FOCUS DC News Wire 9/19/13

 

 

Two high-performing public charter schools will lease shuttered D.C. school building in Northeast, Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced Wednesday.

 

KIPP DC will move its high school to the site of the former Hamilton School at 1401 Brentwood Parkway NE, while Two Rivers Public Charter School will move its pre-K-8th grade program in to Charles E. Young Elementary School at 820 26th St. NE. Both schools plan to open at their new facilities by the 2015-2016 school year.

 

“KIPP DC and Two Rivers are great examples of the success of public charter schools in the District of Columbia and I am excited to see them serve more students and continue to build on their success,” Gray said in a statement.

 

KIPP DC plans to demolish the Hamilton school and build a new 120,000-square-foot KIPP DC College Preparatory School, with adjoining athletic fields, in its place. KIPP DC operates 12 schools at all grade levels in the District but the new KIPP DC College Preparatory School will be its first standalone high school.

 

KIPP DC and Gallaudet University, which is adjacent to the Hamilton School, are discussing a possible partnership focused on teacher training, student internships, security, transportation and community service, according to District officials. The new building will allow KIPP DC College Preparatory School to basically double in size to 850 students. The Hamilton building was shuttered at the end of last school year.

 

Two Rivers Public Charter School, which has about 500 students in preschool through 8th grade at two buildings on Florida Avenue NE, will also be able to double its enrollment at the former Charles E. Young school. The building has been closed since 2008.

 

“Last year, more than 1,800 students applied for fewer than 35 seats at Two Rivers,” said Jessica Wodatch, the school’s chief executive. “Expanding to the Young site will enable us to offer more high-quality seats for D.C. kids to experience our vibrant, engaging education. We also look forward to partnering with the dedicated members of the Carver Langston community.”

 

More than 40 percent of the District’s public school students attend charters, which are publicly funded but operate independently of D.C. Public Schools. Although D.C. law gives public charter schools a legal preference when it comes to the disposal of shuttered DCPS school buildings, charter advocates have long complained that the city government has been slow to release the schools.

 

Real estate is a major obstacle for charter schools, which are often forced to rent or buy commercial property and divert money from classrooms to deal with a burden unknown to traditional schools.

 

Gray administration officials announced in May that 16 surplus DCPS buildings would be released for short- or long-term lease by charter schools. In addition to Hamilton and Young, the city is considering applications for the former Shaed Elementary School at 301 Douglas Street NE and the Winston Education Campus at 3100 Erie Street SE.

 

 

The Office of the Deputy Mayor of Education and the Department of General Services announced yesterday in a press release the awarding of two DCPS properties to charter schools. The Hamilton School at 1401 Brentwood Parkway NE is being turned over to KIPP DC Public Charter School, and the Charles E. Young Elementary School located at 820 26th Street NE has been provided to Two Rivers Public Charter School. Both KIPP and Two Rivers plan to open their new facilities for the 2015 to 2016 school term.

 

As you remember KIPP was trying to relocate their existing high school to a space near Nationals Park. Instead the charter will take over Hamilton, demolish it, and build a brand-new 120,000 square foot building. The new site will allow KIPP to add about 450 seats over their current capacity of about 400 pupils.

 

The new high school building is located in close proximity to Gallaudet University. According to the press release, the two schools are now exploring ways that they can work together which may include "teacher training, student internships, security, transportation and community service."

 

The Tier 1 PMF Two Rivers PCS plans to replicate its existing pre-Kindergarten to eighth grade program at the Charles E. Young Elementary School. Jessica Wodatch, Two Rivers' executive director, pointed out that 1,800 students applied for 35 spots in last years' lottery, a situation which drove home the need to expand. Ms. Wodatch explained to the current study body that no child will be transferred from the current campuses to the new location.

 

Both charters are excited about the green space associated with their new homes.

 

Charles E. Young Elementary has been vacant since 2008. The Hamilton School was home to a DCPS program that was relocated to another building at the end of last school year.

 

The awards for these facilities were made in record time for the District of Columbia. Last July, the Department of General Services issued RFP's for four former DCPS facilities so these decisions were made in approximately two months. The rulings on the other schools put out to bid, Shaed Elementary School at 301 Douglas Street N.E. and Winston Education Campus at 3100 Erie Street S.E., will be made in the near future.

 

Commenting on the transfer of buildings to charters, Deputy Mayor of Education Smith remarked “Our top priority is ensuring that all students in the District have access to high-quality public school options. Making vacant school buildings available to public charter schools that are serving students well supports that goal, while also ensuring a vibrant community use for these city assets.”

 

Extremely encouraging news.