Murch meeting tonight on swing space

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about bussing Murch kids to one of the empty or under utilized schools East of Park?

+1. Is this campus still open? I keep thinking of what happened 4 years ago when Takoma Educational Campus had a serious fire over winter break that meant the school had to be renovated. DCPS had no time to plan - but got a solution in place within just a couple weeks (move everyone to Meyer - 4 miles/15 mintues away via bus).

The students were picked up every day at Takoma and bused to Meyer. It wasn't perfect by far but everyone made it work.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/03/AR2011010304829.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Very helpful.

It does point out the question of whether Murch is too big (and will be permanently built too big) for its space. And it's nutty to have at least 10% of the school be OOB when it's (a) so overcrowded and (b) even when rebuilt, will be very constrained on the site.

OOB aside, the reality is that DC owns little land WOTP for school expansion and swing space. An exception is the building and land around the Second District police station on Idaho Ave. near McLean Gardens. The station is outmoded. Large, fortress-like police stations are so "Hill St. Blues" - 1970s era, and in modern policing have been replaced by small, community-oriented substations. It would make a great school site, close to Wisconsin & Mass. Avenues, with lots of potential open space around it. The only problem is that it's kind of in the wrong spot today -- in a part of Ward 3 where the local population doesn't even fill the neighborhood schools. Eaton is about 60% OOB and Hearst is 75%+ OOB. Too bad that there isn't similar space closer to Murch, Janney and Lafayette.

There is also the former Hardy Elementary School on Foxhall Road. While not particularly close to Murch, it is the only DCPS-owned parcel WOTP that is not currently a public school. It's on a five-plus acre site, bigger than some high schools.

Are you suggesting this for Murch swing space?

No. It's far enough away that EOTP would probably be just as close. The building is currently occupied and is too small anyway so you'd be looking at trailers on the field, if you're doing that anyway you might as well put them on a field that is closer, UDC or even Hearst. I was just pointing out that in the long run it exists as an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about bussing Murch kids to one of the empty or under utilized schools East of Park?

+1. Is this campus still open? I keep thinking of what happened 4 years ago when Takoma Educational Campus had a serious fire over winter break that meant the school had to be renovated. DCPS had no time to plan - but got a solution in place within just a couple weeks (move everyone to Meyer - 4 miles/15 mintues away via bus).

The students were picked up every day at Takoma and bused to Meyer. It wasn't perfect by far but everyone made it work.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/03/AR2011010304829.html

When Hardy was renovated they swung at Hamilton Educational Campus over by Gallaudet. It was not well-received by the parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about bussing Murch kids to one of the empty or under utilized schools East of Park?

+1. Is this campus still open? I keep thinking of what happened 4 years ago when Takoma Educational Campus had a serious fire over winter break that meant the school had to be renovated. DCPS had no time to plan - but got a solution in place within just a couple weeks (move everyone to Meyer - 4 miles/15 mintues away via bus).

The students were picked up every day at Takoma and bused to Meyer. It wasn't perfect by far but everyone made it work.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/03/AR2011010304829.html

When Hardy was renovated they swung at Hamilton Educational Campus over by Gallaudet. It was not well-received by the parents.

True. But it's not like the Murch community is thrilled with the options they've been presented so far.

[Anonymous]

From the meetings with DGS they have always tried to keep the younger kids (rather than middle of hogh school) as close to their school location as possible. It just is a different beast moving/bussing 650 kids 10 and younger than the older kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the meetings with DGS they have always tried to keep the younger kids (rather than middle of hogh school) as close to their school location as possible. It just is a different beast moving/bussing 650 kids 10 and younger than the older kids.

Except that's how every suburban district everywhere works from age 4/5 and up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the meetings with DGS they have always tried to keep the younger kids (rather than middle of hogh school) as close to their school location as possible. It just is a different beast moving/bussing 650 kids 10 and younger than the older kids.

Except that's how every suburban district everywhere works from age 4/5 and up.

Um....except that we aren't in a suburban district with bussing are we?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the meetings with DGS they have always tried to keep the younger kids (rather than middle of hogh school) as close to their school location as possible. It just is a different beast moving/bussing 650 kids 10 and younger than the older kids.

Except that's how every suburban district everywhere works from age 4/5 and up.

