Hearst Renovation Plan Looks Awesome

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good rule of thumb in today's DCPS: overcrowding is the one problem you want your school to have.

Not really. I don't care if my rich neighbors want to send their kids to private school. I'd rather have a nice, close-knit, diverse community of families who care about their kids' education. Even when the test scores go up (and they will, in the next few years), I still don't think we'll have a mad rush on in-bounders coming to the school, so hopefully we'll always be able to keep our small-school feel.

[Anonymous]

Any news about PS-3 at Hearst next year?

I was hoping that the Chancellor would provide specifics on increased early child education, boundaries, etc. last week, but I guess I was expecting too much.

[Anonymous]

Hi - I just emailed Dr. B (Hearst principal) about this. I'm a Hearst parent (very happy one BTW) and had heard through her last year that DCPS "did not approve" a PS-3 program for Hearst at that time. What I don't know and what I've asked her to explain is what is the process for applying again - who decides IF the school applies and then how does review/decision process happen.

[Anonymous]

PP, thanks! Please let us know what you hear back.

[Anonymous]

I don't see a playground in any of those plans...

[Anonymous]

Re: playground, Hearst already has a playground next to it which was redone less than 5 years ago. There is a fenced area which is used by the smaller kids and an open area used by the bigger kids for recess. It is maintained by Dept of Parks and Rec and used by the school every day. Gets a ton of traffic from neighborhood families on the evenings, weekends and summer too

[Anonymous]

Hi - I got some feedback about the discussion with DCPS about PS-3 at Hearst. Generally it sounds like it is a hard sell to get DCPS to fund a PS-3 program in a (relatively) high SES neighborhood like N. Cleveland Park where Hearst is situated.

However, it is interesting (and somewhat counter-intuitive) to note that sentiment from DCPS was if there were more in-bounds families staying at the school after the PK, K level DCPS would likely be more interested in a PS-3 program for Hearst...

Also important to note - the Autism program at Hearst does admit 3 year olds

As an in-bounds parent of a student who did PreK at Hearst last year I believe they do a really great job with the little ones and a PS-3 program could be really successful there... Let's get some more neighborhood families to vote with their feet and check out Hearst.

good opportunity to meet some parents and teachers coming up Saturday Oct 26th - ecycle, bake sale, book swap, bike swap. 9 am - 1 pm. bring your old electronics, etc . AND if we can work out the logistics of opening the school we'll be offering tours of the completely renovated main building.

www.hearstes.org for more details on the ecycle

[Anonymous]

also - next to the playground is a great basketball court and soccer field that the school uses too. field really needs turf -there have been ongoing efforts to get this done thru DPR

[Anonymous]

Are people saying there will be a PS 3 for the school year 2014-2015, so lottery would be this year? Or are they saying that it would be a 2015-2016 school year lottery, with the lottery next year?

[Anonymous]

I do not believe anyone is saying there are definitive plans for PS 3 at all. It was on the table with DCPS last year (2012-2013) and DCPS did not approve it; some reasons why were mentioned in earlier post.

[Anonymous]

Hearst sorely needed renovation and addition of facilities like a cafeteria. However the size of the new facility bears little resemblance to the current or expected demand in the area around the school. What DCPS is essentially building is a large commuter elementary school, which then will feed automatically into overcrowded Deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hearst sorely needed renovation and addition of facilities like a cafeteria. However the size of the new facility bears little resemblance to the current or expected demand in the area around the school. What DCPS is essentially building is a large commuter elementary school, which then will feed automatically into overcrowded Deal.

The new facility will serve exactly the same number of classes as the current school serves-- 2 classes per grade. It does not expand capacity, it just houses the current student population in permanent classrooms instead of trailers and adds a cafeteria and gymnasium/auditorium as well as an actual entrance lobby, a nurse's room, and other necessary space that the current building does not have.

[Anonymous]

20:25, could you please provide us with the future expected demand for the area around the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hearst sorely needed renovation and addition of facilities like a cafeteria. However the size of the new facility bears little resemblance to the current or expected demand in the area around the school. What DCPS is essentially building is a large commuter elementary school, which then will feed automatically into overcrowded Deal.

The new facility will serve exactly the same number of classes as the current school serves-- 2 classes per grade. It does not expand capacity, it just houses the current student population in permanent classrooms instead of trailers and adds a cafeteria and gymnasium/auditorium as well as an actual entrance lobby, a nurse's room, and other necessary space that the current building does not have.

+1. Dr B said this at the Open House. We are inbounds and looking forward to starting PK-4 in the fall.

[Anonymous]

When will the new building be in place?