New DCPS school on former Georgetown Day site will be a high school

[Anonymous]

Ferebee letter says the high school will open for 2023-2024, with an addition to be built that will be ready for 2024-2025.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, how is it possible they could have this school opened for the 23/24 school year? They haven’t even bid it out yet let alone broken ground and the facility is much larger than the elementary school renovations that have all taken almost 2 years up to the day to renovate.

While they may not have to "break ground" as it were, I am a little confused as to the SY23/24 timeline quoted in the communication sent out by DC Central office. This is only a line item in the budget which needs to be approved by Council. And the new fiscal year is not until July (I'm not sure but I think that is the earliest). So bids for planning will go out in the summer and finalized late Fall. Given that the site was originally for K-8 for 600 kids (and without a cafeteria etc.) I would imagine that it will take longer than 9 months to finish up all the work, given that they need to put in labs etc. Eaton renovation took over 2 years but granted it did involve a lot of foundation work for the new section.

Then there is the question of sequencing -- if the current crop of 7th Graders at Hardy are the first to attend this school, that only makes about 120 kids for the 9th grade class. Are they planning to fill the rest by lottery + at risk preference? Are there even that many kids in the system who would want to attend? What about class offerings? If the majority are at risk in grades 10-12, will they have sufficient mass to offer AP/honors classes right off the bat? While this may sound politically incorrect, am I accurate in assuming that many of these possible 10-12th graders are coming from other schools in the system that do not currently have extensive AP offerings (or honors?)

If not, then what is the draw of this school?

I'm wondering if they plan to add one additional class each year?

So 23-24 has only the freshman class. 24-25 has freshman and sophomore classes. Etc.

In this scenario, they do not need the entire campus finished by 22-23. They can work on renovations and expansion each year, adding more capacity for the next year's additional class. Finally, by year 26-27 the school has all four grades filled.

This is how most new schools operate. It wouldn't make sense to fill all grades the same year.

So this high school would be totally inferior to Wilson with regard to athletics opportunities? How can they offer funded, competitive programs when you only have freshmen trying out? And then only freshman and sophomores the next year. And how does ramping up the student body like that allow for all the course offerings, including honors and AP? This plan seems like it might roll out as a bait and switch, at least for advanced and athletic kids. For the first 2 or 3 years, Hardy kids should be given the option to choose to go to Wilson or the new HS (like they did with Eaton with Hardy and Deal). I attended many of the meetings about the Gtown day and Old Hardy properties and every presentation emphasized that there WOULD be grandfathering. The
Y better stick to that promise.

Under DCPS rules, if you attend a school that doesn't offer a sport you're interested in you're eligible to play for a school that does.

Here's a list of all DCPS high schools and their enrollment:

River Terrace Education Campus 132
Luke C. Moore High School 208
Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC) 265
Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School 276
Anacostia High School 326
H.D. Woodson High School 434
Ballou STAY High School 523
Benjamin Banneker High School 549
Coolidge High School 561
Duke Ellington School of the Arts 591
School Without Walls High School 600
Cardozo Education Campus 621
Roosevelt STAY High School 634
Ballou High School 664
Dunbar High School 666
McKinley Technology High School 696
Eastern High School 735
Roosevelt High School 752
Columbia Heights Education Campus 1477
Woodrow Wilson High School 1951

At full capacity this school will be the third largest in the city. At half capacity it will be firmly in the middle. Most DC high schools can't offer a full menu of sports.

In theory you are allowed but as you can imagine the reality is much more complicated. The biggest barriers are communication, getting information on tryouts, etc., transportation, and socially not knowing anyone for the kids. It is intimidating for the kids trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it will be immensely popular. The building will be gorgeous, it will not be overcrowded and kids peers from Hardy will be there. It is also perhaps more convenient than Wilson for some definitely for those in the key boundary.

Have you seen plans for this “gorgeous” building? Roughly 500 out of the 1500 kids attending will be at-risk out of boundary by design, according to the plan. It’s sole purpose isn’t to serve the surrounding community. They’re setting a precedent for an entirely new system here.

How will someone living east of the park (aka not zoned for hardy or deal) who is at risk get to the school via public transit in less than an hour. They know they will never get that many at risk kids from oob enrolling. If they really wanted to do this they should at least do it at Wilson which is right on the metro.

I could be wrong but I believe at risk are entitled to a school bus.

Wrong. All DCPS students who must travel to school are entitled to Metro/bus passes.

