Using Ellington to alleviate overcrowding

[Anonymous]

Ellington has 2 parts to its overpriced building. The academic part is used for 1/2 the day, then the arts part for the other half. Right now it is academics in the first half, arts through the evening.

If the schedule were reversed to be arts first, then the academic building could be used by regular HS students for half the day, and Ellington students the othe half.

It is crazy that this expensive building lies unused for so much of the day. Lets put a small academic or other magnet there too to better serve DC students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ellington has 2 parts to its overpriced building. The academic part is used for 1/2 the day, then the arts part for the other half. Right now it is academics in the first half, arts through the evening.

If the schedule were reversed to be arts first, then the academic building could be used by regular HS students for half the day, and Ellington students the othe half.

It is crazy that this expensive building lies unused for so much of the day. Lets put a small academic or other magnet there too to better serve DC students.

The school capacity is 600 students. There are 570 there now.

The Ellington school day is 9 hours long. Arts don’t start until 245 and go until 545.

It is not underutilized. Go for a tour and confirm for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Education is very politicized. For the past 40 years in DC the drop-down fights have been over which schools got closed as the student population shrunk. Over the next few years it's going to be over how to deal with the ballooning population. Unfortunately our political framework is still stuck in the days when hoarding resources was a winning strategy.

[Anonymous]

This makes less sense than arguing Wilson is overcrowded, let’s cut the school day to 4 hours, team A will learn from 8:45-12:45 and team B will learn from 1-5. At least in that scenario all kids would get at least 4 hours of academics. Still a bad idea but not quite as bad.

[Anonymous]

The out of boundary crowding is your issue. Not Ellington underuse. Either no boundaries and lottery favoring the disadvantaged or cut off out of boundary access. Not this failed crowded system.

[Anonymous]

Give half the buikding to Ellington and then re-open a community-serving Western high school in the other half. That will be a homecoming of sorts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ellington has 2 parts to its overpriced building. The academic part is used for 1/2 the day, then the arts part for the other half. Right now it is academics in the first half, arts through the evening.

If the schedule were reversed to be arts first, then the academic building could be used by regular HS students for half the day, and Ellington students the othe half.

It is crazy that this expensive building lies unused for so much of the day. Lets put a small academic or other magnet there too to better serve DC students.

Yes, it makes no sense, but DE is full of AAs coming from all over the place, so good luck my friend!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ellington has 2 parts to its overpriced building. The academic part is used for 1/2 the day, then the arts part for the other half. Right now it is academics in the first half, arts through the evening.

If the schedule were reversed to be arts first, then the academic building could be used by regular HS students for half the day, and Ellington students the othe half.

It is crazy that this expensive building lies unused for so much of the day. Lets put a small academic or other magnet there too to better serve DC students.

+ a million

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ellington has 2 parts to its overpriced building. The academic part is used for 1/2 the day, then the arts part for the other half. Right now it is academics in the first half, arts through the evening.

If the schedule were reversed to be arts first, then the academic building could be used by regular HS students for half the day, and Ellington students the othe half.

It is crazy that this expensive building lies unused for so much of the day. Lets put a small academic or other magnet there too to better serve DC students.

+ a million

Agree in theory. The school is currently at 94% capacity. So room for only a 30 or so more. It maybe with creative planning and thinking space could be better used, offer seats that scheduled differently.

[Anonymous]

What is the point? There are high schools with lots of space available all day long all over the city. Exactly what program would you be squeezing into the unused hour of academic time that is best done here.

I am not an Ellington parent or booster, but this ”plan” is not a plan at all as the school is not underutilized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This makes less sense than arguing Wilson is overcrowded, let’s cut the school day to 4 hours, team A will learn from 8:45-12:45 and team B will learn from 1-5. At least in that scenario all kids would get at least 4 hours of academics. Still a bad idea but not quite as bad.

LOL great analogy for this. We can also utilize space at Walls when students are taking courses at GW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ellington has 2 parts to its overpriced building. The academic part is used for 1/2 the day, then the arts part for the other half. Right now it is academics in the first half, arts through the evening.

If the schedule were reversed to be arts first, then the academic building could be used by regular HS students for half the day, and Ellington students the othe half.

It is crazy that this expensive building lies unused for so much of the day. Lets put a small academic or other magnet there too to better serve DC students.

FFS have you even set foot in Ellington?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ellington has 2 parts to its overpriced building. The academic part is used for 1/2 the day, then the arts part for the other half. Right now it is academics in the first half, arts through the evening.

If the schedule were reversed to be arts first, then the academic building could be used by regular HS students for half the day, and Ellington students the othe half.

It is crazy that this expensive building lies unused for so much of the day. Lets put a small academic or other magnet there too to better serve DC students.

The school capacity is 600 students. There are 570 there now.

The Ellington school day is 9 hours long. Arts don’t start until 245 and go until 545.

It is not underutilized. Go for a tour and confirm for yourself.

Then DCPS can close Fillmore and use the arts side of Ellington for elementary arts classes before 2:45. Change Fillmore to an arts-focused elementary without a boundary, or use it for self-contained special ed classes since there are relatively few WOTP, or offer PK there, or some of each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ellington has 2 parts to its overpriced building. The academic part is used for 1/2 the day, then the arts part for the other half. Right now it is academics in the first half, arts through the evening.

If the schedule were reversed to be arts first, then the academic building could be used by regular HS students for half the day, and Ellington students the othe half.

It is crazy that this expensive building lies unused for so much of the day. Lets put a small academic or other magnet there too to better serve DC students.

FFS have you even set foot in Ellington?

I have. It’s a friggin’ $200 million+ Taj Mahal, paid for by DC taxpayers, to serve PG County kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ellington has 2 parts to its overpriced building. The academic part is used for 1/2 the day, then the arts part for the other half. Right now it is academics in the first half, arts through the evening.

If the schedule were reversed to be arts first, then the academic building could be used by regular HS students for half the day, and Ellington students the othe half.

It is crazy that this expensive building lies unused for so much of the day. Lets put a small academic or other magnet there too to better serve DC students.

FFS have you even set foot in Ellington?

I have. It’s a friggin’ $200 million+ Taj Mahal, paid for by DC taxpayers, to serve PG County kids.

The cost of the building doesn’t matter here. Those are sunk costs. Let it go.

The school is not under capacity, unlike dozens of other DCPS schools. Co-locate an elementary or MS at Ballou, Cardozo or someplace that isn’t designed for and is a successful arts school.

I don’t think you see or appreciate the value of an arts-focused school, which serves mostly Black and Hispanic students.