BASIS DC will seek to expand to include K to 4th grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All this sounds much better than what we have in DC on the arts programming front, even though the offerings at your AZ school aren't top notch. I'm assuming that your school has an auditorium and stage, or at least an all-purpose room/gym as a performance space (unlike us).

I don't feel like I learned anything at last night's meeting portending change at the DC MS/HS, other than perhaps slightly better college advising.

So the Ms/hs is expected to stay in the current building? Any updates on where they plan to put the k-4?

[Anonymous]

Yes, current building. No info on where K-4 campus will be located. No approval yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, current building. No info on where K-4 campus will be located. No approval yet.

With 35Million to spend, they should take 5M - revamp the current building into the elementary and use 30M to get a new building for the Upper School.

The whole meeting was so dumb for current parents "We are going to ignore your concerns, but allow us to tell you about all of the wonderful things we are going to do for this new school which 99% of you wont benefit from

[Anonymous]

I had to leave the meeting early.

Did they address:

Whether 5th grade might get moved to the elementary to address current overcrowding?

Whether the two schools will share the same HOS?

Whether the teachers fund will be part of a common pot of money? (E.g., will my contribution to help retain a strong calculus teacher will be used to retain a first grade teacher? If so, fyi that I’m never giving to BASIS again.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had to leave the meeting early.

Did they address:

Whether 5th grade might get moved to the elementary to address current overcrowding?

Whether the two schools will share the same HOS?

Whether the teachers fund will be part of a common pot of money? (E.g., will my contribution to help retain a strong calculus teacher will be used to retain a first grade teacher? If so, fyi that I’m never giving to BASIS again.)

In true Mr Rose fashion he actually used the words "We've managed all of the questions in the chat" Meaning that it was noted that things were raised. And things were "very early" and they were "looking at all of the options" Lots of non committal statements and fluff with no content. No clear answers were given on any of the above

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, current building. No info on where K-4 campus will be located. No approval yet.

With 35Million to spend, they should take 5M - revamp the current building into the elementary and use 30M to get a new building for the Upper School.

The whole meeting was so dumb for current parents "We are going to ignore your concerns, but allow us to tell you about all of the wonderful things we are going to do for this new school which 99% of you wont benefit from

An ES for 450+ with zero outdoor space, no windows in the cafeteria, no real gym/stage/multipurpose room., little natural light. No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, current building. No info on where K-4 campus will be located. No approval yet.

With 35Million to spend, they should take 5M - revamp the current building into the elementary and use 30M to get a new building for the Upper School.

The whole meeting was so dumb for current parents "We are going to ignore your concerns, but allow us to tell you about all of the wonderful things we are going to do for this new school which 99% of you wont benefit from

An ES for 450+ with zero outdoor space, no windows in the cafeteria, no real gym/stage/multipurpose room., little natural light. No.

They think its okay for the even larger MS/HS
with fewer kids they could take the whole second floor and open it up - plenty of room to make a multipurpose room. could dedicate an entire wing to music/arts/crafts and other ES fun things

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had to leave the meeting early.

Did they address:

Whether 5th grade might get moved to the elementary to address current overcrowding?

Whether the two schools will share the same HOS?

Whether the teachers fund will be part of a common pot of money? (E.g., will my contribution to help retain a strong calculus teacher will be used to retain a first grade teacher? If so, fyi that I’m never giving to BASIS again.)

Still open question of whether 5th grade stays in US or moves to new ES.

Will not share HOS. Will not share teachers. Quite clear on that.

No mention of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, current building. No info on where K-4 campus will be located. No approval yet.

With 35Million to spend, they should take 5M - revamp the current building into the elementary and use 30M to get a new building for the Upper School.

The whole meeting was so dumb for current parents "We are going to ignore your concerns, but allow us to tell you about all of the wonderful things we are going to do for this new school which 99% of you wont benefit from

An ES for 450+ with zero outdoor space, no windows in the cafeteria, no real gym/stage/multipurpose room., little natural light. No.

They think its okay for the even larger MS/HS
with fewer kids they could take the whole second floor and open it up - plenty of room to make a multipurpose room. could dedicate an entire wing to music/arts/crafts and other ES fun things

Good point. From our family's perspective, the problem isn't so much the building itself. It's BASIS' insistence on cramming 600 preteens and teens in there. I can't see things changing though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, current building. No info on where K-4 campus will be located. No approval yet.

With 35Million to spend, they should take 5M - revamp the current building into the elementary and use 30M to get a new building for the Upper School.

The whole meeting was so dumb for current parents "We are going to ignore your concerns, but allow us to tell you about all of the wonderful things we are going to do for this new school which 99% of you wont benefit from

An ES for 450+ with zero outdoor space, no windows in the cafeteria, no real gym/stage/multipurpose room., little natural light. No.

They think its okay for the even larger MS/HS
with fewer kids they could take the whole second floor and open it up - plenty of room to make a multipurpose room. could dedicate an entire wing to music/arts/crafts and other ES fun things

Good point. From our family's perspective, the problem isn't so much the building itself. It's BASIS' insistence on cramming 600 preteens and teens in there. I can't see things changing though.

They said in the presentation that if they moved 5th to the elementary school, they would increase enrollment in 6th-12th. They clearly have no intention of easing the cramming.

[Anonymous]

I’m just catching up — would the new elementary school definitely have feeder rights to the junior high/high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m just catching up — would the new elementary school definitely have feeder rights to the junior high/high school?

Yes. They said their initial plan is 80 feeder seats per grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just catching up — would the new elementary school definitely have feeder rights to the junior high/high school?

Yes. They said their initial plan is 80 feeder seats per grade.

It would be great for Hill MSs and upper elementary if BASIS MS started at 6th grade, and if the number of seats available at MS goes down. If Latin started at 6th it would be even better!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just catching up — would the new elementary school definitely have feeder rights to the junior high/high school?

Yes. They said their initial plan is 80 feeder seats per grade.

It would be great for Hill MSs and upper elementary if BASIS MS started at 6th grade, and if the number of seats available at MS goes down. If Latin started at 6th it would be even better!

There is no talk of changing the entry year to 6th. BASIS believes they need to get kids earlier because nobody else can prepare kids for BASIS.

You are correct that this will make it very difficult for Hill families to lottery into BASIS if they want to stay at their elementary school through 4th.

[Anonymous]

BASIS is a for profit organization, no? Isn’t this their main motivation to expand?