AND some out of bounds kids arrive in school buses…

All school kids can get a Kids Ride Free card for WMATA transportation. Acc to the most recent policy I could find on dcps.dc.gov, only students with disabilities are eligible for school bus transportation. Plus some kids who are swing spaces. Some kids of military families ride buses but I don’t know if that service is provided by the city or the fed govt. Can one of the PPs point to where DC provides school bus service to at risk or OOB students? My understanding is that they don’t and this is part of the problem getting students to schools an hour away by public transportation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, how is it possible they could have this school opened for the 23/24 school year? They haven’t even bid it out yet let alone broken ground and the facility is much larger than the elementary school renovations that have all taken almost 2 years up to the day to renovate.

While they may not have to "break ground" as it were, I am a little confused as to the SY23/24 timeline quoted in the communication sent out by DC Central office. This is only a line item in the budget which needs to be approved by Council. And the new fiscal year is not until July (I'm not sure but I think that is the earliest). So bids for planning will go out in the summer and finalized late Fall. Given that the site was originally for K-8 for 600 kids (and without a cafeteria etc.) I would imagine that it will take longer than 9 months to finish up all the work, given that they need to put in labs etc. Eaton renovation took over 2 years but granted it did involve a lot of foundation work for the new section.

Then there is the question of sequencing -- if the current crop of 7th Graders at Hardy are the first to attend this school, that only makes about 120 kids for the 9th grade class. Are they planning to fill the rest by lottery + at risk preference? Are there even that many kids in the system who would want to attend? What about class offerings? If the majority are at risk in grades 10-12, will they have sufficient mass to offer AP/honors classes right off the bat? While this may sound politically incorrect, am I accurate in assuming that many of these possible 10-12th graders are coming from other schools in the system that do not currently have extensive AP offerings (or honors?)

If not, then what is the draw of this school?

I'm wondering if they plan to add one additional class each year?

So 23-24 has only the freshman class. 24-25 has freshman and sophomore classes. Etc.

In this scenario, they do not need the entire campus finished by 22-23. They can work on renovations and expansion each year, adding more capacity for the next year's additional class. Finally, by year 26-27 the school has all four grades filled.

This is how most new schools operate. It wouldn't make sense to fill all grades the same year.

So this high school would be totally inferior to Wilson with regard to athletics opportunities? How can they offer funded, competitive programs when you only have freshmen trying out? And then only freshman and sophomores the next year. And how does ramping up the student body like that allow for all the course offerings, including honors and AP? This plan seems like it might roll out as a bait and switch, at least for advanced and athletic kids. For the first 2 or 3 years, Hardy kids should be given the option to choose to go to Wilson or the new HS (like they did with Eaton with Hardy and Deal). I attended many of the meetings about the Gtown day and Old Hardy properties and every presentation emphasized that there WOULD be grandfathering. The
Y better stick to that promise.

Under DCPS rules, if you attend a school that doesn't offer a sport you're interested in you're eligible to play for a school that does.

Here's a list of all DCPS high schools and their enrollment:

River Terrace Education Campus 132
Luke C. Moore High School 208
Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC) 265
Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School 276
Anacostia High School 326
H.D. Woodson High School 434
Ballou STAY High School 523
Benjamin Banneker High School 549
Coolidge High School 561
Duke Ellington School of the Arts 591
School Without Walls High School 600
Cardozo Education Campus 621
Roosevelt STAY High School 634
Ballou High School 664
Dunbar High School 666
McKinley Technology High School 696
Eastern High School 735
Roosevelt High School 752
Columbia Heights Education Campus 1477
Woodrow Wilson High School 1951

At full capacity this school will be the third largest in the city. At half capacity it will be firmly in the middle. Most DC high schools can't offer a full menu of sports.

In theory you are allowed but as you can imagine the reality is much more complicated. The biggest barriers are communication, getting information on tryouts, etc., transportation, and socially not knowing anyone for the kids. It is intimidating for the kids trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school.

The families excited to stand up this school are not going to be the least bit concerned with the intimidation factor of trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school. First of all, every school is unfamiliar to freshmen/new arrivals. Second, many of these kids will know each other already, from local club sports, DPR, and Hardy. Third, these kids will be the founding members of these teams and will be able to define team culture for all who follow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, how is it possible they could have this school opened for the 23/24 school year? They haven’t even bid it out yet let alone broken ground and the facility is much larger than the elementary school renovations that have all taken almost 2 years up to the day to renovate.

While they may not have to "break ground" as it were, I am a little confused as to the SY23/24 timeline quoted in the communication sent out by DC Central office. This is only a line item in the budget which needs to be approved by Council. And the new fiscal year is not until July (I'm not sure but I think that is the earliest). So bids for planning will go out in the summer and finalized late Fall. Given that the site was originally for K-8 for 600 kids (and without a cafeteria etc.) I would imagine that it will take longer than 9 months to finish up all the work, given that they need to put in labs etc. Eaton renovation took over 2 years but granted it did involve a lot of foundation work for the new section.

