Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 17:08     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:When one considers all of the taxes that Washington-resident Maret families pay to the District, I respectfully submit that you are full of horse hooey.


Maret argument in a nutshell: we're rich so we deserve whatever we want. You poors just need to suck it up.


Hardy in the same league as Deal? Hardly.

Enjoy wallowing in your victimhood.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 16:37     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:When one considers all of the taxes that Washington-resident Maret families pay to the District, I respectfully submit that you are full of horse hooey.


Maret argument in a nutshell: we're rich so we deserve whatever we want. You poors just need to suck it up.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 15:17     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

When one considers all of the taxes that Washington-resident Maret families pay to the District, I respectfully submit that you are full of horse hooey.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 14:26     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Stop crying like you’re poor and all Maret families are rich.


A little perspective. Roughly 75% of the kids in DC as classified as "economically disadvantaged," which means they qualify for free lunch. The income cutoff varies depending on household size, for a household of two -- single parent with one child -- it's around $30K, and for a household of 5 it's in the mid 50's.

Among DC schools, Hardy is one of the more affluent, only 40% of the kids there are economically disadvantaged.

At Maret, financial aid is available for students whose family's household income is below a certain threshold. For a family with one child in private school that threshold is about $225,000, for families with more children it's higher. Three quarters of the students at Maret do not receive financial aid and their families pay the full $39,000 tuition. Financial aid is awarded on a sliding scale based on need, according to Maret's website the average family on financial aid pays $12,000 per year for tuition.

Now, while these numbers are incomplete, they do paint a picture. I will stipulate that no family who is categorized as "economically disadvantaged" can afford to pay $12,000 a year, per child, for tuition. Most of them in fact would be hard-pressed to pay anything. While the Maret community is generous with financial aid, the typical recipient of financial aid is far wealthier than the typical child in DC. If 40% of the kids at Hardy are economically disadvantaged I would also stipulate that the average kid isn't going to be that much better off. There aren't any publicly-available numbers about the economic status of the kids who use Jelleff aftercare, but i would suspect they are mostly typical of the city as a whole.

While almost certainly there are some Hardy families or even B&GC families who are better off than the poorest Maret families, what is undeniable is that the typical families at Hardy, the B&GC and the city as a whole are far, far less affluent than the scholarship kids at Maret -- and those are the "poor" kids.

This deal would still be wrong even if both communities were equally affluent, what really runs counter to Maret's stated values is that they are taking resources from communities that are far less fortunate than themselves.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 14:08     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:Maret employs a lot of District residents who pay taxes. Maret provides substantial financial aid for numerous DC students who attend Maret. It frees up a lot of spots in good Upper Northwest public schools that can be used by EOTP kids. And it preserves and stewards a national historic landmark.


I don't think you're going to find a lot of support for the essential goodness of private schools on the public school forum.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 14:07     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Do you realize Jelleff is not a DCPS facility? Its a DPR. The mission statement for DPR is not to provide DCPS recreation facilities. DPR already priorities use of facilities for DC residents through a fee structure. If Hardy is going to take over Jelleff, the school system should pay for improvements and maintenance for the facility out of Hardy’s budget.



Do you realize that Hardy teams now play and practice at DPR fields? Jelleff just happens to be across the street instead of across the city.



Why doesn't Hardy just use Ellington field? I drive by it a lot and never see anyone playing on it much during school days or after school. It's a short walk away, and then you wouldn't have to whine about poor Hardy for 165+ pages.


That's what the city is trying to do now -- shift management of the Ellington field to DPR from DCPS, and it would be used by Hardy and Ellington, and the rest of the community. However, the idea has run into vocal objections from Burleith neighbors who say that if it is used for recreation by sports leagues and the like (when it isn't being used by one of the schools) it would bring too many cars to their streets. So the proposal is stalled.


So then keep it within the schools rather than opening it to DPR groups, and shift it from Ellington to Hardy or keep it with Ellington but with a simple MOU for Hardy. This isn't rocket science. It would serve Hardy, it doesn't seem like Ellington is using it much, and it keeps peace with the neighborhood.


Jelleff is just a much better field. To bring Ellington up to Jelleff's level would cost millions of dollars. Far more than what Maret is paying to use Jelleff -- which is why this is outrageous.

I'll posit that a fairer deal would have been to say to Maret, thank you for what you did in 2009, but your ten years are up. If you'd like another ten years, let's do the same deal again but at Ellington this time.


If the Hardy parents want a brand new best in class field so much, then raise funds for it - or lobby DCPS for it. Either way, it might require a little effort and industriousness.


