DC Auditor Report on Duke Ellington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Turn it into a regular high school like Wilson with an ARTS focus as the side show.

Arts at DE are no better than Wilson anyway. What we really need in DC is some relief to the overcrowding at Deal and Wilson.

If we have to swallow the huge cost over run then let's make the HS work for many rather than the few 500 of which only half are DC residents.

The building is only used half the day anyway, you could add another 500 kids in a general high school with thoughtful scheduling.

Wrong. The finished building will be used from 8-5 every day. The school day is several hours longer than at the rest of DCPS.

Indeed, but it each half is only used for part of the day. You could house another high school in the same building. One could be Duke Ellington, and another could be a comprehensive high school with more of an arts focus. People have been pushing for Western High to be reopened to relieve overcrowding at Wilson. Well thanks to the city's blowing nearly $200 million we are building the equivalent of 2 high schools in one spot. Why not use them? Why let a building be half empty, half the time, when Wilson is bursting at the seams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Turn it into a regular high school like Wilson with an ARTS focus as the side show.

Arts at DE are no better than Wilson anyway. What we really need in DC is some relief to the overcrowding at Deal and Wilson.

If we have to swallow the huge cost over run then let's make the HS work for many rather than the few 500 of which only half are DC residents.

The building is only used half the day anyway, you could add another 500 kids in a general high school with thoughtful scheduling.

Wrong. The finished building will be used from 8-5 every day. The school day is several hours longer than at the rest of DCPS.

Indeed, but it each half is only used for part of the day. You could house another high school in the same building. One could be Duke Ellington, and another could be a comprehensive high school with more of an arts focus. People have been pushing for Western High to be reopened to relieve overcrowding at Wilson. Well thanks to the city's blowing nearly $200 million we are building the equivalent of 2 high schools in one spot. Why not use them? Why let a building be half empty, half the time, when Wilson is bursting at the seams?

PP, you are asking too many good questions. That's not polite here in DC, especially when dealing with local politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Turn it into a regular high school like Wilson with an ARTS focus as the side show.

Arts at DE are no better than Wilson anyway. What we really need in DC is some relief to the overcrowding at Deal and Wilson.

If we have to swallow the huge cost over run then let's make the HS work for many rather than the few 500 of which only half are DC residents.

The building is only used half the day anyway, you could add another 500 kids in a general high school with thoughtful scheduling.

Wrong. The finished building will be used from 8-5 every day. The school day is several hours longer than at the rest of DCPS.

Indeed, but it each half is only used for part of the day. You could house another high school in the same building. One could be Duke Ellington, and another could be a comprehensive high school with more of an arts focus. People have been pushing for Western High to be reopened to relieve overcrowding at Wilson. Well thanks to the city's blowing nearly $200 million we are building the equivalent of 2 high schools in one spot. Why not use them? Why let a building be half empty, half the time, when Wilson is bursting at the seams?

Three consecutive posters have explained how the "half the day" story is not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Turn it into a regular high school like Wilson with an ARTS focus as the side show.

Arts at DE are no better than Wilson anyway. What we really need in DC is some relief to the overcrowding at Deal and Wilson.

If we have to swallow the huge cost over run then let's make the HS work for many rather than the few 500 of which only half are DC residents.

The building is only used half the day anyway, you could add another 500 kids in a general high school with thoughtful scheduling.

Wrong. The finished building will be used from 8-5 every day. The school day is several hours longer than at the rest of DCPS.

Indeed, but it each half is only used for part of the day. You could house another high school in the same building. One could be Duke Ellington, and another could be a comprehensive high school with more of an arts focus. People have been pushing for Western High to be reopened to relieve overcrowding at Wilson. Well thanks to the city's blowing nearly $200 million we are building the equivalent of 2 high schools in one spot. Why not use them? Why let a building be half empty, half the time, when Wilson is bursting at the seams?

Three consecutive posters have explained how the "half the day" story is not true.

Except that the auditor suggests that it in fact true: Consequently, significant amounts of space will go unused for extended periods of time once the building's upgrades are complete. Therefore, the auditor is also suggesting that DCPS increase the school's enrollment or open up its grounds to other educational programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Turn it into a regular high school like Wilson with an ARTS focus as the side show.

Arts at DE are no better than Wilson anyway. What we really need in DC is some relief to the overcrowding at Deal and Wilson.

If we have to swallow the huge cost over run then let's make the HS work for many rather than the few 500 of which only half are DC residents.

The building is only used half the day anyway, you could add another 500 kids in a general high school with thoughtful scheduling.

Wrong. The finished building will be used from 8-5 every day. The school day is several hours longer than at the rest of DCPS.

Indeed, but it each half is only used for part of the day. You could house another high school in the same building. One could be Duke Ellington, and another could be a comprehensive high school with more of an arts focus. People have been pushing for Western High to be reopened to relieve overcrowding at Wilson. Well thanks to the city's blowing nearly $200 million we are building the equivalent of 2 high schools in one spot. Why not use them? Why let a building be half empty, half the time, when Wilson is bursting at the seams?

Three consecutive posters have explained how the "half the day" story is not true.

Except that the auditor suggests that it in fact true: Consequently, significant amounts of space will go unused for extended periods of time once the building's upgrades are complete. Therefore, the auditor is also suggesting that DCPS increase the school's enrollment or open up its grounds to other educational programs.

+1.

[Anonymous]

I guess some here are sure that the DC Auditor has no idea what is going on at Ellington. Which would be strange, considering the Auditor was auditing Ellington. Do these people have some kind of privileged information that the auditor did not have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess some here are sure that the DC Auditor has no idea what is going on at Ellington. Which would be strange, considering the Auditor was auditing Ellington. Do these people have some kind of privileged information that the auditor did not have?