Then there is the question of sequencing -- if the current crop of 7th Graders at Hardy are the first to attend this school, that only makes about 120 kids for the 9th grade class. Are they planning to fill the rest by lottery + at risk preference? Are there even that many kids in the system who would want to attend? What about class offerings? If the majority are at risk in grades 10-12, will they have sufficient mass to offer AP/honors classes right off the bat? While this may sound politically incorrect, am I accurate in assuming that many of these possible 10-12th graders are coming from other schools in the system that do not currently have extensive AP offerings (or honors?)

If not, then what is the draw of this school?

I'm wondering if they plan to add one additional class each year?

So 23-24 has only the freshman class. 24-25 has freshman and sophomore classes. Etc.

In this scenario, they do not need the entire campus finished by 22-23. They can work on renovations and expansion each year, adding more capacity for the next year's additional class. Finally, by year 26-27 the school has all four grades filled.

This is how most new schools operate. It wouldn't make sense to fill all grades the same year.

So this high school would be totally inferior to Wilson with regard to athletics opportunities? How can they offer funded, competitive programs when you only have freshmen trying out? And then only freshman and sophomores the next year. And how does ramping up the student body like that allow for all the course offerings, including honors and AP? This plan seems like it might roll out as a bait and switch, at least for advanced and athletic kids. For the first 2 or 3 years, Hardy kids should be given the option to choose to go to Wilson or the new HS (like they did with Eaton with Hardy and Deal). I attended many of the meetings about the Gtown day and Old Hardy properties and every presentation emphasized that there WOULD be grandfathering. The
Y better stick to that promise.

Under DCPS rules, if you attend a school that doesn't offer a sport you're interested in you're eligible to play for a school that does.

Here's a list of all DCPS high schools and their enrollment:

River Terrace Education Campus 132
Luke C. Moore High School 208
Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC) 265
Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School 276
Anacostia High School 326
H.D. Woodson High School 434
Ballou STAY High School 523
Benjamin Banneker High School 549
Coolidge High School 561
Duke Ellington School of the Arts 591
School Without Walls High School 600
Cardozo Education Campus 621
Roosevelt STAY High School 634
Ballou High School 664
Dunbar High School 666
McKinley Technology High School 696
Eastern High School 735
Roosevelt High School 752
Columbia Heights Education Campus 1477
Woodrow Wilson High School 1951

At full capacity this school will be the third largest in the city. At half capacity it will be firmly in the middle. Most DC high schools can't offer a full menu of sports.

In theory you are allowed but as you can imagine the reality is much more complicated. The biggest barriers are communication, getting information on tryouts, etc., transportation, and socially not knowing anyone for the kids. It is intimidating for the kids trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school.

The families excited to stand up this school are not going to be the least bit concerned with the intimidation factor of trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school. First of all, every school is unfamiliar to freshmen/new arrivals. Second, many of these kids will know each other already, from local club sports, DPR, and Hardy. Third, these kids will be the founding members of these teams and will be able to define team culture for all who follow.

You misunderstand. PP was talking about high school freshman from the new school traveling to Wilson for tryouts if the school didn't offer a competitive team in their sport. I think that might be a bit intimidating. Sure, many kids know the coaches from club sports (my Wilson kid did), but many don't, and when 100 kids show up to try out for 30 sports (JV and freshman teams) and also for varsity (15 spots), it's pretty intense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, how is it possible they could have this school opened for the 23/24 school year? They haven’t even bid it out yet let alone broken ground and the facility is much larger than the elementary school renovations that have all taken almost 2 years up to the day to renovate.

While they may not have to "break ground" as it were, I am a little confused as to the SY23/24 timeline quoted in the communication sent out by DC Central office. This is only a line item in the budget which needs to be approved by Council. And the new fiscal year is not until July (I'm not sure but I think that is the earliest). So bids for planning will go out in the summer and finalized late Fall. Given that the site was originally for K-8 for 600 kids (and without a cafeteria etc.) I would imagine that it will take longer than 9 months to finish up all the work, given that they need to put in labs etc. Eaton renovation took over 2 years but granted it did involve a lot of foundation work for the new section.

Then there is the question of sequencing -- if the current crop of 7th Graders at Hardy are the first to attend this school, that only makes about 120 kids for the 9th grade class. Are they planning to fill the rest by lottery + at risk preference? Are there even that many kids in the system who would want to attend? What about class offerings? If the majority are at risk in grades 10-12, will they have sufficient mass to offer AP/honors classes right off the bat? While this may sound politically incorrect, am I accurate in assuming that many of these possible 10-12th graders are coming from other schools in the system that do not currently have extensive AP offerings (or honors?)