Where does access to a public park by public schools require industriousness while for private school it just requires a bribe to Dc councilman/Maret parent/soon to be felon Jack Evans?


So there is no access to a public park for public school kids? Sure. My kids play there all the time. The indoor basketball courts are alway full. The field is in constant demand from youth and adult sports league(soccer, lacrosse, etc). Hardy is a middle school. How many of the 375 students play an outdoor school team sport that require use of a field? Why can’t the few students who want to do school team sports use the Duke Ellington’s unused field? why can’t anyone use the DE Field? it is always empty and no one can reserve it for use.

The public education budget for DC is 2.3 billion. DC DPR has a budget of 56 million. Stop tying to steal facilities from the underfunded DPR. Hardy has an outside play area that includes tennis courts. If Hardy needs more take it out of the 2.3 billion, not out of DPR’s 56 million.


Look I get it why you don't want to talk about the details of the Maret Jelleff deal and would rather talk about anything else under the sun. Because the fact is, outside of the Maret bubble, nobody thins this deal is an appropriate use of public assets. And nobody finds the voluminous talking points -- designed to confuse, rather than illuminate -- persuasive on any level.


+1 If you’re part of Maret’s crisis PR team, tell your boss you need better talking points


The problem isn't the talking points, it's the underlying facts.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 12:07     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Do you realize Jelleff is not a DCPS facility? Its a DPR. The mission statement for DPR is not to provide DCPS recreation facilities. DPR already priorities use of facilities for DC residents through a fee structure. If Hardy is going to take over Jelleff, the school system should pay for improvements and maintenance for the facility out of Hardy’s budget.



Do you realize that Hardy teams now play and practice at DPR fields? Jelleff just happens to be across the street instead of across the city.



Why doesn't Hardy just use Ellington field? I drive by it a lot and never see anyone playing on it much during school days or after school. It's a short walk away, and then you wouldn't have to whine about poor Hardy for 165+ pages.


That's what the city is trying to do now -- shift management of the Ellington field to DPR from DCPS, and it would be used by Hardy and Ellington, and the rest of the community. However, the idea has run into vocal objections from Burleith neighbors who say that if it is used for recreation by sports leagues and the like (when it isn't being used by one of the schools) it would bring too many cars to their streets. So the proposal is stalled.


So then keep it within the schools rather than opening it to DPR groups, and shift it from Ellington to Hardy or keep it with Ellington but with a simple MOU for Hardy. This isn't rocket science. It would serve Hardy, it doesn't seem like Ellington is using it much, and it keeps peace with the neighborhood.


Jelleff is just a much better field. To bring Ellington up to Jelleff's level would cost millions of dollars. Far more than what Maret is paying to use Jelleff -- which is why this is outrageous.

I'll posit that a fairer deal would have been to say to Maret, thank you for what you did in 2009, but your ten years are up. If you'd like another ten years, let's do the same deal again but at Ellington this time.


If the Hardy parents want a brand new best in class field so much, then raise funds for it - or lobby DCPS for it. Either way, it might require a little effort and industriousness.


Where does access to a public park by public schools require industriousness while for private school it just requires a bribe to Dc councilman/Maret parent/soon to be felon Jack Evans?


So there is no access to a public park for public school kids? Sure. My kids play there all the time. The indoor basketball courts are alway full. The field is in constant demand from youth and adult sports league(soccer, lacrosse, etc). Hardy is a middle school. How many of the 375 students play an outdoor school team sport that require use of a field? Why can’t the few students who want to do school team sports use the Duke Ellington’s unused field? why can’t anyone use the DE Field? it is always empty and no one can reserve it for use.

The public education budget for DC is 2.3 billion. DC DPR has a budget of 56 million. Stop tying to steal facilities from the underfunded DPR. Hardy has an outside play area that includes tennis courts. If Hardy needs more take it out of the 2.3 billion, not out of DPR’s 56 million.


Your kids play there "all the time" because they go to Maret and get to use the park after school. DC public school kids and Boys and Girls Club members don't have that access because they don't pay $40k/year to Maret. But you know that already. You're just being dense because you know the only one "stealing facilities" from DC school children is Maret who will pay $95k/year for a facility DC bought 10 years ago for $15 million.


Stop crying like you’re poor and all Maret families are rich. Think of the money that your save by using public schools which all of us pay for. And if money is tight, then next time why not pass up buying the new Air Jordan’s and make a contribution to Jelleff or to your school PTA? Or roll up your sleeves and donate a little sweat equity. Organize a parent brigade to fix up Ellington field. Whiners are losers.


