Charter school funding gap in FY27 budget

[Anonymous]

Charter schools serve more higher needs (Level 4) students than DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Well of course they are. They can't just stop and expect the buildings to magically stay in good condition. If you have one that you think is exorbitant for specific reasons, please feel free to tell us why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Honey bunny. That is on purpose! Charters do not WANT DCPS and DGS to be in charge of their renovations. Making their own decisions and allegedly being better at it is the rationale for charters! That is why there is the facilities allottment. Now, we can argue about whether it's fair, whether it's enough, etc., but DCPS and DGS cannot just start renovating charters. That's not how it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Well of course they are. They can't just stop and expect the buildings to magically stay in good condition. If you have one that you think is exorbitant for specific reasons, please feel free to tell us why.

$80 million for a school with 300 kids seems a bit rich and a lot inequitable when there are charter schools that don't have gyms or cafeterias or science labs or outdoor space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Honey bunny. That is on purpose! Charters do not WANT DCPS and DGS to be in charge of their renovations. Making their own decisions and allegedly being better at it is the rationale for charters! That is why there is the facilities allottment. Now, we can argue about whether it's fair, whether it's enough, etc., but DCPS and DGS cannot just start renovating charters. That's not how it works.

I think it is pretty clear their point was exactly this; that the allotment calc is not fair or right.

Only thing funnier than dimwitted people is when they don't even know they are. You know, for instance, when they miss the entire point and chime is to dismissively explain what was clear to everyone else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Honey bunny. That is on purpose! Charters do not WANT DCPS and DGS to be in charge of their renovations. Making their own decisions and allegedly being better at it is the rationale for charters! That is why there is the facilities allottment. Now, we can argue about whether it's fair, whether it's enough, etc., but DCPS and DGS cannot just start renovating charters. That's not how it works.

You seem slow. We just don't want the city to discriminate against our kids. The two systems should have equal funding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Well of course they are. They can't just stop and expect the buildings to magically stay in good condition. If you have one that you think is exorbitant for specific reasons, please feel free to tell us why.

$80 million for a school with 300 kids seems a bit rich and a lot inequitable when there are charter schools that don't have gyms or cafeterias or science labs or outdoor space.

Right, so that's not how the decision is made. It's based on enrollment projections and on maintaining the condition of existing assets, as well as safety and compliance, which can be expensive with old buildings. Current population is only one factor.

If your charter is lacking space, perhaps consider moving. Why did they choose an unsuitable building in the first place? Lots of charter schools have nice spaces so maybe yours can too. Go for it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Well of course they are. They can't just stop and expect the buildings to magically stay in good condition. If you have one that you think is exorbitant for specific reasons, please feel free to tell us why.

Go to Google maps, and look up this address: 711 Edgewood Street, NE. Until last year, that was the Cooper campus of Latin, one of the finest middle schools in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Honey bunny. That is on purpose! Charters do not WANT DCPS and DGS to be in charge of their renovations. Making their own decisions and allegedly being better at it is the rationale for charters! That is why there is the facilities allottment. Now, we can argue about whether it's fair, whether it's enough, etc., but DCPS and DGS cannot just start renovating charters. That's not how it works.

You seem slow. We just don't want the city to discriminate against our kids. The two systems should have equal funding.

Well, I think it actually is equal, given the different responsibilities of the two sectors. So agree to disagree.

If you'd like a list of charters that have renovated, how about.... Eagle Academy! And Latin Cooper. Sojourner Truth high school. I'm sure others can think of more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Well of course they are. They can't just stop and expect the buildings to magically stay in good condition. If you have one that you think is exorbitant for specific reasons, please feel free to tell us why.

$80 million for a school with 300 kids seems a bit rich and a lot inequitable when there are charter schools that don't have gyms or cafeterias or science labs or outdoor space.

Right, so that's not how the decision is made. It's based on enrollment projections and on maintaining the condition of existing assets, as well as safety and compliance, which can be expensive with old buildings. Current population is only one factor.

If your charter is lacking space, perhaps consider moving. Why did they choose an unsuitable building in the first place? Lots of charter schools have nice spaces so maybe yours can too. Go for it!

Did you have a stroke while writing this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Well of course they are. They can't just stop and expect the buildings to magically stay in good condition. If you have one that you think is exorbitant for specific reasons, please feel free to tell us why.

Go to Google maps, and look up this address: 711 Edgewood Street, NE. Until last year, that was the Cooper campus of Latin, one of the finest middle schools in the DMV.