If not, then what is the draw of this school?

I'm wondering if they plan to add one additional class each year?

So 23-24 has only the freshman class. 24-25 has freshman and sophomore classes. Etc.

In this scenario, they do not need the entire campus finished by 22-23. They can work on renovations and expansion each year, adding more capacity for the next year's additional class. Finally, by year 26-27 the school has all four grades filled.

This is how most new schools operate. It wouldn't make sense to fill all grades the same year.

So this high school would be totally inferior to Wilson with regard to athletics opportunities? How can they offer funded, competitive programs when you only have freshmen trying out? And then only freshman and sophomores the next year. And how does ramping up the student body like that allow for all the course offerings, including honors and AP? This plan seems like it might roll out as a bait and switch, at least for advanced and athletic kids. For the first 2 or 3 years, Hardy kids should be given the option to choose to go to Wilson or the new HS (like they did with Eaton with Hardy and Deal). I attended many of the meetings about the Gtown day and Old Hardy properties and every presentation emphasized that there WOULD be grandfathering. The
Y better stick to that promise.

Under DCPS rules, if you attend a school that doesn't offer a sport you're interested in you're eligible to play for a school that does.

Here's a list of all DCPS high schools and their enrollment:

River Terrace Education Campus 132
Luke C. Moore High School 208
Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC) 265
Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School 276
Anacostia High School 326
H.D. Woodson High School 434
Ballou STAY High School 523
Benjamin Banneker High School 549
Coolidge High School 561
Duke Ellington School of the Arts 591
School Without Walls High School 600
Cardozo Education Campus 621
Roosevelt STAY High School 634
Ballou High School 664
Dunbar High School 666
McKinley Technology High School 696
Eastern High School 735
Roosevelt High School 752
Columbia Heights Education Campus 1477
Woodrow Wilson High School 1951

At full capacity this school will be the third largest in the city. At half capacity it will be firmly in the middle. Most DC high schools can't offer a full menu of sports.

In theory you are allowed but as you can imagine the reality is much more complicated. The biggest barriers are communication, getting information on tryouts, etc., transportation, and socially not knowing anyone for the kids. It is intimidating for the kids trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school.

The families excited to stand up this school are not going to be the least bit concerned with the intimidation factor of trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school. First of all, every school is unfamiliar to freshmen/new arrivals. Second, many of these kids will know each other already, from local club sports, DPR, and Hardy. Third, these kids will be the founding members of these teams and will be able to define team culture for all who follow.

You misunderstand. PP was talking about high school freshman from the new school traveling to Wilson for tryouts if the school didn't offer a competitive team in their sport. I think that might be a bit intimidating. Sure, many kids know the coaches from club sports (my Wilson kid did), but many don't, and when 100 kids show up to try out for 30 sports (JV and freshman teams) and also for varsity (15 spots), it's pretty intense.

Well wouldn’t these same kids be trying out for these JV spots at Wilson now? Since all the Hardy kids go there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ferebee letter says the high school will open for 2023-2024, with an addition to be built that will be ready for 2024-2025.

So students will actually attend a school that will be under construction for the first year it’s open? Or should we expect another bait and switch where dcps says “Hardy kids will now go to the new high school beginning SY 23-24, but those kids will be shipped to a temporary space for that first year? I’m

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, how is it possible they could have this school opened for the 23/24 school year? They haven’t even bid it out yet let alone broken ground and the facility is much larger than the elementary school renovations that have all taken almost 2 years up to the day to renovate.

While they may not have to "break ground" as it were, I am a little confused as to the SY23/24 timeline quoted in the communication sent out by DC Central office. This is only a line item in the budget which needs to be approved by Council. And the new fiscal year is not until July (I'm not sure but I think that is the earliest). So bids for planning will go out in the summer and finalized late Fall. Given that the site was originally for K-8 for 600 kids (and without a cafeteria etc.) I would imagine that it will take longer than 9 months to finish up all the work, given that they need to put in labs etc. Eaton renovation took over 2 years but granted it did involve a lot of foundation work for the new section.

Then there is the question of sequencing -- if the current crop of 7th Graders at Hardy are the first to attend this school, that only makes about 120 kids for the 9th grade class. Are they planning to fill the rest by lottery + at risk preference? Are there even that many kids in the system who would want to attend? What about class offerings? If the majority are at risk in grades 10-12, will they have sufficient mass to offer AP/honors classes right off the bat? While this may sound politically incorrect, am I accurate in assuming that many of these possible 10-12th graders are coming from other schools in the system that do not currently have extensive AP offerings (or honors?)

If not, then what is the draw of this school?

