Anonymous wrote: I’ve heard that Brent is overcrowded and needs a remodel too, they but have better teachers.

Brent's "crowding" is basically the 1st and K bubble classes. There aren't as many little kids coming up the chain as there were just several years ago. Fewer in-boundary families are putting in for ECE each year now - the red hot Hill SE real estate market is simply pricing many young families out of the tiny Brent District. There's not a lot of inventory for 3-bedroom houses in the catchment area, or even 2 bedrooms, even if you can afford 900K+.

Brent could certainly use a remodel, like most DCPS schools, but the situation is hardly desperate. Nice big colored windows put in last summer have helped, along with an elevator.

Anonymous wrote:Just as a warning- we pulled #3 in the initial waitlist for PK 4 last year at SWS, and never got an offer! Moved as low and 2 and as high as 5, but never got off the wait list. Hope your luck is better than ours!

This. If you actually get into SWS, I'd go, but otherwise, I'd go to Peabody and then switch to Brent if you go IB.

I’ve heard that Brent is overcrowded and needs a remodel too, they but have better teachers.

Bad.

Anonymous wrote:^^ in terms of the above, at this stage it’s definitely sheer speculation that SWS would swing to the Monument building site. I would speculate that another Charter locating there, such as Latin, is more likely.

Who owns the building?

Monument occupies the former Gibbs Elementary school (DCPS) which was closed in the first round of closures under Michelle Rhee. It was renovated and leased in 2014 for charter use but DGS still owns the building. Gibbs once served ~430 students, but Monument operated a weekday boarding program for at risk youth and the building has been divided into residential and classroom components (it only served 115 students). The classrooms are somewhat small by design. The outdoor parking lot is ample and could accommodate a fair number of trailers if needed. Rosedale field and playground is adjacent.

It almost seems like it would need an entire modernization just to make it work as a swing space even though it's otherwise in decent shape. That may be the biggest red flag.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just know that SWS will be in swing location during modernization in 2020-1 and 2021-2 school years. Site is not yet known but school community is pushing DCPS hard for something either on or near Cap Hill. There's some speculation that the shuttered Monument Academy building (Kingman Park) could be in play but it's hard to project -- Monument enrollment was around 115 but it also had a residential component which could be converted to classrooms (no idea of square footage or feasibility). The swing space will serve (consecutively not concurrently) SWS, Browne EC, and JO Wilson, so it needs to accommodate at least 500 students. DCPS has informed school community that the swing space will not be in the existing site of Maury Village.

Really? But SWS refurbished their building by Sherwood not five years back. It seems so soon for a two-year modernization on top of a recent modernization.

SWS has definitely never been modernized. Have you been inside? They've had a desperately needed elevator replacement and a new AC system but that's it.

^^This

Goding was supposed to be refurbished before SWS was relocated there in 2013 but DCPS made minor cosmetic changes instead. DCPS flat-out lied in promising in 2013 phase 1 modernization that never came.

The building conditions are appalling. New HVAC was installed two years ago because the old system was well beyond useful life and indoor temperatures were hitting mid 90s in warm months. There have been repeated flooding/plumbing issues, rodent infestation etc. The class rooms are divided awkwardly resulting in inefficient space usage -- both underused and overcrowded spaces.

The building has good natural light and the windows were updated at some point pre 2013 (ie not original) I looks better cosmetically than it actually is. Sherwood playground is newish but it's a DPR facility and shared with community. Sherwood/DPR oversight of the playground and field is pretty blah.

+1 the recent “modernization” included adding sprinklers and fixing doors so it wasn’t a fire death trap. The building wasn’t up to code when they moved SWS in. DCPS should be ashamed, but it never is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just know that SWS will be in swing location during modernization in 2020-1 and 2021-2 school years. Site is not yet known but school community is pushing DCPS hard for something either on or near Cap Hill. There's some speculation that the shuttered Monument Academy building (Kingman Park) could be in play but it's hard to project -- Monument enrollment was around 115 but it also had a residential component which could be converted to classrooms (no idea of square footage or feasibility). The swing space will serve (consecutively not concurrently) SWS, Browne EC, and JO Wilson, so it needs to accommodate at least 500 students. DCPS has informed school community that the swing space will not be in the existing site of Maury Village.

Really? But SWS refurbished their building by Sherwood not five years back. It seems so soon for a two-year modernization on top of a recent modernization.

SWS has definitely never been modernized. Have you been inside? They've had a desperately needed elevator replacement and a new AC system but that's it.

Anonymous wrote:Not buying it, unless this happened at least five years ago. SWS current takes no more than 6 or 7% of applicants for PreK4 and Brent takes none OOB for PreS3, PreK4 and none OOB without siblings for K.

My kid got off the waitlist this year for K at Brent. OOB with a proximity preference.

Anonymous wrote:^^ in terms of the above, at this stage it’s definitely sheer speculation that SWS would swing to the Monument building site. I would speculate that another Charter locating there, such as Latin, is more likely.

Who owns the building?

DCPS owns the building and it was leased to Monument. It is speculation. The swing space needs to serve 3 school communities all located in NE WOTR over a span of at least 6 years. One of those communities has 500 students enrolled and the others 300 each.

No idea what will become of Monument, but it seems like a terrible candidate for a comprehensive MS like Latin. Monument served 6-8 but it was for at risk students and something like a halfway house for troubled kids. The only outdoor space is nearby Rosedale rec center. That could work for elementary school but less suited to MS. Latin is nearly certain to be heading EOTR in Ward 7/8

Anonymous wrote:Just know that SWS will be in swing location during modernization in 2020-1 and 2021-2 school years. Site is not yet known but school community is pushing DCPS hard for something either on or near Cap Hill. There's some speculation that the shuttered Monument Academy building (Kingman Park) could be in play but it's hard to project -- Monument enrollment was around 115 but it also had a residential component which could be converted to classrooms (no idea of square footage or feasibility). The swing space will serve (consecutively not concurrently) SWS, Browne EC, and JO Wilson, so it needs to accommodate at least 500 students. DCPS has informed school community that the swing space will not be in the existing site of Maury Village.

Really? But SWS refurbished their building by Sherwood not five years back. It seems so soon for a two-year modernization on top of a recent modernization.

Just chiming in to say I'm jealous of you OP! We are inbounds for Peabody and didn't get in to PK3 last year or PK4 this year. And the waitlist is not moving (well not in the right direction, at least - we moved 4 spots in the wrong direction before May 1 and haven't moved at all since May 1).

^^ in terms of the above, at this stage it’s definitely sheer speculation that SWS would swing to the Monument building site. I would speculate that another Charter locating there, such as Latin, is more likely.

Who owns the building?

Just know that SWS will be in swing location during modernization in 2020-1 and 2021-2 school years. Site is not yet known but school community is pushing DCPS hard for something either on or near Cap Hill. There's some speculation that the shuttered Monument Academy building (Kingman Park) could be in play but it's hard to project -- Monument enrollment was around 115 but it also had a residential component which could be converted to classrooms (no idea of square footage or feasibility). The swing space will serve (consecutively not concurrently) SWS, Browne EC, and JO Wilson, so it needs to accommodate at least 500 students. DCPS has informed school community that the swing space will not be in the existing site of Maury Village.

Anonymous wrote:I would take the SWS spot and move somewhere cheaper than IB for Brent.

I have had kids at SWS for years (since the Peabody days!) and I think this is the best option. BUT if the move inbounds for Brent does happen, and is the best thing for your family, I think you should absolutely switch to Brent. I love the sense of community you get from being walkable to your school and having all your neighbor kids attend that same school.