Reply to Solving the Wilson Feeder crisis

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]I think a more likely scenario is DCPS abandons a neighborhood-based school system and goes all-lottery.[/b]

Already, over three-quarters of the kids in public school don't go to their in-boundary school. Add in the private school kids and it's more like four-fifths.

The Wilson feeder pattern is projected to grow by 33% between now and 2027, adding 3190 students. No school in the pattern will grow less than 22%. Shifting boundaries won't solve the problem, because there aren't nearby schools with capacity. The schools with capacity are in the eastern part of the city.

The answer is build more schools or send the kids elsewhere. [/quote]

The city can't afford the mass exodus from high-priced real estate in ward 3 that would be an inevitable consequence of this approach. Nor do I think that any of us can tolerate the massive increase in traffic that would result. Ward 3 families are definitely not a DCPS priority, but these consequences are too obvious to ignore.

I'd like to see a ward 3 charter or city-wide lottery middle school that has strong academics (but is not test-in) and that has a serious arts focus, with perhaps a slightly longer school day to ensure that academics aren't sacrificed. This could serve as a feeder school to Duke Ellington and could siphon off some kids from Deal and Hardy (we are IB for Hardy but would consider an arts-focused middle school for sure as long as the academics were also strong). For high school, students could continue to Duke Ellington, attend their IB high schools, or try for a test-in high school like Banneker or Walls. This school could also help to ensure that Duke Ellington is both filled with qualified DC (not VA and MD) kids and that kids enter with more advanced academic credentials, hopefully allowing for a better academic experience than Duke Ellington is currently able to offer.

I have no ideas, however, about where such a school could be built. The old Hardy on Foxhall Road is nowhere near metro so could be a difficult commute for MS-aged kids trying to use public transportation. (It is on a bus route.) I actually wonder if there might be room within the Duke Ellington school itself, which is enormous (an entire city block!) given the student population.[/quote]

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