Bowser cuts school renovation funds - Murch, others delayed or cancelled while Ellington tops $178 M

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Here is what Grosso's recommendations say about Garrison:

The Committee directs a reduction of $5.2 million in FY16 and a reduction of $15.6 million in FY17. Recognizing that funds are limited and that there are still 24 schools that still have not seen modernization, the Committee is recommending that DCPS revert back to phased modernizations for elementary schools unless the school is an “open-concept” floor plan, the school is co-located with another agency whose facility is also being modernized, or the complexity of the project makes phasing almost impossible or cost prohibitive. The remaining $20 million in FY16 provides Garrison with funds for a full Phase I enhanced modernization.

Thank you. This is a major reason that I am pro-charter, by the way. DCPS is completely untrustworthy.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:So these are Grosso's recommendations but the mayor makes the final call, right? How much weight does the Education Committee have on these decisions?

Grosso's committee is marking up the bill at noon today. So, his recommendations might be amended. Then, the bill moves to the whole Council where additional amendments are possible. Once the Council approves a bill, Bowser can sign it or not. So, the Committee carries a lot of weight in this matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:Here is what Grosso's recommendations say about Garrison:

The Committee directs a reduction of $5.2 million in FY16 and a reduction of $15.6 million in FY17. Recognizing that funds are limited and that there are still 24 schools that still have not seen modernization, the Committee is recommending that DCPS revert back to phased modernizations for elementary schools unless the school is an “open-concept” floor plan, the school is co-located with another agency whose facility is also being modernized, or the complexity of the project makes phasing almost impossible or cost prohibitive. The remaining $20 million in FY16 provides Garrison with funds for a full Phase I enhanced modernization.

Thank you. This is a major reason that I am pro-charter, by the way. DCPS is completely untrustworthy.

I'm moving in the that direct too. My only concern is that charter still depend on these circus clowns for funding and they inspire absolutely zero trust

[Anonymous]

Um...how much fraud and quasi-embezzlement have we seen with DC charters?? A ton. And what role does DCPS have in the capital budget? None. It's all the mayor and the city council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um...how much fraud and quasi-embezzlement have we seen with DC charters?? A ton. And what role does DCPS have in the capital budget? None. It's all the mayor and the city council.

Particular charters, not all charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um...how much fraud and quasi-embezzlement have we seen with DC charters?? A ton. And what role does DCPS have in the capital budget? None. It's all the mayor and the city council.

Mostly in the niche charters . . . but anyway, my beef is mayor and city council. sadly DCPS fortunes are intrinsically tied to both due to mayoral control of schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um...how much fraud and quasi-embezzlement have we seen with DC charters?? A ton. And what role does DCPS have in the capital budget? None. It's all the mayor and the city council.

Mostly in the niche charters . . . but anyway, my beef is mayor and city council. sadly DCPS fortunes are intrinsically tied to both due to mayoral control of schools.

Sure particular charters get screwed, just like particular DCPS schools get screwed. Don't see the difference in this regard. The earlier DCI decision affects quite a few charters, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um...how much fraud and quasi-embezzlement have we seen with DC charters?? A ton. And what role does DCPS have in the capital budget? None. It's all the mayor and the city council.

Mostly in the niche charters . . . but anyway, my beef is mayor and city council. sadly DCPS fortunes are intrinsically tied to both due to mayoral control of schools.

Sure particular charters get screwed, just like particular DCPS schools get screwed. Don't see the difference in this regard. The earlier DCI decision affects quite a few charters, for example.

DCI isn't the kind of niche charter with rampant abuse. Think Options and the like with shady management. The charter board is far more independent, and school operate individually with outside sources of funding in addition to per student allotment from public coffers. DCPS is entirely dependent on inept representative government. Charters have other sources of financial support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um...how much fraud and quasi-embezzlement have we seen with DC charters?? A ton. And what role does DCPS have in the capital budget? None. It's all the mayor and the city council.

Mostly in the niche charters . . . but anyway, my beef is mayor and city council. sadly DCPS fortunes are intrinsically tied to both due to mayoral control of schools.

Sure particular charters get screwed, just like particular DCPS schools get screwed. Don't see the difference in this regard. The earlier DCI decision affects quite a few charters, for example.

