DCI expansion and facility space

[Anonymous]

People often say on this board that DCI will expand to take more kids from the expanded feeders. I'm curious what actual basis there is for that belief, and is it possible to fit more kids into the current facility or would it require a different arrangement?

[Anonymous]

DCI admin recently said at a PCSB parent advisory meeting that replication (charter-speak for expansion) is not on the table for the foreseeable future. They said they still need to perfect their model.

The building they have will not accommodate more students (keep in mind they do not yet have any seniors in the building, and the current HS classes are not as large as the current MS classes (no MV alums are in high school yet).

If they ever decided to replicate they would need an additional building. And no, there are no other surplus buildings available on the old Walter Reed campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCI admin recently said at a PCSB parent advisory meeting that replication (charter-speak for expansion) is not on the table for the foreseeable future. They said they still need to perfect their model.

The building they have will not accommodate more students (keep in mind they do not yet have any seniors in the building, and the current HS classes are not as large as the current MS classes (no MV alums are in high school yet).

If they ever decided to replicate they would need an additional building. And no, there are no other surplus buildings available on the old Walter Reed campus.

Thank you PP. I guess I'm curious if there's room to expand within the building at all (like with an addition or renovating) rather than replicating like making a whole separate school. But it sounds like they're going to max out their stated enrollment matrix and that's that, for now? (1450 total, starting with 255 6th graders and attrition-ing down to 168 seniors)

Here is the enrollment matrix if anyone is curious. https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/DCI-Charter%20Amendment%20Application-New%20Location%20%288.1.16%29.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI admin recently said at a PCSB parent advisory meeting that replication (charter-speak for expansion) is not on the table for the foreseeable future. They said they still need to perfect their model.

The building they have will not accommodate more students (keep in mind they do not yet have any seniors in the building, and the current HS classes are not as large as the current MS classes (no MV alums are in high school yet).

If they ever decided to replicate they would need an additional building. And no, there are no other surplus buildings available on the old Walter Reed campus.

Thank you PP. I guess I'm curious if there's room to expand within the building at all (like with an addition or renovating) rather than replicating like making a whole separate school. But it sounds like they're going to max out their stated enrollment matrix and that's that, for now? (1450 total, starting with 255 6th graders and attrition-ing down to 168 seniors)

Here is the enrollment matrix if anyone is curious. https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/DCI-Charter%20Amendment%20Application-New%20Location%20%288.1.16%29.pdf

Even expanding by just 30 students per grade would add 270 students through 12th. I also don’t think the attrition will happen so it will be crowded in their current space.

The Walter Reed complex is literally all spoken for and parceled out although the entire redevelopment is to supposed to be completed in about 17-18 years. The area behind the school will remain a road, and the area to the east is slated to become community space — latest plan is for an outdoor pool (planning money is in the current city budget proposal), a dog park and space for an arts nonprofit. The corner of Aspen and Georgia will be a new lower-income senior housing facility that will be finished soon (they are taking lease applications).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI admin recently said at a PCSB parent advisory meeting that replication (charter-speak for expansion) is not on the table for the foreseeable future. They said they still need to perfect their model.

The building they have will not accommodate more students (keep in mind they do not yet have any seniors in the building, and the current HS classes are not as large as the current MS classes (no MV alums are in high school yet).

If they ever decided to replicate they would need an additional building. And no, there are no other surplus buildings available on the old Walter Reed campus.

Thank you PP. I guess I'm curious if there's room to expand within the building at all (like with an addition or renovating) rather than replicating like making a whole separate school. But it sounds like they're going to max out their stated enrollment matrix and that's that, for now? (1450 total, starting with 255 6th graders and attrition-ing down to 168 seniors)

Here is the enrollment matrix if anyone is curious. https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/DCI-Charter%20Amendment%20Application-New%20Location%20%288.1.16%29.pdf

Even expanding by just 30 students per grade would add 270 students through 12th. I also don’t think the attrition will happen so it will be crowded in their current space.

The Walter Reed complex is literally all spoken for and parceled out although the entire redevelopment is to supposed to be completed in about 17-18 years. The area behind the school will remain a road, and the area to the east is slated to become community space — latest plan is for an outdoor pool (planning money is in the current city budget proposal), a dog park and space for an arts nonprofit. The corner of Aspen and Georgia will be a new lower-income senior housing facility that will be finished soon (they are taking lease applications).

Thanks PP, you are so knowledgeable! I have to assume there will be some attrition into SWW at least though, and there are always people who move for reasons unrelated to schools...

What happens when a school plans for attrition and then there isn't attrition and they go over their enrollment cap? Do they have to get a variance or something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCI admin recently said at a PCSB parent advisory meeting that replication (charter-speak for expansion) is not on the table for the foreseeable future. They said they still need to perfect their model.

The building they have will not accommodate more students (keep in mind they do not yet have any seniors in the building, and the current HS classes are not as large as the current MS classes (no MV alums are in high school yet).

If they ever decided to replicate they would need an additional building. And no, there are no other surplus buildings available on the old Walter Reed campus.

