DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:so doing the right thing doesn't factor in. got it.

What is the right thing? The field doesn't belong to the school, it's a public field. The school didn't offer to lease it the way Maret has. And the school has access to a field, just not that one.

Do you think it’s right for middle school students to have long daily commutes just to participate on their school sports team?

Do you think it’s right for exclusive use of public facilities be auctioned off to the highest (or most connected) bidder? Is the purpose of having public facilities just to generate rental income? Funny, but that sounds like a business more appropriate for the private sector.

That's precisely what you are suggesting - that exclusive use of the DPR facilities be auctioned off to the most connected (DCPS).

Wow. Sounds like some Maret parents got wind of this thread and are making crazy arguments to support their position. I suddenly have a lot less respect for this school's admin and parents.

I'm not a Maret parent. I'm just a person who doesn't understand why a school thinks it should have rights to a rec center, purely because of proximity.

And I fail to see why a school thinks it should have rights just because they have money.

It's an established DPR program - renting out space for the use of private entities. It isn't like there is some sort of special treatment here.

Absolutely false.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:One of the Maret boosters keeps saying that this is something “available to anyone.” Really? Any DCPS or any entity can sign a 10 year exclusive lease? Can you send me a link to that program?

Anyone can rent out a DPR facility. I expect if you offer to pay for a turf field on one, you too can get a long-term deal.

Neither of those statements are true.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:By DPR's own policy concerning priority of use, DCPS and DCPCS should get priority over non-public users.

https://dpr.dc.gov/page/priority-use

"Throughout the year, permits are issued on a first come, first served basis. At times when DPR accepts applications during a "Permit Window," all applications during that time are considered concurrent and therefore are prioritized in the following order:

- DPR sponsored activities
- Partners with written agreement
- Athletic programs organized by DC Public Schools, District Public Charter School, or the DC State Athletic Association for competitive league pay (games only)
- Youth non-profit organizations, including schools, principally serving District residents
- Adult non-profit organizations principally serving District residents
- Other organizations, groups, or individuals for private use that are based in the District;
- and then others

Organizations that "principally serve District residents" are defined as organizations with over 75% of participants residing in the District. Roster or other proof of residency may be required."

I'm sure some defender of the lease will point out that this is pertaining to permits, rather than leases. But the conceptual intent of priority for public youth-related agencies is clear.

Based only on what I have read in this thread, this arrangement sounds like a partner with a written agreement, which is prioritized above DCPS. Though I agree, that does seem to violate the spirit of the prioritization.

Partners are organizations who provide programming at rec centers for DC residents -- at no cost. Maret does not qualify to be a partner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thread, but Maret also built the pool at Jelleff, which Maret doesn't use at all. That pool benefits the entire community.

That was ten years ago. They got their ten years of use of the field in exchange. Now they're trying to get another ten years for the same investment.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:$25k/year is peanuts and it’s less than half of what a single Maret student pays each year and tuition and fees. In Maryland when the soccer leagues want to use public middle and high school fields on weekends for games, they pay millions in upgrade and use fees. Bad deal by DC. For 25k/year I could rent Jellef and make good use of that huge plot of land.

Maret is paying that too. Hardy certainly wouldn't have.

Where is the evidence that Maret is not paying millions? DPR has a huge maintenance budget and can certainly afford to pay this as well. This is just a Jack Evans deal gone bad because his kids went to Maret.

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner.

[Anonymous]

You have to understand that DPR's field permitting is a mess. They have poorly-defined rules which they follow when they feel like and ignore when they don't. But even for DPR this deal is way, way out of bounds.

DPR is supposed to give priority to DCPS and charters for the use of its facilities. It's DC law, passed by the Council. They don't like having to do that, and don't always follow the law.

But this deal is way out of the ordinary. Lots of other private schools would kill for a deal like this. Maret is only getting it because they have political juice.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:So only Maret students who are also DC residents should get to use the fields?

Anyone can use the fields, when organizations haven't made arrangements for their use. This is common. My daughter's Stoddert soccer team has games at Jelleff; you can't use the field when they're playing, either. The issue here is that many PPs believe that DCPS should have first call on the DPR fields, and should be able to force DPR to forgo lucrative arrangements that help everyone in DC (without offering similar compensation), because DCPS has failed in its responsibility to provide adequate facilities for its students.

Also, Maret is paying for the upkeep and improvement of the field. What many of you are saying is that DPR (not DCPS) has to pay for that upkeep and improvement? DCPS pays for DCPS fields; the arrangement many of you are suggesting would shift that responsibility to DPR.

Your argument is that DPR is responsible to all DC residents, not just DCPS students. So the non-DC residents at Maret should not have the same access as the DC residents at Maret.

That's silly. Maret is a DC entity. It has rented the fields. That's enough.

Stoddert has teams from Maryland - by this logic, and I'm being generous using that term, those teams shouldn't be permitted to practice or play on DPR (or DCPS) facilities.

