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

[Anonymous]

The lot size at Potomac Prep is 35k. That includes some landscaping and a playground, so the building did not cover all 35k feet. There are two floors,i believe? How does that make 100k?

[Anonymous]

Go back to watching the debate Lee parent.
We'll all be ok

Signed, another Lee parent.

[Anonymous]

How could the PCSB talk with a school about another school's building before the hearing and final vote to revoke? Not particularly kosher .. Are you suggesting Lee leadership was in discussion with the PCSB about taking the Potomac Prep building before The Poromac charter was formally revoked?

[Anonymous]

I think all three floors are about 100k (see tax bill divide bill by tax rate per square feet). According to this charter review, school leased 42k square feet of the building for $1.6million per year (still doesn't add up square footage wise but the cost Potomac paid is stated, assuming it included utilities). I'm not saying Lee isn't eyeing the building, but it's clear they could not afford (nor could they fill) the entire building or space Potomac took up. Maybe lease a floor for $800k-ish

http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/Potomac%20Prep.pdf
Page 35

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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)

The building's owner pays property taxes on it. This building was leased by Potomac, not owned. They paid property taxes as part of their rent.

No they did not. They are exempt from property taxes.

Yes they did - all charters do - they can, however, request reimbursement at the end of the year, but they all have to pay property taxes as part of their rent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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)

The building's owner pays property taxes on it. This building was leased by Potomac, not owned. They paid property taxes as part of their rent.

No they did not. They are exempt from property taxes.

Yes they did - all charters do - they can, however, request reimbursement at the end of the year, but they all have to pay property taxes as part of their rent.

Only those owned by for profit companies have to pay taxes. If the school owns it's building outright it is tax exempt, or if it leases from the DC government it is tax exempt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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)

The building's owner pays property taxes on it. This building was leased by Potomac, not owned. They paid property taxes as part of their rent.

No they did not. They are exempt from property taxes.

Yes they did - all charters do - they can, however, request reimbursement at the end of the year, but they all have to pay property taxes as part of their rent.

Only those owned by for profit companies have to pay taxes. If the school owns it's building outright it is tax exempt, or if it leases from the DC government it is tax exempt.

DC tax records show zero tax due or paid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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)

The building's owner pays property taxes on it. This building was leased by Potomac, not owned. They paid property taxes as part of their rent.

No they did not. They are exempt from property taxes.

Yes they did - all charters do - they can, however, request reimbursement at the end of the year, but they all have to pay property taxes as part of their rent.

Only those owned by for profit companies have to pay taxes. If the school owns it's building outright it is tax exempt, or if it leases from the DC government it is tax exempt.

DC tax records show zero tax due or paid.

They probably did an application for tax exemption, which is allowable if the building is operated by a non-profit for educational purposes.

http://otr.cfo.dc.gov/publication/exemption-dc-real-property-tax

http://otr.cfo.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/otr/publication/attachments/otr_fp300_formfillable_2010_0.pdf

[Anonymous]

Taxes aside, did you guys see what Potomac paid for occupancy fees? Do you all really think Lee could afford to spend more than their income on rent? Or can you finally admit having the entire building is not going to happen for Lee? Maybe the teachers love those jobs so much that they will teach for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taxes aside, did you guys see what Potomac paid for occupancy fees? Do you all really think Lee could afford to spend more than their income on rent? Or can you finally admit having the entire building is not going to happen for Lee? Maybe the teachers love those jobs so much that they will teach for free.

Do you have an insight into the charter board, Building Hope or Lee admin? If not, wait and see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taxes aside, did you guys see what Potomac paid for occupancy fees? Do you all really think Lee could afford to spend more than their income on rent? Or can you finally admit having the entire building is not going to happen for Lee? Maybe the teachers love those jobs so much that they will teach for free.

Do you have an insight into the charter board, Building Hope or Lee admin? If not, wait and see.

Nope just common sense to know a school of 105 (and total income of $1.3 million) cannot afford to fill the same space as a school of 500 that was paying $1.6M. Again, a floor maybe, the whole 100k square foot building, never. Let's stop being naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taxes aside, did you guys see what Potomac paid for occupancy fees? Do you all really think Lee could afford to spend more than their income on rent? Or can you finally admit having the entire building is not going to happen for Lee? Maybe the teachers love those jobs so much that they will teach for free.

Do you have an insight into the charter board, Building Hope or Lee admin? If not, wait and see.

Nope just common sense to know a school of 105 (and total income of $1.3 million) cannot afford to fill the same space as a school of 500 that was paying $1.6M. Again, a floor maybe, the whole 100k square foot building, never. Let's stop being naive.

Naivety is thinking that there's only one possible solution here (that being that a single school takes over the entire premises with a traditional lease.)

[Anonymous]

So this sort of planning and negotiating is of recent vintage. Would hate to think that a Montessori school was working with PCSB (or other entities) to secure Potomac Prep's building before the revocation was officially announced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So this sort of planning and negotiating is of recent vintage. Would hate to think that a Montessori school was working with PCSB (or other entities) to secure Potomac Prep's building before the revocation was officially announced.

And if it does happen above board, people like you are going to think it was sneaky. I would say if Lee, KIPP, Friendship or whomever else (if anyone) gets the property for SY 16-17 is able to announce it before the March 1 lottery deadline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taxes aside, did you guys see what Potomac paid for occupancy fees? Do you all really think Lee could afford to spend more than their income on rent? Or can you finally admit having the entire building is not going to happen for Lee? Maybe the teachers love those jobs so much that they will teach for free.

Do you have an insight into the charter board, Building Hope or Lee admin? If not, wait and see.

Nope just common sense to know a school of 105 (and total income of $1.3 million) cannot afford to fill the same space as a school of 500 that was paying $1.6M. Again, a floor maybe, the whole 100k square foot building, never. Let's stop being naive.

Naivety is thinking that there's only one possible solution here (that being that a single school takes over the entire premises with a traditional lease.)

Not at all. In fact, I've said twice (including post you quoted) that likely solution would be Lee renting a portion of the building and not all of it.