I'm wondering if they plan to add one additional class each year?

So 23-24 has only the freshman class. 24-25 has freshman and sophomore classes. Etc.

In this scenario, they do not need the entire campus finished by 22-23. They can work on renovations and expansion each year, adding more capacity for the next year's additional class. Finally, by year 26-27 the school has all four grades filled.

This is how most new schools operate. It wouldn't make sense to fill all grades the same year.

So this high school would be totally inferior to Wilson with regard to athletics opportunities? How can they offer funded, competitive programs when you only have freshmen trying out? And then only freshman and sophomores the next year. And how does ramping up the student body like that allow for all the course offerings, including honors and AP? This plan seems like it might roll out as a bait and switch, at least for advanced and athletic kids. For the first 2 or 3 years, Hardy kids should be given the option to choose to go to Wilson or the new HS (like they did with Eaton with Hardy and Deal). I attended many of the meetings about the Gtown day and Old Hardy properties and every presentation emphasized that there WOULD be grandfathering. The
Y better stick to that promise.

Under DCPS rules, if you attend a school that doesn't offer a sport you're interested in you're eligible to play for a school that does.

Here's a list of all DCPS high schools and their enrollment:

River Terrace Education Campus 132
Luke C. Moore High School 208
Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC) 265
Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School 276
Anacostia High School 326
H.D. Woodson High School 434
Ballou STAY High School 523
Benjamin Banneker High School 549
Coolidge High School 561
Duke Ellington School of the Arts 591
School Without Walls High School 600
Cardozo Education Campus 621
Roosevelt STAY High School 634
Ballou High School 664
Dunbar High School 666
McKinley Technology High School 696
Eastern High School 735
Roosevelt High School 752
Columbia Heights Education Campus 1477
Woodrow Wilson High School 1951

At full capacity this school will be the third largest in the city. At half capacity it will be firmly in the middle. Most DC high schools can't offer a full menu of sports.

In theory you are allowed but as you can imagine the reality is much more complicated. The biggest barriers are communication, getting information on tryouts, etc., transportation, and socially not knowing anyone for the kids. It is intimidating for the kids trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school.

The families excited to stand up this school are not going to be the least bit concerned with the intimidation factor of trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school. First of all, every school is unfamiliar to freshmen/new arrivals. Second, many of these kids will know each other already, from local club sports, DPR, and Hardy. Third, these kids will be the founding members of these teams and will be able to define team culture for all who follow.

You misunderstand. PP was talking about high school freshman from the new school traveling to Wilson for tryouts if the school didn't offer a competitive team in their sport. I think that might be a bit intimidating. Sure, many kids know the coaches from club sports (my Wilson kid did), but many don't, and when 100 kids show up to try out for 30 sports (JV and freshman teams) and also for varsity (15 spots), it's pretty intense.

Well wouldn’t these same kids be trying out for these JV spots at Wilson now? Since all the Hardy kids go there?

The point is that there are significant obstacles to try out for sports teams at a school you do not attend. Sure, some kids are confident enough to give it a shot but many kids won’t do it. Any DCPS student can try out for the Wilson crew team but I believe it is all Wilson kids on the team. I could be mistaken though as my kids don’t do crew.

[Anonymous]

I hope the school works out but I would give it 5 years to get established. The first few graduating classes are tricky. Colleges won’t know what to make of it as there will be no track record or baseline to assess students. Colleges know schools like Wilson, Walls, Banneker, McKinley Tech, DE, Coolidge, etc., for better or worse. They will have no idea what category to put McArthur in until a few years have passed. That worries me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, how is it possible they could have this school opened for the 23/24 school year? They haven’t even bid it out yet let alone broken ground and the facility is much larger than the elementary school renovations that have all taken almost 2 years up to the day to renovate.

While they may not have to "break ground" as it were, I am a little confused as to the SY23/24 timeline quoted in the communication sent out by DC Central office. This is only a line item in the budget which needs to be approved by Council. And the new fiscal year is not until July (I'm not sure but I think that is the earliest). So bids for planning will go out in the summer and finalized late Fall. Given that the site was originally for K-8 for 600 kids (and without a cafeteria etc.) I would imagine that it will take longer than 9 months to finish up all the work, given that they need to put in labs etc. Eaton renovation took over 2 years but granted it did involve a lot of foundation work for the new section.

Then there is the question of sequencing -- if the current crop of 7th Graders at Hardy are the first to attend this school, that only makes about 120 kids for the 9th grade class. Are they planning to fill the rest by lottery + at risk preference? Are there even that many kids in the system who would want to attend? What about class offerings? If the majority are at risk in grades 10-12, will they have sufficient mass to offer AP/honors classes right off the bat? While this may sound politically incorrect, am I accurate in assuming that many of these possible 10-12th graders are coming from other schools in the system that do not currently have extensive AP offerings (or honors?)

