DC Auditor Report on Duke Ellington

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is on the mayor and the council. They're all culpable in this one.

And we wonder why we're fighting over scraps for the rest of our schools.

DGS. They are the supposed experts. I wonder if any senior people in the department have or had kids in DCPS.

Before DGS took over in 2011 it was the OPEFM. DGS might blame it all on the restructuring of OPEFM into DGS.

No matter whose fault it was, how can it be fixed?

[Anonymous]

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.

The school has 500 students. How many teachers, staff...and parking slots are we talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

This is total BS. I heard or read somewhere (maybe in error) that we have the teachers union to thank for this. I mean what the hell?? They can't take public transport like the rest of us? My employer certainly doesn't guarantee parking for me.

LOL yeah blame it on the Union or the teachers!!!

[Anonymous]

Much of this overrun can be attributed to the Georgetown and Burleith neighbors, who bitched so much about parking that they ultimately created a requirement for the underground parking. NIMBYism is a big reasone why this project cost so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Much of this overrun can be attributed to the Georgetown and Burleith neighbors, who bitched so much about parking that they ultimately created a requirement for the underground parking. NIMBYism is a big reasone why this project cost so much.

BS.

It is pretty obvious that the location was far from optimal for the school.

Who lobbied for it to stay there? Who approved it, despite those logistical challenges and likely financial overrruns?

THAT's the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

This is total BS. I heard or read somewhere (maybe in error) that we have the teachers union to thank for this. I mean what the hell?? They can't take public transport like the rest of us? My employer certainly doesn't guarantee parking for me.

LOL yeah blame it on the Union or the teachers!!!

I will if the union is adamant about something as stupid as underground parking for their teachers once the schools are renovated. If 60 million of my taxpayer money went to provide the teacher with parking (on the demands of their unions reps), I am really pissed. I can think of a million better ways to spend that money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Much of this overrun can be attributed to the Georgetown and Burleith neighbors, who bitched so much about parking that they ultimately created a requirement for the underground parking. NIMBYism is a big reasone why this project cost so much.

no - NIMBYism is a reason the school should have been relocated elsewhere, preferably in a central location accessible by public transit. There was no compelling reason whatsoever for DE to remain in Burleith given the scope of the renovation. Parking is the least of it, and it would have still been an outrageous expense even without that added requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a high school with 500 students. 500 students.

They might as well expand the scope of Ellington to 6th grade and make it a magnet arts middle + high school for the entire city.

that's a great idea.

Or make it a regional arts magnet a la TJ high school. In that case a couple jurisdictions split the operating costs. MontCo doesn't have an arts high school. Let's partner on it.

[Anonymous]

This is on the mayor and the council. They're all culpable in this one.

And we wonder why we're fighting over scraps for the rest of our schools.

+1 Shepherd has the audacity to want their cafeteria and elevators covered. Murch dares to want its long-tabled plans realized? Garrison has been dicked around year after year. And to think that a few million is what derails these plans when Ellington is turning out to be the building of Versailles? What the hell is going on? People should go to jail on this.

I agree, but I have to say, one of the major reasons Shepherd's cafeteria is now even more dangerous than ever is someone made an executive decision to stick a bunch of steel pilings alongside the alley, partially blocking egress.

I sure hope that kiln (the steel beams are there to support its weight, because apparently, it had to be on the second floor of an existing building) is getting a lot of use.

DC seems like a city where democracy plays out as a war of influences. Since moving here, I have become entirely disillusioned with the process. The Georgetown nimbys demanded underground parking? The teacher's unions said that no one could take the Metro? No one actually CAN take the Metro because no one wants to own getting it fixed? Seriously considering moving to a more functional place.

Like Baltimore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much of this overrun can be attributed to the Georgetown and Burleith neighbors, who bitched so much about parking that they ultimately created a requirement for the underground parking. NIMBYism is a big reasone why this project cost so much.

BS.

It is pretty obvious that the location was far from optimal for the school.

Who lobbied for it to stay there? Who approved it, despite those logistical challenges and likely financial overrruns?

THAT's the problem.

Read the report. Jack Evans comes up a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much of this overrun can be attributed to the Georgetown and Burleith neighbors, who bitched so much about parking that they ultimately created a requirement for the underground parking. NIMBYism is a big reasone why this project cost so much.

no - NIMBYism is a reason the school should have been relocated elsewhere, preferably in a central location accessible by public transit. There was no compelling reason whatsoever for DE to remain in Burleith given the scope of the renovation. Parking is the least of it, and it would have still been an outrageous expense even without that added requirement.

+1.

What a waste of public money, and a betrayal of public trust.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much of this overrun can be attributed to the Georgetown and Burleith neighbors, who bitched so much about parking that they ultimately created a requirement for the underground parking. NIMBYism is a big reasone why this project cost so much.

BS.

It is pretty obvious that the location was far from optimal for the school.

Who lobbied for it to stay there? Who approved it, despite those logistical challenges and likely financial overrruns?

THAT's the problem.

The school has thrived there for decades. This was a perfectly wonderful place for it to stay. The cost overruns aren't because it stayed in the same location. There are lots of reasons for them, none really excusable. One reason is the neighbors nonsense about parking and the fear that - heaven forbid - a teacher or student from the school might park on their precious public street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Much of this overrun can be attributed to the Georgetown and Burleith neighbors, who bitched so much about parking that they ultimately created a requirement for the underground parking. NIMBYism is a big reasone why this project cost so much.

BS.

It is pretty obvious that the location was far from optimal for the school.

Who lobbied for it to stay there? Who approved it, despite those logistical challenges and likely financial overrruns?

THAT's the problem.

The school has thrived there for decades. This was a perfectly wonderful place for it to stay. The cost overruns aren't because it stayed in the same location. There are lots of reasons for them, none really excusable. One reason is the neighbors nonsense about parking and the fear that - heaven forbid - a teacher or student from the school might park on their precious public street.

I see that you're very skilled at blaming others. Who's responsible for the $120m+ cost overruns? The unions!! The teachers!! The neighbors!!

You don't fool anyone. Let's see what else we learn via these audits.

[Anonymous]

I thought this one the first report came out showing incredible cost overruns and I still think it… I really would love for the department of justice to look into this.

Also, everyone always talks about Ellington as if it's this wonderful gem of a school for performing arts. Where can I see some statistics for the last 10 years that show where Ellington graduates went to college, if they pursued arts degrees of some sort and do they have a job in the arts? I feel like this myth of Ellington being a wonderful school is never really backed up with stats. Am I missing it?