DCI isn't the kind of niche charter with rampant abuse. Think Options and the like with shady management. The charter board is far more independent, and school operate individually with outside sources of funding in addition to per student allotment from public coffers. DCPS is entirely dependent on inept representative government. Charters have other sources of financial support.

Sorry my point wasn't to say that DCI was a case of abuse, but rather that charters can be subject to decisions of the city just like DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um...how much fraud and quasi-embezzlement have we seen with DC charters?? A ton. And what role does DCPS have in the capital budget? None. It's all the mayor and the city council.

Mostly in the niche charters . . . but anyway, my beef is mayor and city council. sadly DCPS fortunes are intrinsically tied to both due to mayoral control of schools.

Sure particular charters get screwed, just like particular DCPS schools get screwed. Don't see the difference in this regard. The earlier DCI decision affects quite a few charters, for example.

DCI isn't the kind of niche charter with rampant abuse. Think Options and the like with shady management. The charter board is far more independent, and school operate individually with outside sources of funding in addition to per student allotment from public coffers. DCPS is entirely dependent on inept representative government. Charters have other sources of financial support.

Sorry my point wasn't to say that DCI was a case of abuse, but rather that charters can be subject to decisions of the city just like DCPS.

Well of course charters are subject to decisions of the city -- they are public institutions. Their total funding is set by the city although they have more flexibility to determine how to allocate those funds.

As an aside there appears to be some news that's at least tangentially related to the DCI funding decision. http://www.examiner.com/article/mayor-bowser-increase-charter-schools-per-pupil-facilty-fund

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um...how much fraud and quasi-embezzlement have we seen with DC charters?? A ton. And what role does DCPS have in the capital budget? None. It's all the mayor and the city council.

Mostly in the niche charters . . . but anyway, my beef is mayor and city council. sadly DCPS fortunes are intrinsically tied to both due to mayoral control of schools.

Sure particular charters get screwed, just like particular DCPS schools get screwed. Don't see the difference in this regard. The earlier DCI decision affects quite a few charters, for example.

Yes, DCI got screwed by the budget. But, unlike DCPS, I trust the leadership of DCI to figure out a workaround.

[Anonymous]

One glaring problem with DCPS decision-makers is the extremity of some of their decisions: an extra $30 million to Ellington to bring it up to $178 million? Sure. Completely eliminate minimum per-pupil funding for Wilson? Oh, sure. It's not nuanced or careful decision-making at all. Most politicians would be careful not to enrage ANY constituency; or, if you are like Chris Christie, you will go out of your way to punish someone who annoys; but I don't have the impression much of anything is going into their thought process other than perhaps personal interests. It's like, meh, voters schmoters; my niece is going to Ellington, so let's help her out.

[Anonymous]

Charters like DCI have plans and even contingency plans. DCPS has no plans at all, they operate through a series of inconsistent one-off decisions that generally counteract the prior decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One glaring problem with DCPS decision-makers is the extremity of some of their decisions: an extra $30 million to Ellington to bring it up to $178 million? Sure. Completely eliminate minimum per-pupil funding for Wilson? Oh, sure. It's not nuanced or careful decision-making at all. Most politicians would be careful not to enrage ANY constituency; or, if you are like Chris Christie, you will go out of your way to punish someone who annoys; but I don't have the impression much of anything is going into their thought process other than perhaps personal interests. It's like, meh, voters schmoters; my niece is going to Ellington, so let's help her out.

Someone needs to convince that niece to go to Wilson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One glaring problem with DCPS decision-makers is the extremity of some of their decisions: an extra $30 million to Ellington to bring it up to $178 million? Sure. Completely eliminate minimum per-pupil funding for Wilson? Oh, sure. It's not nuanced or careful decision-making at all. Most politicians would be careful not to enrage ANY constituency; or, if you are like Chris Christie, you will go out of your way to punish someone who annoys; but I don't have the impression much of anything is going into their thought process other than perhaps personal interests. It's like, meh, voters schmoters; my niece is going to Ellington, so let's help her out.

Then urge the city council to pass a law mandating a city-wide per pupil minimum expenditure rate--which doesn't currently exist by statute.