Stoddert Expansion?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if Stoddert Elementary is expanding its class sizes moving forward? My oldest had a sporting event near the school and I noticed a lot of construction. I checked the DC lottery data and, for the first time in years, Stoddert actually took a fair number of students for K and 1st grade off the waitlist. I used to live near Glover Park (we moved to a different ward) and would be extremely interested in sending my youngest child next year. It has been nearly impossible to get a seat as an out of boundary student so expansion would be incredibly welcomed!

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that Phase I of the construction (the new addition on the former PK side) will finish this school year. There is talk that perhaps an additional PK classroom will be offered, but mostly this addition will now house classes currently in trailers outside. Phase II (2026-27 construction) will renovate the cafeteria and Kindergarten wing. Again, I don't think the school will materially expand as a result of that - it's mostly about addressing the trailers and crowding.

[Anonymous]

Darn, was hoping the school was expanding class sizes (and wasn’t aware of the trailers). Strange they took so many off the waitlist this year at least in the early grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Darn, was hoping the school was expanding class sizes (and wasn’t aware of the trailers). Strange they took so many off the waitlist this year at least in the early grades.

If it's anything like other schools that have undergone modernization or had to use swing spaces, a lot of IB parents with the means to do so (or the lottery luck) send their kids elsewhere during the disruption, so the schools end up taking more off the wait lists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Darn, was hoping the school was expanding class sizes (and wasn’t aware of the trailers). Strange they took so many off the waitlist this year at least in the early grades.

If it's anything like other schools that have undergone modernization or had to use swing spaces, a lot of IB parents with the means to do so (or the lottery luck) send their kids elsewhere during the disruption, so the schools end up taking more off the wait lists.

And then some of the in-bound kids come back (or kids who never went there enroll for the first time) so there are some "bubble" classes after renovation. OP, if you can't get your kid in during the reno your odds will probably be worse in the years after that. But it doesn't hurt to try!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Darn, was hoping the school was expanding class sizes (and wasn’t aware of the trailers). Strange they took so many off the waitlist this year at least in the early grades.

If it's anything like other schools that have undergone modernization or had to use swing spaces, a lot of IB parents with the means to do so (or the lottery luck) send their kids elsewhere during the disruption, so the schools end up taking more off the wait lists.

Just to illustrate this, in 2017-18 (Murch's second year in its swing space during its renovation), Murch made 29 waitlist offers for kindergarten. In the seven academic years that followed, it made 13 combined waitlist offers for kindergarten (and nine of them were this year).

[Anonymous]

So apply while the getting is good (provided your child can handle overcrowding and construction) is the take away!

[Anonymous]

There is very little (to zero) disruption during the construction of the addition this year. So if any inbound parents went to the trouble of sending their children elsewhere during construction it was for naught I’m afraid. The new classrooms simply replace the 8 trailers in the parking lot so no expansion. Stoddert normally has students from the Russian and Chinese embassies so enrollment numbers can be impacted by geopolitics.

[Anonymous]

Actually - quick edit on the previous post - the Stoddert Expansion will add ten classrooms, replacing the eight trailers out back. So a net gain of TWO classrooms. On track to deliver the new building in June/July 2025. More on the expansion here: https://sites.google.com/dc.gov/dcps-facilities/additions-expansions/stoddert-es

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually - quick edit on the previous post - the Stoddert Expansion will add ten classrooms, replacing the eight trailers out back. So a net gain of TWO classrooms. On track to deliver the new building in June/July 2025. More on the expansion here: https://sites.google.com/dc.gov/dcps-facilities/additions-expansions/stoddert-es

The scuttlebutt is that one of the classrooms may be earmarked for a second PK4 class. There is huge demand for that.