If not, then what is the draw of this school?

I'm wondering if they plan to add one additional class each year?

So 23-24 has only the freshman class. 24-25 has freshman and sophomore classes. Etc.

In this scenario, they do not need the entire campus finished by 22-23. They can work on renovations and expansion each year, adding more capacity for the next year's additional class. Finally, by year 26-27 the school has all four grades filled.

This is how most new schools operate. It wouldn't make sense to fill all grades the same year.

So this high school would be totally inferior to Wilson with regard to athletics opportunities? How can they offer funded, competitive programs when you only have freshmen trying out? And then only freshman and sophomores the next year. And how does ramping up the student body like that allow for all the course offerings, including honors and AP? This plan seems like it might roll out as a bait and switch, at least for advanced and athletic kids. For the first 2 or 3 years, Hardy kids should be given the option to choose to go to Wilson or the new HS (like they did with Eaton with Hardy and Deal). I attended many of the meetings about the Gtown day and Old Hardy properties and every presentation emphasized that there WOULD be grandfathering. The
Y better stick to that promise.

Under DCPS rules, if you attend a school that doesn't offer a sport you're interested in you're eligible to play for a school that does.

Here's a list of all DCPS high schools and their enrollment:

River Terrace Education Campus 132
Luke C. Moore High School 208
Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC) 265
Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School 276
Anacostia High School 326
H.D. Woodson High School 434
Ballou STAY High School 523
Benjamin Banneker High School 549
Coolidge High School 561
Duke Ellington School of the Arts 591
School Without Walls High School 600
Cardozo Education Campus 621
Roosevelt STAY High School 634
Ballou High School 664
Dunbar High School 666
McKinley Technology High School 696
Eastern High School 735
Roosevelt High School 752
Columbia Heights Education Campus 1477
Woodrow Wilson High School 1951

At full capacity this school will be the third largest in the city. At half capacity it will be firmly in the middle. Most DC high schools can't offer a full menu of sports.

In theory you are allowed but as you can imagine the reality is much more complicated. The biggest barriers are communication, getting information on tryouts, etc., transportation, and socially not knowing anyone for the kids. It is intimidating for the kids trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school.

The families excited to stand up this school are not going to be the least bit concerned with the intimidation factor of trying out for the team of an unfamiliar school. First of all, every school is unfamiliar to freshmen/new arrivals. Second, many of these kids will know each other already, from local club sports, DPR, and Hardy. Third, these kids will be the founding members of these teams and will be able to define team culture for all who follow.

You misunderstand. PP was talking about high school freshman from the new school traveling to Wilson for tryouts if the school didn't offer a competitive team in their sport. I think that might be a bit intimidating. Sure, many kids know the coaches from club sports (my Wilson kid did), but many don't, and when 100 kids show up to try out for 30 sports (JV and freshman teams) and also for varsity (15 spots), it's pretty intense.

Well wouldn’t these same kids be trying out for these JV spots at Wilson now? Since all the Hardy kids go there?

The point is that there are significant obstacles to try out for sports teams at a school you do not attend. Sure, some kids are confident enough to give it a shot but many kids won’t do it. Any DCPS student can try out for the Wilson crew team but I believe it is all Wilson kids on the team. I could be mistaken though as my kids don’t do crew.

Don't know if there are any right now but Walls kids have definitely done Wilson crew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope the school works out but I would give it 5 years to get established. The first few graduating classes are tricky. Colleges won’t know what to make of it as there will be no track record or baseline to assess students. Colleges know schools like Wilson, Walls, Banneker, McKinley Tech, DE, Coolidge, etc., for better or worse. They will have no idea what category to put McArthur in until a few years have passed. That worries me.

Counterpoint: My son goes to a college that was historically all-girls but went coed in 1969. In every poll of alumni the highest satisfaction -- and the biggest donations -- come from the students who entered in the fall of 1969. Sometimes it's exciting to be a part of something new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Also, how is it possible they could have this school opened for the 23/24 school year? They haven’t even bid it out yet let alone broken ground and the facility is much larger than the elementary school renovations that have all taken almost 2 years up to the day to renovate.

While they may not have to "break ground" as it were, I am a little confused as to the SY23/24 timeline quoted in the communication sent out by DC Central office. This is only a line item in the budget which needs to be approved by Council. And the new fiscal year is not until July (I'm not sure but I think that is the earliest). So bids for planning will go out in the summer and finalized late Fall. Given that the site was originally for K-8 for 600 kids (and without a cafeteria etc.) I would imagine that it will take longer than 9 months to finish up all the work, given that they need to put in labs etc. Eaton renovation took over 2 years but granted it did involve a lot of foundation work for the new section.

