Your argument is that DPR is responsible to all DC residents, not just DCPS students. So the non-DC residents at Maret should not have the same access as the DC residents at Maret. |
Sorry, this is just wrong. The entity charged with supporting students is DCPS. DPR has a different mission. They have different funding, and exists for different purposes. The education of students (and their extracurricular activities) is not the only purpose of a local government. In this instance, both Maret and DCPS are strangers to DPR. I have no issue with, if faced with equivalent offers, DPR is required to prefer DCPS. But I'll wager that isn't the case here. FWIW, this goes both ways. I once dealt with a situation where neighbors wanted unrestricted access to a charter school field, and didn't think that the school should be able to rent it out to soccer leagues in off hours. But the public doesn't have first call on school property. By the same token, schools don't have first call on exclusive use of public parks. The fault here lies with DCPS, first for not providing adequate facilities for students, and then on expecting other city agencies to remedy the failure. |
Taxpayer funded facilities in DC should go to the PUBLIC first -- meaning DCPS first, not to private bidders. |
That's absurd, and you know it. |
DPR is a DC TAX FUNDED ENTITY. It's mission should be to support DC RESIDENT INSTITUIONS AND TAXPAYERS. Not exclusionary private schools. You have a weird idea about government agencies somehow being like individual private competitors in a marketplace. |
Absolutely Hardy wants it because of location! It’s only reasonable that a middle school has a field for practice and games. You act like DCPS and DPR are not part of the same entity. Do you think Maret Middle School would lease out classroom space to third parties while Maret Lower School had class in trailers? Finally, a long-term lease of all prime hours is not making the field to “whoever rents or leases it.” You are trying hard to defend something that makes no sense. Are you a lawyer with children at Maret? |
That's silly. Maret is a DC entity. It has rented the fields. That's enough. Stoddert has teams from Maryland - by this logic, and I'm being generous using that term, those teams shouldn't be permitted to practice or play on DPR (or DCPS) facilities. |
No, Maret is a private school that has been allowed to purchase public facilities and block the public out of them, apparently completely. That's unacceptable in a city with scarce public space. Green space should go #1 to the public schools and open recreation leagues. |
I agree with you. Why doesn't Hardy have its own field? Since it doesn't, it has a field that it has arranged to use. It's just not next door. |
DPR's mission is, "Our Mission. DPR's mission is to promote health and wellness; conserve the natural environment; and provide universal access to parks and recreation services." This arrangement does support DC residents and taxpayers. There's $250,000 that's now available for the maintenance and upkeep of *other* DPR facilities. In fact, if those funds are used in Wards 7 or 8, you could say that this arrangement provides more benefit to the DC residents who need it most, as opposed to being used to benefit WOTP middle schools. |
+1 Why isn't DPR managing the Jelleff field calendar, maximizing profit by renting it to various parties (tons of private schools, sports leagues, AND DCPS). Instead of doing the hard work they are opting to tie up a scarce resource for a decade for frankly pennies on the dollar considering location and possible rental income. It's shameful. |
ugh, exactly. if they aren't willing to actually manage the field for the broader public good, then the second best would be to just give it to Hardy. |
(A) You are embarrassing yourself with your over-reaching justifications. (B) Perhaps instead of DPR granting use to anyone, the DC government should just reassign the Jelleff field from DPR to DCPS/Hardy. Would you feel better about that? |
Purchase? No. Block the public out completely? Again, no. They rented the fields for 10 hours a week, or so. It's your position that all public schools (and I assume this includes charters?) have first crack at all DPR space? And after that, "open" rec leagues? OK, I guess. those rec leagues have to pay to rent the space. Should DCPS? |
I'm not embarrassed at all. And, I've refrained from personal attacks - perhaps you could do the same? If the DC government transfers Jelleff from DPR to DCPS, yes, that would eliminate this issue. I wish you luck convincing them to do that. |