No, Maret is a private school that has been allowed to purchase public facilities and block the public out of them, apparently completely. That's unacceptable in a city with scarce public space. Green space should go #1 to the public schools and open recreation leagues.

Purchase? No. Block the public out completely? Again, no. They rented the fields for 10 hours a week, or so.

It's your position that all public schools (and I assume this includes charters?) have first crack at all DPR space? And after that, "open" rec leagues?

OK, I guess. those rec leagues have to pay to rent the space. Should DCPS?

Sure. The DC government can pay the DC government for use of the DC government’s field. Works for me.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't work for DCPS, though.

It isn't all just one pot of money. I don't know, of course, but I'd bet that DCPS would strongly object to the notion that they have to pay market-rate rent to DPR for Jelleff.

DPR should prioritize the use of its facilities by DC taxpayers. Many Maret families do not pay DC taxes. Those students should not have the use of DPR resources before DC taxpayers.

How very Trump of you. Why should someones taxpayers status disqualify them from public resources?

Huh? Of course that matters. If I take my family to a public pool in Md, we pay a fee. Local public assets are for local residents primarily.

All people/entities renting space from DPR, including Maret, pay a fee. And Maret is a business in DC, unlike you using a public pool in MD.

Maret is not a business; it’s a non- profit and does not pay taxes. Keep trying!

Paying taxes has nothing to do with it. The point is that it is in DC, and is the party signing the contract with DPR. That some kids don't live in DC doesn't matter in the slightest.

Of course it does. DPR charges all out of state residents fees to use the pools for example. YOu're doing some extraordinary mental gymnastics to justify this.

Maret is paying $25k a year. That's not enough, in your view, to cover some out-of-state students? Really?

It's a $15+ million facility. $25k is a pittance.

+1 They're getting a $15 million facility for the price of a studio apartment in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have to understand that DPR's field permitting is a mess. They have poorly-defined rules which they follow when they feel like and ignore when they don't. But even for DPR this deal is way, way out of bounds.

DPR is supposed to give priority to DCPS and charters for the use of its facilities. It's DC law, passed by the Council. They don't like having to do that, and don't always follow the law.

But this deal is way out of the ordinary. Lots of other private schools would kill for a deal like this. Maret is only getting it because they have political juice.

Or because they educated Jack Evan's kids. Has he commented?

[Anonymous]

It's such a frustrating arrangement. My friend's kid attends Jelleff for aftercare and can't use the fields due to the Maret arrangement. Why should such a well endowed private school with many MD students get priority over DC public school students who attend neighboring schools? Please sign the petition which hopefully will get the notice of Bowser.

[Anonymous]

Kinda seems to me that a major issue is why Maret was the only player here. Was there some public notice inviting other offers despite the press about neighbors wanting to renegotiate the Maret exclusivity deal? Apparently not. The fact that there was no possibility for others to join in the negotiations sure stinks. The Mayor should open this up to get proposals from all .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's such a frustrating arrangement. My friend's kid attends Jelleff for aftercare and can't use the fields due to the Maret arrangement. Why should such a well endowed private school with many MD students get priority over DC public school students who attend neighboring schools? Please sign the petition which hopefully will get the notice of Bowser.

If Hardy got the fields instead of Maret, your friend's DC still couldn't use them.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It's such a frustrating arrangement. My friend's kid attends Jelleff for aftercare and can't use the fields due to the Maret arrangement. Why should such a well endowed private school with many MD students get priority over DC public school students who attend neighboring schools? Please sign the petition which hopefully will get the notice of Bowser.

If Hardy got the fields instead of Maret, your friend's DC still couldn't use them.

Hardy is not asking for exclusive use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kinda seems to me that a major issue is why Maret was the only player here. Was there some public notice inviting other offers despite the press about neighbors wanting to renegotiate the Maret exclusivity deal? Apparently not. The fact that there was no possibility for others to join in the negotiations sure stinks. The Mayor should open this up to get proposals from all .

Maret is the sole player because they got in ten years ago and are seeking to renew. Ten years ago there was no open bidding process, it was all negotiated in secrecy.

A lot of private schools need fields and would kill for this deal.

The overarching issue is that the city isn't negotiating with the best interests of the citizens in mind, but of Maret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:It's such a frustrating arrangement. My friend's kid attends Jelleff for aftercare and can't use the fields due to the Maret arrangement. Why should such a well endowed private school with many MD students get priority over DC public school students who attend neighboring schools? Please sign the petition which hopefully will get the notice of Bowser.

If Hardy got the fields instead of Maret, your friend's DC still couldn't use them.

Hardy is not asking for exclusive use.

+1. Hardy never asked for exclusive use the way Maret did. It just asked to be able to use a public field. Stoddert and the nearby local boys and girls club would like to use it too.

[Anonymous]

All:

I should note that the Duke Ellington track & field, located at Reservoir Road & 38th Street, was just taken away from DCPS and given to DPR over the summer without any public notice.

Something is definitely rotten in DPR and DCPS. I guarantee that the Mayor knows all of this.