Then there is the question of sequencing -- if the current crop of 7th Graders at Hardy are the first to attend this school, that only makes about 120 kids for the 9th grade class. Are they planning to fill the rest by lottery + at risk preference? Are there even that many kids in the system who would want to attend? What about class offerings? If the majority are at risk in grades 10-12, will they have sufficient mass to offer AP/honors classes right off the bat? While this may sound politically incorrect, am I accurate in assuming that many of these possible 10-12th graders are coming from other schools in the system that do not currently have extensive AP offerings (or honors?)

If not, then what is the draw of this school?

I'm wondering if they plan to add one additional class each year?

So 23-24 has only the freshman class. 24-25 has freshman and sophomore classes. Etc.

In this scenario, they do not need the entire campus finished by 22-23. They can work on renovations and expansion each year, adding more capacity for the next year's additional class. Finally, by year 26-27 the school has all four grades filled.

This is how most new schools operate. It wouldn't make sense to fill all grades the same year.

So this high school would be totally inferior to Wilson with regard to athletics opportunities? How can they offer funded, competitive programs when you only have freshmen trying out? And then only freshman and sophomores the next year. And how does ramping up the student body like that allow for all the course offerings, including honors and AP? This plan seems like it might roll out as a bait and switch, at least for advanced and athletic kids. For the first 2 or 3 years, Hardy kids should be given the option to choose to go to Wilson or the new HS (like they did with Eaton with Hardy and Deal). I attended many of the meetings about the Gtown day and Old Hardy properties and every presentation emphasized that there WOULD be grandfathering. The
Y better stick to that promise.

Under DCPS rules, if you attend a school that doesn't offer a sport you're interested in you're eligible to play for a school that does.

Here's a list of all DCPS high schools and their enrollment:

River Terrace Education Campus 132
Luke C. Moore High School 208
Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC) 265
Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School 276
Anacostia High School 326
H.D. Woodson High School 434
Ballou STAY High School 523
Benjamin Banneker High School 549
Coolidge High School 561
Duke Ellington School of the Arts 591
School Without Walls High School 600
Cardozo Education Campus 621
Roosevelt STAY High School 634
Ballou High School 664
Dunbar High School 666
McKinley Technology High School 696
Eastern High School 735
Roosevelt High School 752
Columbia Heights Education Campus 1477
Woodrow Wilson High School 1951

At full capacity this school will be the third largest in the city. At half capacity it will be firmly in the middle. Most DC high schools can't offer a full menu of sports.

These enrollments seem so anemic. How can they possibly justify another high school when they ought to be consolidated. The only possible reason is obvious racism among DC residents. If Wilson is overcrowded there is surely space elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I think it will be immensely popular. The building will be gorgeous, it will not be overcrowded and kids peers from Hardy will be there. It is also perhaps more convenient than Wilson for some definitely for those in the key boundary.

Have you seen plans for this “gorgeous” building? Roughly 500 out of the 1500 kids attending will be at-risk out of boundary by design, according to the plan. It’s sole purpose isn’t to serve the surrounding community. They’re setting a precedent for an entirely new system here.

How will someone living east of the park (aka not zoned for hardy or deal) who is at risk get to the school via public transit in less than an hour. They know they will never get that many at risk kids from oob enrolling. If they really wanted to do this they should at least do it at Wilson which is right on the metro.

I'm not even sure how somebody who ISN'T at risk would get to this school EotP. Palisades from Capitol Hill or Ward 5, a real headache due to bad traffic downtown. Take the Red Line to Dupont or Tenley Town and a bus over? Some sort of DCPS shuttle bus from a Red Line Metro stop would be needed to make the commute work, and it would still take EotP students 45 mins or an hour to get to this site. Having a parent willing to drive a kid wouldn't necessarily help much, not to Palisades during rush hour.

M4 to D6, from Tenleytown it’s 25 minutes of bus time plus the layover at Sibley. If MacArthur is a parking lot your healthy teenager can get out and walk the end of the route. In exchange he gets a shiny new school that, when it opens, will be an order of magnitude smaller than Wilson. Maybe your kid is planning to make the basketball team at Wilson and take AP World History as a freshmen (note: Wilson does not offer AP World History and does not allow freshmen to take APs) but not all kids have such ambitions and god willing enough kids will prefer the smaller school to relieve some of the pressure on Wilson, which is operating this year at 130% of capacity, with rising feeder school enrollments and a rising rate of retention from its feeders.

