe.”

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.