DCPS considering moving Hardy to MacArthur Blvd, current Hardy would become a HS

[Anonymous]

Wow. Just received this from our ANC rep in Burleith. This is huge.

Dear Neighbors,
I hope you all weathered the storm* ok.

As you may know, our “in-boundary” high school (Wilson) is popular and increasingly overcrowded. I learned this week that one of the options that DC Public Schools (DCPS) is considering is to move Hardy Middle School and to instead serve high school students at the current Hardy building at 35th & S.

I am the school/education liaison for our ANC Commission and the commissioner representing Hardy. So, I contacted DCPS and they explained that it is a very preliminary option being discussed by a newly formed working group -- and that much more input will be gathered by that group and from all communities and stakeholders before any decisions are made.

The group was picked by DCPS and met for the first time last week. DCPS said they would share the composition of the working group, but I know a few of them. Since I am not on the group (they said they need to keep it small), I will do my best to give you all the information I receive. I know Hardy is a big part of our neighborhood.

Last night, I spoke before the Hardy PTO (parent teacher org) meeting. We heard a presentation from a member of that DCPS working group (a hardy parent). I’ve also spoken with two others at that meeting, including a Hyde-Addison parent who lives in the neighborhood.

I’ve heard that this proposal (move-Hardy) was favorably received by a healthy portion of members of the working group. More Detail - under that scenario, Hardy would move to an about-to-be purchased property at MacArthur & Q (formerly the Georgetown Day School lower campus). I don’t yet have any details about what proposals are being discussed for the potential high school that would theoretically open at the current Hardy site, but I heard there were questions about playing field space. I also don't know about the possible timeline, but am told it would likely take a few years. But I can/will ask.

The second option presented to address Wilson overcrowding was:
To open a high school at the old GDS site instead of at the current Hardy site.

But they are apparently open to other ideas too. They say they will be posting information soon and I will share it when I get it.

Your neighbor,
Kishan Putta
Commissioner, ANC 2E01
Burleith, Georgetown, Hillandale

[Anonymous]

Yea. In 2030 maybe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yea. In 2030 maybe.

At least DCPS is finally acknowledging reality. They and the Mayor have been gaslighting parents about overcrowding in the Wilson catchment for at least the last decade. In 2017, I was in a community meeting with Bowser and she basically said WOTP doesn’t need another high school.

The headcount projections they are looking at must be huge. There’s a massive baby wave in Burleith right now.

[Anonymous]

Great idea.

[Anonymous]

Very skeptical that we're talking huge numbers of inbound families looking for high school in Ward 2. This is just another continuation of the cross-Rock Creek Park bullshit that keeps the rest of DC from integrating the rest of its high schools.

[Anonymous]

Great. As long as it’s actually open.

[Anonymous]

I'd take it if no children from the rest of DC could go there who do not meet an at-risk category.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd take it if no children from the rest of DC could go there who do not meet an at-risk category.

I’m confused what you are saying PP. can you elaborate?

[Anonymous]

What’s needed is to get students from Wilson into other existing high schools. DCPS has plenty of real estate, just not the programming.

Meanwhile, try to get a bus to old GDS from anywhere but McArthur Blvd. It would mean middle school students could only get there by there parent’s driving, and HS students could only get there by driving themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s needed is to get students from Wilson into other existing high schools. DCPS has plenty of real estate, just not the programming.

Meanwhile, try to get a bus to old GDS from anywhere but McArthur Blvd. It would mean middle school students could only get there by there parent’s driving, and HS students could only get there by driving themselves.

Which is why buying the building, without thinking about how it would be used, was such a waste of money.

[Anonymous]

virtually all of upper-income DC east of Rock Creek Park either puts their kids in Wilson (but for a few private schools and charters) and that is a HUGE factor in its overcrowding. And a major reason why Wilson is overcrowded while, for example, Coolidge's enrollment is anemic and Cardozo's is situated in a hugely expensive neighborhood now and gets none of its neighbors' kids with incomes above the poverty line.

Those who want to maintain access to Wilson will always say BUT BUT BUT you have to keep access to Wilson to prevent the perpetuation of racism and segregation!!!! The underprivileged need Wilson. . . And that's the crutch that upper income families have used in, for example, Ward 4, to keep their kids in Wilson despite its overcrowding and obvious proximity to Roosevelt.

The way to let the problem resolve itself is to allow the mobility options to continue FOR THOSE WHO ARE AT-RISK, not those who simply figured out how to game the system, and DC thankfully has designated categories for whom that works.

[Anonymous]

If you move the current hardy ms to the old GDS - the commute for Eaton families will be very hard. You are going to redistribute some of janney to new Hardy. There are no bus options currently in play and metro will need to add lines.

By keeping hardy where it is - and opening a new high school - give kids who are in hardy and deal the option of where they want to enroll.

The gds location is hard to get to - and the neighborhood is not ready for an influx of teens

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd take it if no children from the rest of DC could go there who do not meet an at-risk category.

40% of DCPS students are at-risk (sadly) so this doesn’t narrow it too much.

[Anonymous]

Narrows it enough for me. A few of our UMC kids at every high school is a big difference in desegregation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s needed is to get students from Wilson into other existing high schools. DCPS has plenty of real estate, just not the programming.

Meanwhile, try to get a bus to old GDS from anywhere but McArthur Blvd. It would mean middle school students could only get there by there parent’s driving, and HS students could only get there by driving themselves.

Which is why buying the building, without thinking about how it would be used, was such a waste of money.

The D6 goes from RFK to Sibley, it runs right past the school. It's a local bus, so it's slow, but it goes past a ton of Metro stations. A lot of people take it to Foggy Bottom and get on the Metro there.