Ellington. $250 m for 600 students. Murch. $70 m for 700 students.
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Anonymous
Yup. And people wonder why infrastructure is failing all across the c |
Anonymous
Wrong. I live 4 blocks from Coolidge. It's had so many leadership changes and reboots everyone has lost count. The conditions those kids go to school in are appalling -- my child attended DCYOP there on Saturdays before they moved their program to Eastern. No, the building isn't empty but more than half of it is blocked off an unhabitable. IMO those kids should be able to go to the new Roosevelt, which isn't that far away, and get a chance at a fresh start. Turn the Coolidge building over to a charter, or make it the site for the new north middle school, which is also desperately needed. But the status quo isn't helping anyone. |
Anonymous
Sorry! across the country. It's a lot easier and flashier to build things like stadiums and the like, which politicians get to go to all the time and take pictures at, versus basics like schools, roads, bridges, etc. Combine that with the incompetence of many agencies (DGS, looking at you!), and it's hundreds of millions of dollars down the drain every locally, and tens of billions nationally. |
Anonymous
It's been expressed earlier in this thread, but it's pretty much a known thing that the contractors and subcontractors and various other players who are in the know can basically charge 50-100% more for any project overseen by DGS. Murch/Capital City aren't quite an exact comparison because Murch will involved a lot of new construction and underground work, which is VERY expensive, but I am sure if a charter was doing the same amount of work at Murch the price tag would come in at something like $60 million instead of $88. |
Anonymous
So true about 'new and shiny'. DCPS needs to pragmatically address deficiencies rather than creating shrines. There are too many instance of extremes between modernized facilities like Dunbar and largely neglected facilities like Orr. The process needs to be data driven and not influenced by politics as it's been done to date. Independent auditors need to watch the process and most importantly the dough (Ellington is an affront to taxpayers above all). Planning needs to be equitable between schools serving the full public education spectrum. |
Anonymous
+1,000 |
Anonymous
|
It's been expressed earlier in this thread, but it's pretty much a known thing that the contractors and subcontractors and various other players who are in the know can basically charge 50-100% more for any project overseen by DGS. Murch/Capital City aren't quite an exact comparison because Murch will involved a lot of new construction and underground work, which is VERY expensive, but I am sure if a charter was doing the same amount of work at Murch the price tag would come in at something like $60 million instead of $88.
So what can be done to change this? Posting to this thread isn't likely to change anything. I think there was a Wa Po article about DGS and its mismanagement of the Ellington renovation funds a while back - has anything come of that? If the above is well-known, what can be done to change the bidding process and make contractors accountable? |
Anonymous
You're correct, if you believe that there's an infinite amount of money available. But if you live in the real world "it deserves more money" (PP's words) means that "others deserve less", which is exactly what our school is getting. |
Anonymous
It's been expressed earlier in this thread, but it's pretty much a known thing that the contractors and subcontractors and various other players who are in the know can basically charge 50-100% more for any project overseen by DGS. Murch/Capital City aren't quite an exact comparison because Murch will involved a lot of new construction and underground work, which is VERY expensive, but I am sure if a charter was doing the same amount of work at Murch the price tag would come in at something like $60 million instead of $88. So what can be done to change this? Posting to this thread isn't likely to change anything. I think there was a Wa Po article about DGS and its mismanagement of the Ellington renovation funds a while back - has anything come of that? If the above is well-known, what can be done to change the bidding process and make contractors accountable? What was done was putting DCPS in charge of the projects over DGS. |
Anonymous
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Wait, the murch renovation already cost 88 million?
You know new York has built entire schools from scratch in new York city for less? Seriously, I wouldn't give a dime more. |
Anonymous
Well, that sounds like well-thought out and thoughtful reasoning. 
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Anonymous
Yes, dunbar is new and its at less than 50% capacity, same for coolidge and roosevelt. Why aren't we combining these? and there is Wilson which is overflowing with kids. HS kids do NOT need to attend school in their own neighborhoods. This is such a waste of money. Any school at 50% or less capacity should be put on notice that they will be colocated elsewhere or the principal better start knocking on doors to recruit families. |
Anonymous
| The problem is that Murch was budgeted and designed for $68mil and only now, four months before shovels are supposed to be in the ground, is DGS saying it will cost $88mil. Murch is asking that the design which was developed over the course of two years be fully funded. Not a dime more. |
Anonymous
| Make Dunbar, Coolidge or Roosevelt a test-in school and you'll see enroll go up. |
Anonymous
Not enough kids to fill it. |