I'm glad I graduated from Walls before FS convinced DCPS to merge the schools.

This merger has been pushed for YEARS. I remember every year hearing more and more rumors about how Walls would merge with FS or have a grade move over to the FS building.

Finally FS managed to take advantage of a bad situation to force Walls to accept them and seriously hurt (maybe permanately) one of the good, college prep public high schools in the city for their own gain.

Congrats FS, you got what you wanted.

Not really. SWW is already close to 600 and that's where it's supposedly going to end up, according to DCPS and the principal. FS only has room for about half a grade- 75 students. No one at the HS wants a small segment of a grade sent over there- it's not good for the students or the staff. However, there is concern that if FS does not meet enrollment projections, DCPS could make some other drastic change to the HS about its enrollment. The HS success is due in large part to its size. DCPS does not understand that.

Anonymous wrote:Aside from the principal, no one at the HS, especially the students and staff, want to split off a small group and go to FS. The HS is fighting hard to stay located in one place. The only reason FS wants the HS students there is to keep their school open - not because it's good for the HS students. The HS students have not been considered at all in this merger.

Would having some HS students at FS allow SWW to expand enrollment?

Aside from the principal, no one at the HS, especially the students and staff, want to split off a small group and go to FS. The HS is fighting hard to stay located in one place. The only reason FS wants the HS students there is to keep their school open - not because it's good for the HS students. The HS students have not been considered at all in this merger.

Anonymous wrote:Once again Richard Trogisch is telling FS parents something different than what he tells SWWHS parents. Last night he said that SWWHS would have 585 enrollment when he only recently reassured SWWHS parents with Thomas Anderson, DCPS Superintendent sitting in the room that SWWHS would cap at 550.

He also said that SWWHS students would take classes at FS. In a letter from John Davis of DCPS dated May 13, 2013, Mr. Davis stated that no SWWHS students would go to FS this school year.

I heard him say that there would be no students there in the next academic year (2013-2014) but then he hoped there would be students there after that.

Once again Richard Trogisch is telling FS parents something different than what he tells SWWHS parents. Last night he said that SWWHS would have 585 enrollment when he only recently reassured SWWHS parents with Thomas Anderson, DCPS Superintendent sitting in the room that SWWHS would cap at 550.

He also said that SWWHS students would take classes at FS. In a letter from John Davis of DCPS dated May 13, 2013, Mr. Davis stated that no SWWHS students would go to FS this school year.

Anyone go this evening? Reflections?

PP: Amen!!!

Combining the two schools at all continues to be a stupid idea. Why can't the parents of FS just get behind creating their own great school without dragging SWW into the mess. HS is a really important time to prepare for college. It isn't the moment for DCPS to f-up a great program with budget problems, a Principal covering two campuses, and carting high school students around on a bus just to give another school "legitimacy".

FS is not IB for Wilson, it feeds to Cardozo. Here's the link from DCPS website:

http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/schoolchanges

The devil is the details.

DCPS has promised that SWW high school would not be hurt by the proposed merger. However, SWWHS is already sharing a principal with the principal having to spend more of his time with FS out of necessity. SWWHS would like to have a principal or an associate principal who can make decisions independent of the principal when he is at the FS campus.

The budgets have been combined. FS is under enrolled and will have a budget shortfall and SWW high school parents wonder if the high school budget will suffer. Couple that with the fact the DCPS gave up title one funds with the proposed merger and the SWWHS HSA has worked very hard to raise funds when there is a shortfall at the high school.

Also because FS is under enrolled the FS parents are pushing very hard for SWWHS students to have classes at FS to legitimize their school, which is almost a mile away crossing busy avenues and a circle. High school students do not want to make the trek to go to school with small children and SWWHS students are just that, high school students, who experiment with language and talk about subjects inappropriate for smaller children. DCPS has suggested a bus to take students back and forth which may cost as little as 80k a year.

Only the tip of the details ice berg.

th

Anonymous wrote:The K-8 Program does not feed to SWW HS. FS feeds to Cardozo HS.

That is correct, though Foggy Bottom itself is IB for Wilson, not Cardozo. (At least currently)

The K-8 Program does not feed to SWW HS. FS feeds to Cardozo HS.