Ok Ian-why don’t you tell your Board to release Jelleff and the community will happily come up with the 95k (aka peanuts) that Maret is paying for exclusive access. And while you’re at it why don’t you have Maret start paying property taxes so it does more than suck the blood out of DC taxpayers.


The more relevant question might be why a school that receives 45k/per pupil per year can’t afford a field of its own. Why doesn’t Maret organize a parent brigade to put in some sweat equity to find a field that doesn’t involve mooching off of DC taxpayers. Maybe then, you wouldn’t have Maret parents whining in the Washington Post that they’re afraid to go to their kids’ games at Jelleff because the whole community hates them.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 12:02     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Maret employs a lot of District residents who pay taxes. Maret provides substantial financial aid for numerous DC students who attend Maret. It frees up a lot of spots in good Upper Northwest public schools that can be used by EOTP kids. And it preserves and stewards a national historic landmark.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 11:37     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Let's stop feeding the Maret clueless person please.

Clearly has no understanding or interaction with anything in the public realm of reality where most of us live...
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 11:33     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Do you realize Jelleff is not a DCPS facility? Its a DPR. The mission statement for DPR is not to provide DCPS recreation facilities. DPR already priorities use of facilities for DC residents through a fee structure. If Hardy is going to take over Jelleff, the school system should pay for improvements and maintenance for the facility out of Hardy’s budget.



Do you realize that Hardy teams now play and practice at DPR fields? Jelleff just happens to be across the street instead of across the city.



Why doesn't Hardy just use Ellington field? I drive by it a lot and never see anyone playing on it much during school days or after school. It's a short walk away, and then you wouldn't have to whine about poor Hardy for 165+ pages.


That's what the city is trying to do now -- shift management of the Ellington field to DPR from DCPS, and it would be used by Hardy and Ellington, and the rest of the community. However, the idea has run into vocal objections from Burleith neighbors who say that if it is used for recreation by sports leagues and the like (when it isn't being used by one of the schools) it would bring too many cars to their streets. So the proposal is stalled.


So then keep it within the schools rather than opening it to DPR groups, and shift it from Ellington to Hardy or keep it with Ellington but with a simple MOU for Hardy. This isn't rocket science. It would serve Hardy, it doesn't seem like Ellington is using it much, and it keeps peace with the neighborhood.


Jelleff is just a much better field. To bring Ellington up to Jelleff's level would cost millions of dollars. Far more than what Maret is paying to use Jelleff -- which is why this is outrageous.

I'll posit that a fairer deal would have been to say to Maret, thank you for what you did in 2009, but your ten years are up. If you'd like another ten years, let's do the same deal again but at Ellington this time.


If the Hardy parents want a brand new best in class field so much, then raise funds for it - or lobby DCPS for it. Either way, it might require a little effort and industriousness.


Where does access to a public park by public schools require industriousness while for private school it just requires a bribe to Dc councilman/Maret parent/soon to be felon Jack Evans?


So there is no access to a public park for public school kids? Sure. My kids play there all the time. The indoor basketball courts are alway full. The field is in constant demand from youth and adult sports league(soccer, lacrosse, etc). Hardy is a middle school. How many of the 375 students play an outdoor school team sport that require use of a field? Why can’t the few students who want to do school team sports use the Duke Ellington’s unused field? why can’t anyone use the DE Field? it is always empty and no one can reserve it for use.

The public education budget for DC is 2.3 billion. DC DPR has a budget of 56 million. Stop tying to steal facilities from the underfunded DPR. Hardy has an outside play area that includes tennis courts. If Hardy needs more take it out of the 2.3 billion, not out of DPR’s 56 million.


Your kids play there "all the time" because they go to Maret and get to use the park after school. DC public school kids and Boys and Girls Club members don't have that access because they don't pay $40k/year to Maret. But you know that already. You're just being dense because you know the only one "stealing facilities" from DC school children is Maret who will pay $95k/year for a facility DC bought 10 years ago for $15 million.


Stop crying like you’re poor and all Maret families are rich. Think of the money that your save by using public schools which all of us pay for. And if money is tight, then next time why not pass up buying the new Air Jordan’s and make a contribution to Jelleff or to your school PTA? Or roll up your sleeves and donate a little sweat equity. Organize a parent brigade to fix up Ellington field. Whiners are losers.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 10:36     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Do you realize Jelleff is not a DCPS facility? Its a DPR. The mission statement for DPR is not to provide DCPS recreation facilities. DPR already priorities use of facilities for DC residents through a fee structure. If Hardy is going to take over Jelleff, the school system should pay for improvements and maintenance for the facility out of Hardy’s budget.