Indeed, they chose a small cheap space to save money for their large, nicely renovated building which they are now using. Just like how DCPS schools use trailers and swing spaces and it's worth it to have a renovation. So that's not the winning argument you think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Honey bunny. That is on purpose! Charters do not WANT DCPS and DGS to be in charge of their renovations. Making their own decisions and allegedly being better at it is the rationale for charters! That is why there is the facilities allottment. Now, we can argue about whether it's fair, whether it's enough, etc., but DCPS and DGS cannot just start renovating charters. That's not how it works.

I think it is pretty clear their point was exactly this; that the allotment calc is not fair or right.

Only thing funnier than dimwitted people is when they don't even know they are. You know, for instance, when they miss the entire point and chime is to dismissively explain what was clear to everyone else?

Why did the charters lose the facility funding lawsuit? Give us a little recap. And while you're at it, fill me in on what the true economic cost is of DCPS taking all kids all year and managing the system for the perpetual future. How much do you think that commitment is worth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Well of course they are. They can't just stop and expect the buildings to magically stay in good condition. If you have one that you think is exorbitant for specific reasons, please feel free to tell us why.

Go to Google maps, and look up this address: 711 Edgewood Street, NE. Until last year, that was the Cooper campus of Latin, one of the finest middle schools in the DMV.

Indeed, they chose a small cheap space to save money for their large, nicely renovated building which they are now using. Just like how DCPS schools use trailers and swing spaces and it's worth it to have a renovation. So that's not the winning argument you think it is.

Their new building cost less than Roosevelt High School's pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An unpopular opinion for DCUM- if the charters were properly funded the better ones would blow DCPS out of the water. So many struggle under the costs of facilities and teacher turn over from low salaries. If Charters had money to solve those problems the middling to good ones could be amazing.

+1 on this.

Also, Coolidge has a lot larger and better facilities than DCI which holds around the same number of high schoolers. Sports facilities in particular. DCI could have used the space next to it for a much-needed sports field, but townhouses are going up instead. Now the school is battling neighbors to try to use a nearby park for athletics. The charter schools can't just easily move and buy new buildings left and right, and they aren't provided with enough funds to truly utilize public and DC-owned space like Walter Reed. Meanwhile, there is no way that DCPS could serve all the kids currently in charters - if all of DCI changed to Coolidge overnight, for example.

DCI is approximately the same square footage as Anacostia High School, except DCI has 1,700 students and Anacostia has 250, and Anacostia High School is much, much nicer.

https://washingtonian.com/2014/02/03/anacostia-high-school-renovation-snags-design-award/

This is kinda bonkers. Anacostia High School is 247,000 square feet. That's much, much, MUCH bigger than a Walmart. How do 250 kids occupy 247,000 square feet?

Same story with Ballou. It's 350,000 square feet and has fewer than 600 students. The renovation is gorgeous.

Behold what DCPS will do for a school with fewer than 150 students per grade: https://perkinswill.com/project/ballou-senior-high-school/

hard to believe how small some of these dcps schools are. if they're that under-enrolled, they should be closed and consolidated, not given $100 million makeovers. spend that money where the kids actually are

Anacostia and Ballou have been eaten alive by charters. The city's response has been to turn them into Taj Mahals.

So exhausting. The correct verb tense is not "has been" but "was."

THE OVER-THE-TOP HS RENOVATIONS HAPPENED A DECADE OR MORE AGO!

They were a flawed idea, they were properly criticized at the time, and this attempt at "build it and they will come" has not continued. All the renovations since are in schools that are robustly occupied and decidely in renovation.

Yes, the renovations are too expensive -- we would all love to know where the money is leaking to! Yes, DGS sucks at maintenance -- they just barely do it -- which is why schools need such extensive renovations once it happens.

All that is well-trod territory and is OLD NEWS.

You can have a fair discussion about DCPCS vs DCPS funding, but the whacko renovations are no more relevant to the conversation than the 2015 scandal at Options Charter School.

Actually, this is an ongoing project by the city. It's spending billions to makeover DCPS facilities (but not charters!). They just did an $83 million makeover for Truesdell. There's another $65 million for Dorothy Height. Another $65 million for MLK Elementary. The list goes on and on and on, but only for DCPS.

Well of course they are. They can't just stop and expect the buildings to magically stay in good condition. If you have one that you think is exorbitant for specific reasons, please feel free to tell us why.

Go to Google maps, and look up this address: 711 Edgewood Street, NE. Until last year, that was the Cooper campus of Latin, one of the finest middle schools in the DMV.

Indeed, they chose a small cheap space to save money for their large, nicely renovated building which they are now using. Just like how DCPS schools use trailers and swing spaces and it's worth it to have a renovation. So that's not the winning argument you think it is.

Their new building cost less than Roosevelt High School's pool.

Can you think of any charter school assets that are available to the public 35 hours per week?