Red Line Metro to Tenleytown from Union Station is 20 minutes. You're talking about 50-60 mins commute time from where I live in Ward 6. My ex lives in Arlington, kids attend MS & HS school there. Commute time to Washington-Liberty is 15 mins before 7:30 AM.

You know, there's nothing to stop a Wilson 9th grader from prepping for AP World History independently (there are on-line AP courses, summer AP courses) and taking the test at a different school accepting outside test takers/homeschoolers. It's been done before.

Oh, yes, I wasn’t trying to explain how kids would get from EotP to MacArthur. I was thinking that my kid, who already lives in Tenleytown, could roll out of bed onto the M4. The commute is no worse than the commute to Walls, and kids from around here do that every day.

The m4 turns at MacArthur and Arizona, over 2 miles away from gds. That is a long walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope the school works out but I would give it 5 years to get established. The first few graduating classes are tricky. Colleges won’t know what to make of it as there will be no track record or baseline to assess students. Colleges know schools like Wilson, Walls, Banneker, McKinley Tech, DE, Coolidge, etc., for better or worse. They will have no idea what category to put McArthur in until a few years have passed. That worries me.

Counterpoint: My son goes to a college that was historically all-girls but went coed in 1969. In every poll of alumni the highest satisfaction -- and the biggest donations -- come from the students who entered in the fall of 1969. Sometimes it's exciting to be a part of something new.

Your example is about a college, which already much of the infrastructure in place. This is a new high school with students going into a very different admissions landscape. Colleges (or at least the top 50ish) want a lot of rigorous courses and ECs.

Eventually, perhaps in 5 years, MacArthur might become a solid high school but the first few classes (i.e. the current 6th and 7th grade classes at Hardy and the 5th grades from the feeders) will have a difficult time as the school goes through growing pains -- construction, limited course offerings and extracurriculars etc. The point is not that it can't be done but DCPS inspires no confidence in their abilities. They are having a hard time even hiring teachers at established schools like Walls (cycled through several French teachers) and Wilson (no Physics teacher for a while). I'd be much more confident if they announce that they have hired a principal by this summer and that person outlines clear goals for the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it will be immensely popular. The building will be gorgeous, it will not be overcrowded and kids peers from Hardy will be there. It is also perhaps more convenient than Wilson for some definitely for those in the key boundary.

Have you seen plans for this “gorgeous” building? Roughly 500 out of the 1500 kids attending will be at-risk out of boundary by design, according to the plan. It’s sole purpose isn’t to serve the surrounding community. They’re setting a precedent for an entirely new system here.

How will someone living east of the park (aka not zoned for hardy or deal) who is at risk get to the school via public transit in less than an hour. They know they will never get that many at risk kids from oob enrolling. If they really wanted to do this they should at least do it at Wilson which is right on the metro.

I'm not even sure how somebody who ISN'T at risk would get to this school EotP. Palisades from Capitol Hill or Ward 5, a real headache due to bad traffic downtown. Take the Red Line to Dupont or Tenley Town and a bus over? Some sort of DCPS shuttle bus from a Red Line Metro stop would be needed to make the commute work, and it would still take EotP students 45 mins or an hour to get to this site. Having a parent willing to drive a kid wouldn't necessarily help much, not to Palisades during rush hour.

M4 to D6, from Tenleytown it’s 25 minutes of bus time plus the layover at Sibley. If MacArthur is a parking lot your healthy teenager can get out and walk the end of the route. In exchange he gets a shiny new school that, when it opens, will be an order of magnitude smaller than Wilson. Maybe your kid is planning to make the basketball team at Wilson and take AP World History as a freshmen (note: Wilson does not offer AP World History and does not allow freshmen to take APs) but not all kids have such ambitions and god willing enough kids will prefer the smaller school to relieve some of the pressure on Wilson, which is operating this year at 130% of capacity, with rising feeder school enrollments and a rising rate of retention from its feeders.

Red Line Metro to Tenleytown from Union Station is 20 minutes. You're talking about 50-60 mins commute time from where I live in Ward 6. My ex lives in Arlington, kids attend MS & HS school there. Commute time to Washington-Liberty is 15 mins before 7:30 AM.

You know, there's nothing to stop a Wilson 9th grader from prepping for AP World History independently (there are on-line AP courses, summer AP courses) and taking the test at a different school accepting outside test takers/homeschoolers. It's been done before.

Oh, yes, I wasn’t trying to explain how kids would get from EotP to MacArthur. I was thinking that my kid, who already lives in Tenleytown, could roll out of bed onto the M4. The commute is no worse than the commute to Walls, and kids from around here do that every day.

The m4 turns at MacArthur and Arizona, over 2 miles away from gds. That is a long walk.

You change to the D6 at Sibley.