Do you realize that Hardy teams now play and practice at DPR fields? Jelleff just happens to be across the street instead of across the city.



Why doesn't Hardy just use Ellington field? I drive by it a lot and never see anyone playing on it much during school days or after school. It's a short walk away, and then you wouldn't have to whine about poor Hardy for 165+ pages.


That's what the city is trying to do now -- shift management of the Ellington field to DPR from DCPS, and it would be used by Hardy and Ellington, and the rest of the community. However, the idea has run into vocal objections from Burleith neighbors who say that if it is used for recreation by sports leagues and the like (when it isn't being used by one of the schools) it would bring too many cars to their streets. So the proposal is stalled.


So then keep it within the schools rather than opening it to DPR groups, and shift it from Ellington to Hardy or keep it with Ellington but with a simple MOU for Hardy. This isn't rocket science. It would serve Hardy, it doesn't seem like Ellington is using it much, and it keeps peace with the neighborhood.


Jelleff is just a much better field. To bring Ellington up to Jelleff's level would cost millions of dollars. Far more than what Maret is paying to use Jelleff -- which is why this is outrageous.

I'll posit that a fairer deal would have been to say to Maret, thank you for what you did in 2009, but your ten years are up. If you'd like another ten years, let's do the same deal again but at Ellington this time.


If the Hardy parents want a brand new best in class field so much, then raise funds for it - or lobby DCPS for it. Either way, it might require a little effort and industriousness.


Where does access to a public park by public schools require industriousness while for private school it just requires a bribe to Dc councilman/Maret parent/soon to be felon Jack Evans?


So there is no access to a public park for public school kids? Sure. My kids play there all the time. The indoor basketball courts are alway full. The field is in constant demand from youth and adult sports league(soccer, lacrosse, etc). Hardy is a middle school. How many of the 375 students play an outdoor school team sport that require use of a field? Why can’t the few students who want to do school team sports use the Duke Ellington’s unused field? why can’t anyone use the DE Field? it is always empty and no one can reserve it for use.

The public education budget for DC is 2.3 billion. DC DPR has a budget of 56 million. Stop tying to steal facilities from the underfunded DPR. Hardy has an outside play area that includes tennis courts. If Hardy needs more take it out of the 2.3 billion, not out of DPR’s 56 million.


Look I get it why you don't want to talk about the details of the Maret Jelleff deal and would rather talk about anything else under the sun. Because the fact is, outside of the Maret bubble, nobody thins this deal is an appropriate use of public assets. And nobody finds the voluminous talking points -- designed to confuse, rather than illuminate -- persuasive on any level.


+1 If you’re part of Maret’s crisis PR team, tell your boss you need better talking points
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 10:33     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Do you realize Jelleff is not a DCPS facility? Its a DPR. The mission statement for DPR is not to provide DCPS recreation facilities. DPR already priorities use of facilities for DC residents through a fee structure. If Hardy is going to take over Jelleff, the school system should pay for improvements and maintenance for the facility out of Hardy’s budget.



Do you realize that Hardy teams now play and practice at DPR fields? Jelleff just happens to be across the street instead of across the city.



Why doesn't Hardy just use Ellington field? I drive by it a lot and never see anyone playing on it much during school days or after school. It's a short walk away, and then you wouldn't have to whine about poor Hardy for 165+ pages.


That's what the city is trying to do now -- shift management of the Ellington field to DPR from DCPS, and it would be used by Hardy and Ellington, and the rest of the community. However, the idea has run into vocal objections from Burleith neighbors who say that if it is used for recreation by sports leagues and the like (when it isn't being used by one of the schools) it would bring too many cars to their streets. So the proposal is stalled.


So then keep it within the schools rather than opening it to DPR groups, and shift it from Ellington to Hardy or keep it with Ellington but with a simple MOU for Hardy. This isn't rocket science. It would serve Hardy, it doesn't seem like Ellington is using it much, and it keeps peace with the neighborhood.


Jelleff is just a much better field. To bring Ellington up to Jelleff's level would cost millions of dollars. Far more than what Maret is paying to use Jelleff -- which is why this is outrageous.

I'll posit that a fairer deal would have been to say to Maret, thank you for what you did in 2009, but your ten years are up. If you'd like another ten years, let's do the same deal again but at Ellington this time.


If the Hardy parents want a brand new best in class field so much, then raise funds for it - or lobby DCPS for it. Either way, it might require a little effort and industriousness.


Where does access to a public park by public schools require industriousness while for private school it just requires a bribe to Dc councilman/Maret parent/soon to be felon Jack Evans?


