Status of Eaton Renovation

[Anonymous]

Didn't Mary Cheh promise that John Eaton E.S. would be fully renovated before the Cathedral Commons (Idaho Ave.) homeless shelter opens? If so, what are the plans? Has DCPS provided any scope on additional classroom seats, new multipurpose space, parking, design goals, etc.? Based on reports of renovations at Janney, Murch, Lafayette, Ellington, etc., good planning takes time and a rushed process usually runs into pitfalls.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't yet have a project page up on the DGS website.

https://dgs.dc.gov/page/dgs-school-projects

First step would be the Eaton community putting together a SIT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't yet have a project page up on the DGS website.

https://dgs.dc.gov/page/dgs-school-projects

First step would be the Eaton community putting together a SIT.

Plain English, please.

[Anonymous]

School Improvement Team - a group of parents and school leaders / admins who work with DGS (department of general services) to plan the renovation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School Improvement Team - a group of parents and school leaders / admins who work with DGS (department of general services) to plan the renovation.

From DCPS -- https://sites.google.com/a/dc.gov/dcps-school-modernizations/about-our-organization

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School Improvement Team - a group of parents and school leaders / admins who work with DGS (department of general services) to plan the renovation.

SIT requires the project to have funding approval and a DGS project team assigned. Is Eaton that far along in modernization planning? It's intended to be a source of input in design phase of project.

[Anonymous]

Dear Eaton parents:

Your school's renovation will start in 2021 and finish in 2023 after Bowwow kicks the can down the road a few times because she doesn't give a fat flying fuck about Ward 3.

Signed

A Murch parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dear Eaton parents:

Your school's renovation will start in 2021 and finish in 2023 after Bowwow kicks the can down the road a few times because she doesn't give a fat flying fuck about Ward 3.

Signed

A Murch parent

Awesome . . . until you whiffed on the last bit. You Ward 3 people slay me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School Improvement Team - a group of parents and school leaders / admins who work with DGS (department of general services) to plan the renovation.

SIT requires the project to have funding approval and a DGS project team assigned. Is Eaton that far along in modernization planning? It's intended to be a source of input in design phase of project.

When does the school/community outreach and the preliminary design phase begin? If DGS rushes Eaton without a plan just because Cheh wants it done before her homeless shelter opens, DC will screw it up royally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School Improvement Team - a group of parents and school leaders / admins who work with DGS (department of general services) to plan the renovation.

SIT requires the project to have funding approval and a DGS project team assigned. Is Eaton that far along in modernization planning? It's intended to be a source of input in design phase of project.

DC will screw it up royally.

FTFY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School Improvement Team - a group of parents and school leaders / admins who work with DGS (department of general services) to plan the renovation.

SIT requires the project to have funding approval and a DGS project team assigned. Is Eaton that far along in modernization planning? It's intended to be a source of input in design phase of project.

No, it doesn't. Even if the official DC folks aren't on board, the school can set up the school, parent, and community members now and start meeting with or without DCPS/DGS. They can set up their internal communications systems, start thinking about what they want to keep and what isn't' working, start talking to other schools' SITs to find out what to expect, start touring buildings to see what's possible, etc. They can start learning now so that they are better able to provide that input to the design phase.

[Anonymous]

I've heard nothing beyond Cheh's announcement and a brief email from the school the acknowledged her announcement.

From asking many of my fellow parents, administrators, etc., it seems clear to me that no one knows anything.

I'm giving it a less than zero chance of breaking ground at the end of this school year and being finished in time for opening 14 months later.

At this point they'd have 9 months to - get community input, RPF for an architect, draw up the plans, approve the plans, get the historical committee approval if anything involves the façade of the school, and RPF for a contractor to actually do the project; not to mention identify and secure a swing space - to be able to break ground in June.

I mean, perhaps others have a higher opinion than I do about how long it takes to get stuff done in DC, but I just can't see that happening. And then to finish everything up in time to open in school year 2019?

[Anonymous]

Argh, RFP, not RPF

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't Mary Cheh promise that John Eaton E.S. would be fully renovated before the Cathedral Commons (Idaho Ave.) homeless shelter opens? If so, what are the plans? Has DCPS provided any scope on additional classroom seats, new multipurpose space, parking, design goals, etc.? Based on reports of renovations at Janney, Murch, Lafayette, Ellington, etc., good planning takes time and a rushed process usually runs into pitfalls.

With the $25 million she "found," there is legit no chance Eaton gets parking. It would have to go underground. $25 million to excavate underground and actually do anything of substance to the interior space just isn't going to cut it. And there really isn't anywhere on Eaton's property to create either additional seats (which I would argue it doesn't need since I think the school shook out at 60ish percent IB last year) or add a proper cafeteria separate from the current multipurpose room. They'd have to eat the playground, which is already small compared to other public schools and frankly, I'd rather my kid stay with the current not ideal space inside than have even less space to play outside.

[Anonymous]

DGS is apparently really good at contracting interior-only renovations. They can get that done in a single summer.