Um....except that we aren't in a suburban district with bussing are we?

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

No, we're not. And no one is talking about doing this permanently.

But since there is no viable space in Upper NW, there is space in unused buildings 2-3 miles away and DCPS has done this for other PK3- 8 schools undergoing renovations why isn't it on the table?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, we're not. And no one is talking about doing this permanently.

But since there is no viable space in Upper NW, there is space in unused buildings 2-3 miles away and DCPS has done this for other PK3- 8 schools undergoing renovations why isn't it on the table?

Ok, first relax. This will be figured out and it will involve bussing most likely. There ARE viable spaces close to Murch and three were presented to the school in Nov. and one was added in last week. All have pros and cons. All have costs. That is what is trying to be figured out.

The fact that suburban schools bus their children has no relevance to this discussion of a specific school in a school district that does not bus children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about bussing Murch kids to one of the empty or under utilized schools East of Park?

+1. Is this campus still open? I keep thinking of what happened 4 years ago when Takoma Educational Campus had a serious fire over winter break that meant the school had to be renovated. DCPS had no time to plan - but got a solution in place within just a couple weeks (move everyone to Meyer - 4 miles/15 mintues away via bus).

The students were picked up every day at Takoma and bused to Meyer. It wasn't perfect by far but everyone made it work.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/03/AR2011010304829.html

When Hardy was renovated they swung at Hamilton Educational Campus over by Gallaudet. It was not well-received by the parents.

Which is strange, because something like 80%+ of Hardy's students live EOTP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, we're not. And no one is talking about doing this permanently.

But since there is no viable space in Upper NW, there is space in unused buildings 2-3 miles away and DCPS has done this for other PK3- 8 schools undergoing renovations why isn't it on the table?

Ok, first relax. This will be figured out and it will involve bussing most likely. There ARE viable spaces close to Murch and three were presented to the school in Nov. and one was added in last week. All have pros and cons. All have costs. That is what is trying to be figured out.

The fact that suburban schools bus their children has no relevance to this discussion of a specific school in a school district that does not bus children.

Is it true that Murch parents wishing to use the bus will have to pay for it separately and directly, because DCPS has no funds allocated for it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, we're not. And no one is talking about doing this permanently.

But since there is no viable space in Upper NW, there is space in unused buildings 2-3 miles away and DCPS has done this for other PK3- 8 schools undergoing renovations why isn't it on the table?

Ok, first relax. This will be figured out and it will involve bussing most likely. There ARE viable spaces close to Murch and three were presented to the school in Nov. and one was added in last week. All have pros and cons. All have costs. That is what is trying to be figured out.

The fact that suburban schools bus their children has no relevance to this discussion of a specific school in a school district that does not bus children.

Is it true that Murch parents wishing to use the bus will have to pay for it separately and directly, because DCPS has no funds allocated for it?

No one has said there will be a bus to anywhere. But in past / current renovations (e.g. Hardy, Takoma, Ellington) that involved busing students to swing space no fees were charged. It is part of the cost of swing space and is supposed to come out of the renovation budget.

[Anonymous]

At the Murch community meeting last week, the DGS guy said there would be buses to Lafayette if that were the option selected. There were no details about what that means. He certainly didn't say parents would be charged, or that it would be free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, we're not. And no one is talking about doing this permanently.

But since there is no viable space in Upper NW, there is space in unused buildings 2-3 miles away and DCPS has done this for other PK3- 8 schools undergoing renovations why isn't it on the table?

Ok, first relax. This will be figured out and it will involve bussing most likely. There ARE viable spaces close to Murch and three were presented to the school in Nov. and one was added in last week. All have pros and cons. All have costs. That is what is trying to be figured out.

The fact that suburban schools bus their children has no relevance to this discussion of a specific school in a school district that does not bus children.

Is it true that Murch parents wishing to use the bus will have to pay for it separately and directly, because DCPS has no funds allocated for it?

No one has said there will be a bus to anywhere. But in past / current renovations (e.g. Hardy, Takoma, Ellington) that involved busing students to swing space no fees were charged. It is part of the cost of swing space and is supposed to come out of the renovation budget.

Wait! Ellington has a budget?! Last I saw, the Ellington renovation was approaching $200 million and still climbing. In that context, the cost of bussing isn't worth a fart in a gale.