Experiences being at a school during renovation?

[Anonymous]

I'm curious to hear from folks whose kids have been enrolled in DC elementary schools during renovation processes, either where the kids were kept onsite or where they were at an alternate location for a year or two. Is it not that big a deal, or would you avoid it if you could? I can see it either way, i.e. that it's not a big deal in the scheme of things and the kids don't notice as much as the adults do...or that it's a huge pain and a significant chunk of time to be disrupted (1-2 years out of 6 in the school). So, what was your experience? It's possible though not certain that we'll be going through this next year and I'm trying to figure out how much consideration to give it. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of it depends on how it is handled. If you're talking about the upcoming Watkins renovation, the best thing to do would be to attend the meeting on Nov 17 to see what options are being planned. If, for example, the new swing space is located somewhere far away, that may not be doable for your family. There are just not enough details out there yet.

[Anonymous]

We are currently in trailers at Lafayette. It's a little bit of a hassle, but on the whole it's not that big a deal. The teachers and staff have worked really hard to make the new campus work and the kids have adapted well.

[Anonymous]

I think the experience is probably different to a degree at each location. So much depends on where they swing, how the location is structured and how much room there is, whether any part of the building can be used during renovation, and how big the school is.

Small lot + Big school = Safety Problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are currently in trailers at Lafayette. It's a little bit of a hassle, but on the whole it's not that big a deal. The teachers and staff have worked really hard to make the new campus work and the kids have adapted well.

The nice thing about Lafayette is that there is a huge playground/field adjacent to the school and the renovation is scheduled to last only for a year. We are at Murch, which has much less space and where the construction is planned for two years starting this summer. The Murch playground is one of the school's best features, and it's such a gathering place for the community. It's hard to think about minimal to no playground access and temporary buildings for two years -- that's a large chunk of the time a kid is at the school.

[Anonymous]

Not DC, but we are at McKinley in Arlington which is undergoing renovations this year, which means most of the classrooms are still open while the gym and art areas are closed; many additional classes (including gym) are held in trailers, outdoor space is severely limited.

It's not bad, for a year, to be honest. They did a trailer hack that put 4 trailers together for a gym, which the kids love. It brings the school community together in a way. Going through it for two years instead of one would be hard. But all the things we were worried about at the beginning of the year have been totally fine after all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are currently in trailers at Lafayette. It's a little bit of a hassle, but on the whole it's not that big a deal. The teachers and staff have worked really hard to make the new campus work and the kids have adapted well.

The nice thing about Lafayette is that there is a huge playground/field adjacent to the school and the renovation is scheduled to last only for a year. We are at Murch, which has much less space and where the construction is planned for two years starting this summer. The Murch playground is one of the school's best features, and it's such a gathering place for the community. It's hard to think about minimal to no playground access and temporary buildings for two years -- that's a large chunk of the time a kid is at the school.

Lafayette parent (NP) here. I agree the 2 year timeline is really daunting. But I thought they were doing it in 2 years to allow some access to playgrounds during the construction? Are you guys really losing the entire outdoor area for 2 years?

[Anonymous]

It will be fine. DCPS and DGS are clusterfucks, but the actual design/builder working at the school will be professional and will manage the safety issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are currently in trailers at Lafayette. It's a little bit of a hassle, but on the whole it's not that big a deal. The teachers and staff have worked really hard to make the new campus work and the kids have adapted well.

The nice thing about Lafayette is that there is a huge playground/field adjacent to the school and the renovation is scheduled to last only for a year. We are at Murch, which has much less space and where the construction is planned for two years starting this summer. The Murch playground is one of the school's best features, and it's such a gathering place for the community. It's hard to think about minimal to no playground access and temporary buildings for two years -- that's a large chunk of the time a kid is at the school.

Lafayette parent (NP) here. I agree the 2 year timeline is really daunting. But I thought they were doing it in 2 years to allow some access to playgrounds during the construction? Are you guys really losing the entire outdoor area for 2 years?

Depends on whether we swing on-site. The latest plans show a playground about 1/4 the size of the current one and no soccer field during construction. If it was only one year, the community would be more willing to grin and bear it, but two years is a LONG time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are currently in trailers at Lafayette. It's a little bit of a hassle, but on the whole it's not that big a deal. The teachers and staff have worked really hard to make the new campus work and the kids have adapted well.

The nice thing about Lafayette is that there is a huge playground/field adjacent to the school and the renovation is scheduled to last only for a year. We are at Murch, which has much less space and where the construction is planned for two years starting this summer. The Murch playground is one of the school's best features, and it's such a gathering place for the community. It's hard to think about minimal to no playground access and temporary buildings for two years -- that's a large chunk of the time a kid is at the school.

Lafayette parent (NP) here. I agree the 2 year timeline is really daunting. But I thought they were doing it in 2 years to allow some access to playgrounds during the construction? Are you guys really losing the entire outdoor area for 2 years?

Depends on whether we swing on-site. The latest plans show a playground about 1/4 the size of the current one and no soccer field during construction. If it was only one year, the community would be more willing to grin and bear it, but two years is a LONG time.

Why would the construction take so much longer than Lafayette's? Is it because of the swing space and the challenges that presents?

Lafayette's project is equally as ambitious.

[Anonymous]

We were at Stoddert, and the kids were in trailers for a year whie they rebuilt the school. It worked out great - the playground was smaller, with almost no equipment, but the kids didn't seem to mind, and the students and teachers did just fine in the temporary facilities. My child still looks back on that year as one of his favorites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are currently in trailers at Lafayette. It's a little bit of a hassle, but on the whole it's not that big a deal. The teachers and staff have worked really hard to make the new campus work and the kids have adapted well.

The nice thing about Lafayette is that there is a huge playground/field adjacent to the school and the renovation is scheduled to last only for a year. We are at Murch, which has much less space and where the construction is planned for two years starting this summer. The Murch playground is one of the school's best features, and it's such a gathering place for the community. It's hard to think about minimal to no playground access and temporary buildings for two years -- that's a large chunk of the time a kid is at the school.

Like Murch, Hyde is slated to likely have no playground on site (and no indoor rec space). This could be a deal breaker for us.

[Anonymous]

Overall my take going through it at Hearst is that you will have a much bigger deal with it than your kids will. As a community, you should be attentive to some safety issues--kids crossing near where trucks and construction equipment is--but overall it has been fine.

[Anonymous]

Hearst's renovation looks great. But the site has a great deal more space than others ( e.g., Murch). That makes swinging on-site more problematic.

[Anonymous]

Also keep in mind the health issues associated with the building materials they use-- varnishes, paints, glues, etc. Most of us would use non-VOC paint in our homes, but it is not the default for DCPS. This is not great for any child to be inhaling but particularly those with asthma. It would tip the balance toward a school not slated for renovations for our family.