Restore Funding for Duke Ellington Modernization

[Anonymous]

I don't get it. What is the love affair with Duke Ellington? I know so many tax payers are infuriated by the amount of money that is being spent on this school, yet the politicians keep throwing money at it. Why?

http://mayor.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mayormb/publication/attachments/Vital%20District%20Programs_v6.pdf

[Anonymous]

it's a school of performing arts and the needs are a tad bit more expensive than other schools. Also, be mindful that the school heavily relies upon benefactors and donors, therefore glitz and glam will pay-off in big gifts. Invest now.

[Anonymous]

It really makes my blood boil that so much money is given for so few students at Duke Ellington when our neighborhood school hasn't been renovated at all at won't be until who the $#% knows when.

It's not an "investment", it's robbery.

[Anonymous]

Well, here's heartburn even more the data shows that Ellington and Phelps has a noticeable decreased in their graduation rate too.

[Anonymous]

Not again. Stop beating s dead horse.

And no I'm not s Duke supporter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not again. Stop beating s dead horse.

And no I'm not s Duke supporter.

The horse isn't dead - it just got $10M more for its renovation. Stop giving it more money, and I'll stop pointing out how ridiculous it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not again. Stop beating s dead horse.

And no I'm not s Duke supporter.

It would be a dead horse, except that horse keeps getting resurrected by the likes of Bowser and others who keep tossing more into this massive money pit.

[Anonymous]

So what is the total amount of funds now???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it's a school of performing arts and the needs are a tad bit more expensive than other schools. Also, be mindful that the school heavily relies upon benefactors and donors, therefore glitz and glam will pay-off in big gifts. Invest now.

A tad? Ya' think?

Duke Ellington gets over 80 percent of its operating funds from the DC government. It is receiving nearly all of its renovation costs. (Renovation is an understatement, because all that remains of the old DE are the front walls.) For several years it paid its head of school double the local -- and the national market rate -- for school principals, and in a relatively small high school. While heavily subsidized by DC taxpayers, it takes a substantial number of students from outside DC. Theoretically, they are supposed to pay a low tuition, but there are questions about whether it is collected in some cases.

And the kicker is that, despite providing all of this money, DC has no say in how the school is run. Not one of the members school's board of directors is appointed by the mayor, chancellor or any other DC officials. Some have called Ellington a sacred cow. To use a different bovine analogy, why does DE get filet mignon while other public schools in DC get hamburger?

[Anonymous]

The other part is that when DE was paying its school principal so lavishly, it was laying off full time teaching staff, claiming budget issues. This is what happens when school governance breaks down and there is no oversight or accountability.

[Anonymous]

I saw this in the NW Current last night and had to recycle it before losing my mind and screaming. WTF!????

[Anonymous]

But $3 Million for Garrison and the other locations is great!

[Anonymous]

Duke Ellington School has a lot of ties to the DC elite. Peggy Cooper Cafritz has donated a lot of money to the project and it's basically her vanity project. She has extensive ties to the and clout with the Bowser administration.

So yes, they are going to keep throwing money at this project until it's done. It will be beautiful and glamorous, but at the expense of other campuses. I'm guessing that there is dollar-for-dollar contributions at play. DCPS doesn't want to leave "free money" on the table.

[Anonymous]

I think it's weird that in a city that's no longer a Chocolate City, the majority of current residents can't

1. elect a representative mayor for either the majority or who represents the whole city, take your pick

and

2. one woman, Ms. Cafritz, continues to have so much power.

I guess it's too soon in the evolution of the District to expect this kind of cronyism to fade. I have to have faith that, with a changing electorate, there will be less of this kind of $tuff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's weird that in a city that's no longer a Chocolate City, the majority of current residents can't

1. elect a representative mayor for either the majority or who represents the whole city, take your pick

and

2. one woman, Ms. Cafritz, continues to have so much power.

I guess it's too soon in the evolution of the District to expect this kind of cronyism to fade. I have to have faith that, with a changing electorate, there will be less of this kind of $tuff

Cronyism doesn't go away, only the recipients change. See: every other jurisdiction in this country.