School Without Walls @ Francis-Stevens

[Anonymous]

I understand that Francis-Stevens (SWW@FS) is going to be renovated. Has there been any discussion how this will impact students? Also is there an update about having HS kids in the building? I don't know that I am comfortable having my younger kids in the same school with HS kids even if they are smart.

[Anonymous]

I think HS students are not going to be in the FS building. The only way they might would be to do tutoring or mentoring type work--not in classes.

Good question about how the renovations will go. Not sure if they are gutting the building, whether they will be doing stuff during the year or just in the summer, etc.

[Anonymous]

At the open house I went to, the principal suggested that they enough under-capacity that the renovation can take place in one part of the building while they occupy other portions of it. Indeed, he said that they would not be taking as many students as they could (though enrollment would rise) for precisely that reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the open house I went to, the principal suggested that they enough under-capacity that the renovation can take place in one part of the building while they occupy other portions of it. Indeed, he said that they would not be taking as many students as they could (though enrollment would rise) for precisely that reason.

Ugh. This sounds like what Marie Reed is going to do. I would not want to send my kid to either school during renovations--these are old buildings. In addition to lead paint, there could be asbestos and other particulate matter that leads to problems for kids. I really hope they address this in a different way.

[Anonymous]

Why in the world is this school under-capacity, when 75% of this entire board is concerned with quality middle schools in the District? Why is F-S under-enrolled?

[Anonymous]

It's a tiny MS and has limited offerings. I think the enrollment goal is 50 a grade- 150 total. Hard to have lots of sports, plays etc with a small MS population. The k-8 formula makes it's difficult to have enough $ for MS. Deal might receive less $ per student( I don't know if that's true) but with 1200 students it's a big budget and the school can offer a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a tiny MS and has limited offerings. I think the enrollment goal is 50 a grade- 150 total. Hard to have lots of sports, plays etc with a small MS population. The k-8 formula makes it's difficult to have enough $ for MS. Deal might receive less $ per student( I don't know if that's true) but with 1200 students it's a big budget and the school can offer a lot.

I don't know the total enrollment right now, but that school building is HUGE. It must potentially house over 500 kids or something like that. It looks at least as big as Hardy. Plus, there are big playing fields behind the school -- they could put in two football fields in there if they wanted to. The fact that it's under-enrolled is just weird to me.

[Anonymous]

My child was attending Janney during the renovation. They handled it very well, the kids did fine and the school now has a beautiful facility. I barely remember that year. This would not scare me off of a well run school.

[Anonymous]

Same. My child went to Deal during their 3 year renovation process. The school handled it well. Not a problem.

[Anonymous]

Francis Stevens was NOT on the list of schools receiving a renovation, according to the list published in the WaPo recently.

The building was updated about 6 years ago. There are many schools in far worse condition that could use modernization.

Like Garrison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Francis Stevens was NOT on the list of schools receiving a renovation, according to the list published in the WaPo recently.

The building was updated about 6 years ago. There are many schools in far worse condition that could use modernization.

Like Garrison.

First, the list in the Post was not a list of all schools scheduled for modernization. It was merely a list of those schools for which funds for the current year were shifted. I haven't been inside Francis-Stevens and can't begin to evaluate their need for renovation, but I shouldn't have to and neither should anyone else on this board. That is the job of DCPS and DGS. The real issue is whether they are doing that job.

I now apologize to the OP and Francis-Stevens for derailing this thread, but I can't hold my tongue anymore. I would love it if people - especially the media and the politicians - stopped focusing on the loudest school and started really trying to analyze the need everywhere. Because no matter what you read here or hear just about everywhere, there are needs other than Garrison. Yet every renovation discussion comes around to them. They are running a very effective campaign, and will likely get all they wanted. And I understand that the PTA and community have done what they think is necessary, have been successful, and weren't the first to do it. So I don't blame them. But I do hope all the people fighting for the school (many of whom don't send their kids to Garrison from what I can tell) can realize and acknowledge that there are in fact lots of kids that go to school in far worse physical structures to learn in than Garrison's structure. There are schools that are older and have waited longer, though perhaps more quietly. To their credit, the Garrison PTA recently acknowledged on these boards that the system for how decisions are made is extremely flawed, but I hope it has not been fully broken. Right now it is assumed that a school must run a big campaign just to ensure that the most basic physical needs of kids are met. That is not the right way for decisions to be made. I honestly hope the city can demonstrate they are making smart, evidence-based choices so that the system can somehow be repaired.

[Anonymous]

I've been through F-S, and while it's not modern (looks like a building from the 1950's), it is clean and everything works. The main issue is that it's a big place that's not being used to capacity.

[Anonymous]

I was there for an open house and agree that while not beautiful and up-to-date, it still looked pretty good. Was impressed that they had 2 gyms and a pretty nice auditorium as well. Also, aside from facilities, struck me as a school that is improving. I put it on my list for PS3 though as OOB I probably won't get a slot.

[Anonymous]

I was at F-S for an open house and it looks pretty good but definitely needs an update soon. We are IB for Garrison and hope to get in there for PS3, and will be very happy when they get modernized. We are far away from thinking about MS right now, but F-S would definitely be a pick for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Francis Stevens was NOT on the list of schools receiving a renovation, according to the list published in the WaPo recently.

The building was updated about 6 years ago. There are many schools in far worse condition that could use modernization.

Like Garrison.

First, the list in the Post was not a list of all schools scheduled for modernization. It was merely a list of those schools for which funds for the current year were shifted. I haven't been inside Francis-Stevens and can't begin to evaluate their need for renovation, but I shouldn't have to and neither should anyone else on this board. That is the job of DCPS and DGS. The real issue is whether they are doing that job.

I now apologize to the OP and Francis-Stevens for derailing this thread, but I can't hold my tongue anymore. I would love it if people - especially the media and the politicians - stopped focusing on the loudest school and started really trying to analyze the need everywhere. Because no matter what you read here or hear just about everywhere, there are needs other than Garrison. Yet every renovation discussion comes around to them. They are running a very effective campaign, and will likely get all they wanted. And I understand that the PTA and community have done what they think is necessary, have been successful, and weren't the first to do it. So I don't blame them. But I do hope all the people fighting for the school (many of whom don't send their kids to Garrison from what I can tell) can realize and acknowledge that there are in fact lots of kids that go to school in far worse physical structures to learn in than Garrison's structure. There are schools that are older and have waited longer, though perhaps more quietly. To their credit, the Garrison PTA recently acknowledged on these boards that the system for how decisions are made is extremely flawed, but I hope it has not been fully broken. Right now it is assumed that a school must run a big campaign just to ensure that the most basic physical needs of kids are met. That is not the right way for decisions to be made. I honestly hope the city can demonstrate they are making smart, evidence-based choices so that the system can somehow be repaired.

It seems true that schools who run big campaigns get what they want. That's how FS stayed open and merged with SWW. Don't kid yourself and think that DCPS would analyze needs and then work off that information.