Well, given the history of nonsensical demands and cost overruns, I'm sure they do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Turn it into a regular high school like Wilson with an ARTS focus as the side show.

Arts at DE are no better than Wilson anyway. What we really need in DC is some relief to the overcrowding at Deal and Wilson.

If we have to swallow the huge cost over run then let's make the HS work for many rather than the few 500 of which only half are DC residents.

There's some truth in this. We know some students who started at DE for performing arts but then switched to Wilson where they and their parents feel they are getting equivalent arts opportunities and better academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Turn it into a regular high school like Wilson with an ARTS focus as the side show.

Arts at DE are no better than Wilson anyway. What we really need in DC is some relief to the overcrowding at Deal and Wilson.

If we have to swallow the huge cost over run then let's make the HS work for many rather than the few 500 of which only half are DC residents.

+1.

Just noticed at the school's DC profile than only 1% of students are ELL, and only 4% special ed, suggesting systematic discrimination against those groups.

If some folks want to have their own little private school, why don't they pay for it?

Instead, DC pays over 80% of Ellington's capital costs and virtually 100% of its capital/renovation costs, with zero accountability to Washington's taxpayers. Not a single member of the DE board of directors is appointed by the mayor, the schools chancellor or the DC Council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Turn it into a regular high school like Wilson with an ARTS focus as the side show.

Arts at DE are no better than Wilson anyway. What we really need in DC is some relief to the overcrowding at Deal and Wilson.

If we have to swallow the huge cost over run then let's make the HS work for many rather than the few 500 of which only half are DC residents.

+1.

Just noticed at the school's DC profile than only 1% of students are ELL, and only 4% special ed, suggesting systematic discrimination against those groups.

If some folks want to have their own little private school, why don't they pay for it?

Instead, DC pays over 80% of Ellington's capital costs and virtually 100% of its capital/renovation costs, with zero accountability to Washington's taxpayers. Not a single member of the DE board of directors is appointed by the mayor, the schools chancellor or the DC Council.

Grosso and the Council could tell DCPS to change that tomorrow if they wanted to. It would require amending the operating agreement between DCPS and the Foundation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess some here are sure that the DC Auditor has no idea what is going on at Ellington. Which would be strange, considering the Auditor was auditing Ellington. Do these people have some kind of privileged information that the auditor did not have?

The school hours are not a state secret. I'm wondering who is signing their kid up for the 2:15 to 8:00 pm shift in the "unused space".

Not sure why an auditor would be injecting his or her policy opinions on this topic in this report.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP (although I'm only the OP because I saw the report and put it here first)

I think the DC Auditors office deserves praise for doing their job and not burying this under a rug, where I'm sure the Council and Administration would like it to go.

What kills me is this: It also states that students who attend the historic performing arts school have schedules atypical of most DCPS students. Consequently, significant amounts of space will go unused for extended periods of time once the building's upgrades are complete. Therefore, the auditor is also suggesting that DCPS increase the school's enrollment or open up its grounds to other educational programs.

+1.

Essentially, DC taxpayers ponied up $200 million to fund a luxury product for non-DC residents.

Hopefully someone ends in jail for misuse of public funds, if not outright corruption.

Who exactly would you jail? The problem the auditor's report is that literally dozens of people were involved but no one was in charge. There seems to be plenty of incompetence but no malfeasance.

No idea, we need an investigation to determine that. The best process is usually to follow the money. Where did those $178+ million come from?

We we've had 2 audits that followed the money. Read the reports and then come back with your nominees for arrest warrants.

Let the FBI public integrity section and the DC attorney general deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:..."Much of the cost overruns - $60M - can be attributed to the underground parking."

Underground parking changes the entire scope of a project, especially when dealing with tight neighborhood like that.

I've seen weird things get put into an ed spec document, but this takes the cake. The problem is there is no fingerprint to say exactly who asked for the change and why.

Janney got an underground parking garage but no one takes them to task.

That is particularly galling, given that it is practically on top of a metro (unlike DE or Murch).

Completely agree. I'm a Murch parent and was sick over the stupid underground parking issue. They were going to sacrifice playground space so that teacher could have parking. Why the hell are we really there? To provide education or appease the unions?[/quote]

Uh, how long have you lived in DC? Appeasing public employees is the DC government's primary mission. Providing quality services in an effective and efficient manner, including education, is a quaint afterthought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And a lot of those 500 students are from MD. Yes, they pay tuition, but not a lot. I think the school should only accept DC students given taxpayers have been left with this crazy bill!

Reportedly Duke Ellington fails to bill and fails to collect even the payments from known MD tuition students. Of course, this excludes the MD residency fraudsters whose families pay no tuition while they use a relative's or some other illegitimate DC address.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP (although I'm only the OP because I saw the report and put it here first)

I think the DC Auditors office deserves praise for doing their job and not burying this under a rug, where I'm sure the Council and Administration would like it to go.

What kills me is this: It also states that students who attend the historic performing arts school have schedules atypical of most DCPS students. Consequently, significant amounts of space will go unused for extended periods of time once the building's upgrades are complete. Therefore, the auditor is also suggesting that DCPS increase the school's enrollment or open up its grounds to other educational programs.

+1.

Essentially, DC taxpayers ponied up $200 million to fund a luxury product for non-DC residents.

Hopefully someone ends in jail for misuse of public funds, if not outright corruption.

Who exactly would you jail? The problem the auditor's report is that literally dozens of people were involved but no one was in charge. There seems to be plenty of incompetence but no malfeasance.

No idea, we need an investigation to determine that. The best process is usually to follow the money. Where did those $178+ million come from?

We we've had 2 audits that followed the money. Read the reports and then come back with your nominees for arrest warrants.

Let the FBI public integrity section and the DC attorney general deal with it.

Let's pray for that day to come.