Peabody damaged?

[Anonymous]

Hearing a few months back that an upper floor ceiling collapsed at Peabody, leading to catastrophic flooding and destroying most of the school's interior. But there's zero information about it anywhere. How bad is it? Will the school be able to reopen in the fall? (assuming DCPS reopens in the fall?)

[Anonymous]

Where are you “hearing” this?

[Anonymous]

This was sent on Dec 7:

Hi Peabody Families,



We hope this message finds you well. Please find the below update regarding Peabody from the Department of General Services (DGS).



Since the September 28, 2020 incident at Peabody Elementary School (Peabody), the Department of General Services (DGS) in coordination with the Office of Risk Management (ORM) and the DC Public School (DCPS) have worked to identify remediation strategies to return the facility back to use for DCPS and its tenants. To date, the District and its contractors are working to stabilize the facility, so that restoration of the school can commence in 2021.



Due to the current state of the facility, DGS is only permitting limited entry for individuals who are working on remediation, restoration and/or stabilization of Peabody. DGS and DCPS have created a process for teachers and/or staff who would like to retrieve any personal belongings from the facility. DCPS will provide teacher and/or staff names, location of the item(s), location in the classroom and then DGS staff will work to retrieve the item(s) in a timely matter. Please note, ORM will determine what items can be removed from the facility due to its state. The focus of DGS, both Facilities Maintenance Division (FMD) and Capital Construction Division (CCD) is to restore the facility to its original state prior to September’s incident. Presently, FMD is working through the final pieces of remediation to stabilize the building with the intent to complete this work by early January.



Once the building is stabilized, CCD will be able to begin its work to fully restore the building for a reopening. The agency’s goal is to reopen the building for School Year 2021-2022, contingent on the building conditions and supply chain availability due to COVID-19.



DGS will work with DCPS at every step of the process to ensure that the community is informed of our progress.



​Peabody and Watkins Leadership Team

[Anonymous]

Stabilize the building? There's zero chance the building reopens in fall 2021.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stabilize the building? There's zero chance the building reopens in fall 2021.

Do you work for DGS?

[Anonymous]

Only the top floor wasn’t damaged. The admin is working out of Watkins when they have to go in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stabilize the building? There's zero chance the building reopens in fall 2021.

Do you work for DGS?

No, but do you think they are capable of gut renovating a school in 9 months when they haven’t even started yet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stabilize the building? There's zero chance the building reopens in fall 2021.

Do you work for DGS?

No, but do you think they are capable of gut renovating a school in 9 months when they haven’t even started yet?

Yes. Six years ago, the whole school was fully renovated in 10 weeks. It was one of the last "summer blitz" renovations before DCPS turned to using swing spaces.
As long as DGS and DCPS adhere to a realistic timeline, it will be ready by August 15th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stabilize the building? There's zero chance the building reopens in fall 2021.

Do you work for DGS?

No, but do you think they are capable of gut renovating a school in 9 months when they haven’t even started yet?

Yes. Six years ago, the whole school was fully renovated in 10 weeks. It was one of the last "summer blitz" renovations before DCPS turned to using swing spaces.
As long as DGS and DCPS adhere to a realistic timeline, it will be ready by August 15th.

Peabody was renovated and THEN collapsed? Yikes. Thank god no one was in it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stabilize the building? There's zero chance the building reopens in fall 2021.

Do you work for DGS?

No, but do you think they are capable of gut renovating a school in 9 months when they haven’t even started yet?

Yes. Six years ago, the whole school was fully renovated in 10 weeks. It was one of the last "summer blitz" renovations before DCPS turned to using swing spaces.
As long as DGS and DCPS adhere to a realistic timeline, it will be ready by August 15th.

But that required planning. And wasn't during a pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stabilize the building? There's zero chance the building reopens in fall 2021.

Do you work for DGS?

No, but do you think they are capable of gut renovating a school in 9 months when they haven’t even started yet?

Yes. Six years ago, the whole school was fully renovated in 10 weeks. It was one of the last "summer blitz" renovations before DCPS turned to using swing spaces.
As long as DGS and DCPS adhere to a realistic timeline, it will be ready by August 15th.

But that required planning. And wasn't during a pandemic.

DCPS cannot afford to move the whole school into a swing space AND renovate the building in 2021.
And the building must be repaired.
They know they have to stick to the repair timeline because the swing space option is not an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stabilize the building? There's zero chance the building reopens in fall 2021.

Do you work for DGS?

No, but do you think they are capable of gut renovating a school in 9 months when they haven’t even started yet?

Yes. Six years ago, the whole school was fully renovated in 10 weeks. It was one of the last "summer blitz" renovations before DCPS turned to using swing spaces.
As long as DGS and DCPS adhere to a realistic timeline, it will be ready by August 15th.

But that required planning. And wasn't during a pandemic.

DCPS cannot afford to move the whole school into a swing space AND renovate the building in 2021.
And the building must be repaired.
They know they have to stick to the repair timeline because the swing space option is not an option.

Don’t see it happening in time. I hope I’m wrong. Perhaps renovating the whole school in 10 weeks wasn’t a great plan since, you know, the interior of the building collapsed.

[Anonymous]

put trailers in the field and they will be classrooms until everything is finished. that is what my ES did when I was a kid. i thought it was great but i knew no different for a year.

[Anonymous]

The kids won't be going back to school until they are vaccinated. The vaccines aren't even approved for use in children yet. So I don't think it matters if the building is done in September.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids won't be going back to school until they are vaccinated. The vaccines aren't even approved for use in children yet. So I don't think it matters if the building is done in September.

I’m a big don’t go back until it’s safe person but I think we can go back safely before all kids are vaccinated