Why aren’t there any MV kids in high school yet? Didn’t they open same year as ITS it one year after? ITS has sent two grades to high school already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI admin recently said at a PCSB parent advisory meeting that replication (charter-speak for expansion) is not on the table for the foreseeable future. They said they still need to perfect their model.

The building they have will not accommodate more students (keep in mind they do not yet have any seniors in the building, and the current HS classes are not as large as the current MS classes (no MV alums are in high school yet).

If they ever decided to replicate they would need an additional building. And no, there are no other surplus buildings available on the old Walter Reed campus.

Why aren’t there any MV kids in high school yet? Didn’t they open same year as ITS it one year after? ITS has sent two grades to high school already.

Never mind. I think I remember that they didn’t start with same oldest grade as ITS.

[Anonymous]

However if LAMB moves out there would be some extra room.

[Anonymous]

To 21:36 yes they could seek an adjustment to the ceiling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:However if LAMB moves out there would be some extra room.

Not much when you consider than LAMB has no more than 150 students there. Spread that across the 7 grades (6-12) and that is only about 20 more per grade.

DCI has also said they would be happy to take over the LAMB portion for its current enrollment.

[Anonymous]

Is it acceptable to laugh at all the parents who went with language based HRCS DCI Feeders “secure a path through high school?”

Eastern awaits!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI admin recently said at a PCSB parent advisory meeting that replication (charter-speak for expansion) is not on the table for the foreseeable future. They said they still need to perfect their model.

The building they have will not accommodate more students (keep in mind they do not yet have any seniors in the building, and the current HS classes are not as large as the current MS classes (no MV alums are in high school yet).

If they ever decided to replicate they would need an additional building. And no, there are no other surplus buildings available on the old Walter Reed campus.

Thank you PP. I guess I'm curious if there's room to expand within the building at all (like with an addition or renovating) rather than replicating like making a whole separate school. But it sounds like they're going to max out their stated enrollment matrix and that's that, for now? (1450 total, starting with 255 6th graders and attrition-ing down to 168 seniors)

Here is the enrollment matrix if anyone is curious. https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/DCI-Charter%20Amendment%20Application-New%20Location%20%288.1.16%29.pdf

Even expanding by just 30 students per grade would add 270 students through 12th. I also don’t think the attrition will happen so it will be crowded in their current space.

The Walter Reed complex is literally all spoken for and parceled out although the entire redevelopment is to supposed to be completed in about 17-18 years. The area behind the school will remain a road, and the area to the east is slated to become community space — latest plan is for an outdoor pool (planning money is in the current city budget proposal), a dog park and space for an arts nonprofit. The corner of Aspen and Georgia will be a new lower-income senior housing facility that will be finished soon (they are taking lease applications).

Sorry kids - you can’t go to high school because seniors need inexpensive housing! And also dog parks and a useless arts nonprofit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it acceptable to laugh at all the parents who went with language based HRCS DCI Feeders “secure a path through high school?”

Eastern awaits!

Anyone with kids in 1st and above has a fairly secure spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCI admin recently said at a PCSB parent advisory meeting that replication (charter-speak for expansion) is not on the table for the foreseeable future. They said they still need to perfect their model.

The building they have will not accommodate more students (keep in mind they do not yet have any seniors in the building, and the current HS classes are not as large as the current MS classes (no MV alums are in high school yet).

If they ever decided to replicate they would need an additional building. And no, there are no other surplus buildings available on the old Walter Reed campus.

Thank you PP. I guess I'm curious if there's room to expand within the building at all (like with an addition or renovating) rather than replicating like making a whole separate school. But it sounds like they're going to max out their stated enrollment matrix and that's that, for now? (1450 total, starting with 255 6th graders and attrition-ing down to 168 seniors)

Here is the enrollment matrix if anyone is curious. https://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/report/DCI-Charter%20Amendment%20Application-New%20Location%20%288.1.16%29.pdf

Even expanding by just 30 students per grade would add 270 students through 12th. I also don’t think the attrition will happen so it will be crowded in their current space.

The Walter Reed complex is literally all spoken for and parceled out although the entire redevelopment is to supposed to be completed in about 17-18 years. The area behind the school will remain a road, and the area to the east is slated to become community space — latest plan is for an outdoor pool (planning money is in the current city budget proposal), a dog park and space for an arts nonprofit. The corner of Aspen and Georgia will be a new lower-income senior housing facility that will be finished soon (they are taking lease applications).

Sorry kids - you can’t go to high school because seniors need inexpensive housing! And also dog parks and a useless arts nonprofit.

There are plenty of places to send your kid to high school. I can take or leave the dog park and non-profit but I do think seniors need affordable housing. They’re members of the community too.

[Anonymous]

The Walter Reed facility belongs to the entire community —- and stakeholders have been working for YEARS with the developer and the city to determine what will happen there.

The point re the dog park etc is to show that plans are far along — and that the area adjacent to the school (for the addition OP was imagining) is spoken for.

Other portions of the complex will be a research facility for Children’s Hospital, the State Department, and a grocery store, and other housing. The pool is being built as part of the city’s commitment to an outdoor option in each ward, and the dog park was a request from Takoma and Shepherd Park neighbors.

Parents of children do not get first dibs on everything in the city. Delano Hall was expanded by DCI and was one of the first uses approved.