Lee Montessori locations: at the open house they said Brookland or Woodridge

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't know Potomac lighthouse changed their name to Potomac Prep. Anyway, the building is beautiful and in a very quiet tree-lined neighborhood. That would be a very good backup plan for Lee. It seems like a large building to fill for such a small school like Lee though.

My guess is the Friendship or KIPP organization will get that building.

That would I make sense. They are larger and require more space. Lee could barely fit in the basement of that school yet alone take over the entire building. Kipp and Friendship are established schools that require the space. No knock on Lee, just facts.

Friendship Charter schools are shady. I would not call them "established" at all.

Shady according to who? they are establish as in they've been around for a while and tier 1 or 2. Lee has what 90 kids?

That way the current kids could educate in place. I don't see any friendships or preps or KIPP up for charter. Do they have to recharter each campus as they open? I can't remember the evolution of the amos schools becoming friendship schools

Schools that are operating now can amend their charters to take more students - unless they have unused capacity under their current charter.

[Anonymous]

Lee would have room for the planned middle school with this building though they'd likely have to rent out space to another charter in the meantime. But, yes, I am sure 1st choice would be to give the building to a charter who could absorb the kids currently there, and Lee will only go through 3rd next year.

[Anonymous]

wow the building is worth 20 million dollars? who owns it Potamic? a landlord?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:wow the building is worth 20 million dollars? who owns it Potamic? a landlord?

The statement from the PCSB specifically mentioned working with the building's landlord to find a new charter school tenant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wow the building is worth 20 million dollars? who owns it Potamic? a landlord?

The statement from the PCSB specifically mentioned working with the building's landlord to find a new charter school tenant.

I would imagine it would be similar to CAPCS. Someone like KIPP will come in and take the kids that are already there. Lee, even with middle school (not approved) could not afford that space or fill it up. Never going to happen. They may lease the basement like ITS and YY did in prior years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:wow the building is worth 20 million dollars? who owns it Potamic? a landlord?

The statement from the PCSB specifically mentioned working with the building's landlord to find a new charter school tenant.

I would imagine it would be similar to CAPCS. Someone like KIPP will come in and take the kids that are already there. Lee, even with middle school (not approved) could not afford that space or fill it up. Never going to happen. They may lease the basement like ITS and YY did in prior years.

You are wrong. Very wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't know Potomac lighthouse changed their name to Potomac Prep. Anyway, the building is beautiful and in a very quiet tree-lined neighborhood. That would be a very good backup plan for Lee. It seems like a large building to fill for such a small school like Lee though.

Lee is only in its second year. There are four more years of growth until they reach full size.

Potomac has 425 kids. How large is Lee projected to be?

Not sure. About 250 I think. Lee is definitely very well positioned to take over that building. I hope a plan will be in place for the kids losing their school though.

[Anonymous]

Forgot about the infant program. That will add another 20 or so kids, then a possible middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't know Potomac lighthouse changed their name to Potomac Prep. Anyway, the building is beautiful and in a very quiet tree-lined neighborhood. That would be a very good backup plan for Lee. It seems like a large building to fill for such a small school like Lee though.

Lee is only in its second year. There are four more years of growth until they reach full size.

Potomac has 425 kids. How large is Lee projected to be?

Not sure. About 250 I think. Lee is definitely very well positioned to take over that building. I hope a plan will be in place for the kids losing their school though.

So Lee at full projection is going to still be smaller than say ITS and you think they can afford a lease TODAY on a school that's worth twice that of ITS? Okay. gotta love that Montessori math.

[Anonymous]

Potomac prep is 100,000 square feet (ITS is 70k MV I think 40k). The average elementary charter school is 114 square feet per student. Even if Lee grew to 250, that would be 400 square foot per student. The taxes alone on Potomac prep is $160k per year. If Lee can afford the potential cost on a building that large more power to them. I'd be concerned that budget wouldn't last and other thing would be sacrificed. Even if they leased out the basement. Next year, with under 100 kids, there would be a major defector for many years to come, if not forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Potomac prep is 100,000 square feet (ITS is 70k MV I think 40k). The average elementary charter school is 114 square feet per student. Even if Lee grew to 250, that would be 400 square foot per student. The taxes alone on Potomac prep is $160k per year. If Lee can afford the potential cost on a building that large more power to them. I'd be concerned that budget wouldn't last and other thing would be sacrificed. Even if they leased out the basement. Next year, with under 100 kids, there would be a major defector for many years to come, if not forever.

Where are you getting these numbers from? How do you know the size of the building? Lee currently has about 105 students. Will have about 130 next year and grow by approx 30 or so each year after that.

The Potomac Prep building certainly looks smaller than both MV and Shaed. I can't believe it's 2.5 times bigger than MV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Friendship/KIPP aside (I think that was an off the cuff response) I think the question of whether Lee can even fill/afford a building of that size is valid. Potomac has an assessed value of $20M more than double of ITS building (a PK-8). Potomac had almost 500 kids. I don't think Lee is going to be even half that size fully occupied.

Where do you get this from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Potomac prep is 100,000 square feet (ITS is 70k MV I think 40k). The average elementary charter school is 114 square feet per student. Even if Lee grew to 250, that would be 400 square foot per student. The taxes alone on Potomac prep is $160k per year. If Lee can afford the potential cost on a building that large more power to them. I'd be concerned that budget wouldn't last and other thing would be sacrificed. Even if they leased out the basement. Next year, with under 100 kids, there would be a major defector for many years to come, if not forever.

Taxes are not $160k per year. You are looking at the bill from 2010 for six months. That's not what a 501c3 school pays. (Which is nothing)

[Anonymous]

Conservatively what would a sqfoot building's occupancy fee be? What kind of occupancy allotment budget will Lee have for 130 students? My guess it's too large and too costly for a small school at this point in time - unless they can share the building with a larger school.

[Anonymous]

Meant to say 400 sq ft, Potomac Prep.