Bowser throws shade at Lafayette parents
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Anonymous
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Buried in the Lafayette bulletin today is the following (dated March 16):
Mar 16, 2022 FUNDING TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL PREK SPACE IN 2023-2024 March 2022 Dear Lafayette Community, With the release of Mayor Bowser’s Budget, DC Public Schools (DCPS) is reaching out to ensure you and your community understand the implications for your school. Within the Mayor’s proposed Budget, there is funding allocated in Fiscal Year 2023 to lease space and provide facility improvements dedicated to early childhood education classrooms. The goal with this space is to help alleviate related overcrowding within the Lafayette building. The Department of General Services (DGS) has released a Request for Space (RFS), and we look forward to providing this support for the Lafayette school community starting in School Year 2023-2024. We appreciate your continued engagement in this process. We look forward to partnering with you in the coming year to support a smooth transition between the two buildings. Sincerely, Andrea Swiatocha Deputy Chief, Facilities 1200 First Street, NE | Washington, DC 20002 | T 202.442.5885 | F 202.442.5026 | dcps.dc.gov Searching DGS website, there is an active Request for Space for PK space, dated March 14, stating "A preference will be given to locations in Ward 3 and 4 or in close proximity to Ward 3 and 4" :https://dgs.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dgs/event_content/attachments/DCPS%20Pre-K%20RFS%203-14-22-DCPS%20REV.pdf Maybe the mayor forgot about this when she "threw shade". |
Anonymous
| I wonder if there’s any space at ECC for lease? |
Anonymous
Another poster who doesn't know her Wards. Military ELC fits this description to a T and Lafayette parents rejected it because, as Bowser correctly noted, it is across the park. |
Anonymous
I know my wards (live in ward 4). DC already leases Military Road (which I know is in Ward 4). A new request for space would imply a new space. |
Anonymous
| Didn't DCPS buy the Military Road building outright? |
Anonymous
A new space which could still be across the park, and which they would again reject. And then whine again about nobody caring about their overcrowding. This is the exact same script - they complained about overcrowding, there was money in the budget to alleviate their overcrowding, DCPS secured them a dedicated pre-K location, they were offended, it was used for something else, now they complain about overcrowding. Nothing about this "announcement" is a change in policy or undermines Bowser's point, which you imply that it does based on your post about her being forgetful or throwing shade. ELC fit this same description, but it was across the park - I'll leave that there. |
Anonymous
The opening post of this thread stated that "Bowser responded by saying they had a chance to fix the overcrowding when the city offered them the Military Road building but they didn't want it." But Bowser's administration is still looking for space, which to me is a different message than that post - and her response, and the majority of the responses in this thread - implies. Of course if additional space is found it could still be some distance away (East or West) and then the community will again have a decision to make. |
Anonymous
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The whole thing is another example of the Mayor being unable to make the hard call. She should have told Lafayette what they were getting and left it there. She should also re-draw boundaries and fill empty seats before building more. This is the minimum amount of management that needs doing and she can’t even handle that.
OTOH, it will be interesting to see what DGS/DCPS come up with for Lafayette next time. |