So there is no access to a public park for public school kids? Sure. My kids play there all the time. The indoor basketball courts are alway full. The field is in constant demand from youth and adult sports league(soccer, lacrosse, etc). Hardy is a middle school. How many of the 375 students play an outdoor school team sport that require use of a field? Why can’t the few students who want to do school team sports use the Duke Ellington’s unused field? why can’t anyone use the DE Field? it is always empty and no one can reserve it for use.

The public education budget for DC is 2.3 billion. DC DPR has a budget of 56 million. Stop tying to steal facilities from the underfunded DPR. Hardy has an outside play area that includes tennis courts. If Hardy needs more take it out of the 2.3 billion, not out of DPR’s 56 million.


Look I get it why you don't want to talk about the details of the Maret Jelleff deal and would rather talk about anything else under the sun. Because the fact is, outside of the Maret bubble, nobody thins this deal is an appropriate use of public assets. And nobody finds the voluminous talking points -- designed to confuse, rather than illuminate -- persuasive on any level.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 10:27     Subject: Re:DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know why Maret didn’t bother to find a private athletic field or build its own after all these years? Is their planning area incompetent or just prefers to pay bribes to politicians rather than a market rate for land?


Maret has a large field which is used all weekend by non-Maret groups. Maret’s challenge is that they have three divisions on one smallish campus and the one field doesn’t can’t handle everyone during the school week. The suggestion about Maret maybe buying the Hardy facility from DC would be deliciously ironic.


Maret can easily solve its "challenge" by shelling out some cash rather than relying on the goodwill of Jack Evans and the rest of the DC government officials they bribed so that they only have to pay $95k/year. Sidwell has an underground parking lot that gives it more space for things like athletic fields. I don't know why anyone would choose Maret as so many other DC area privates have better resources including sufficient field space.


You should be very careful about alleging that the Maret School bribed anyone, lest you want a defamation suit in your Xmas stocking.


Maret would have to prove that the defamation is false. Can they? Since Jack Evans was part of the first deal a decade ago (which was maligned even then as a backroom deal) and is now under multiple federal investigations, and Maret has been very eager to avoid the public consultation process, if I were Maret I would be very wary of inviting further scrutiny of my actions on this shady deal.


I don't think Maret would find discovery enjoyable in this case.

Can't help but note how the Maret community resorts to threats to try and silence people once their flimsy talking points fall apart.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 08:57     Subject: DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Do you realize Jelleff is not a DCPS facility? Its a DPR. The mission statement for DPR is not to provide DCPS recreation facilities. DPR already priorities use of facilities for DC residents through a fee structure. If Hardy is going to take over Jelleff, the school system should pay for improvements and maintenance for the facility out of Hardy’s budget.



Do you realize that Hardy teams now play and practice at DPR fields? Jelleff just happens to be across the street instead of across the city.



Why doesn't Hardy just use Ellington field? I drive by it a lot and never see anyone playing on it much during school days or after school. It's a short walk away, and then you wouldn't have to whine about poor Hardy for 165+ pages.


That's what the city is trying to do now -- shift management of the Ellington field to DPR from DCPS, and it would be used by Hardy and Ellington, and the rest of the community. However, the idea has run into vocal objections from Burleith neighbors who say that if it is used for recreation by sports leagues and the like (when it isn't being used by one of the schools) it would bring too many cars to their streets. So the proposal is stalled.


So then keep it within the schools rather than opening it to DPR groups, and shift it from Ellington to Hardy or keep it with Ellington but with a simple MOU for Hardy. This isn't rocket science. It would serve Hardy, it doesn't seem like Ellington is using it much, and it keeps peace with the neighborhood.


Jelleff is just a much better field. To bring Ellington up to Jelleff's level would cost millions of dollars. Far more than what Maret is paying to use Jelleff -- which is why this is outrageous.

I'll posit that a fairer deal would have been to say to Maret, thank you for what you did in 2009, but your ten years are up. If you'd like another ten years, let's do the same deal again but at Ellington this time.


If the Hardy parents want a brand new best in class field so much, then raise funds for it - or lobby DCPS for it. Either way, it might require a little effort and industriousness.


Where does access to a public park by public schools require industriousness while for private school it just requires a bribe to Dc councilman/Maret parent/soon to be felon Jack Evans?


So there is no access to a public park for public school kids? Sure. My kids play there all the time. The indoor basketball courts are alway full. The field is in constant demand from youth and adult sports league(soccer, lacrosse, etc). Hardy is a middle school. How many of the 375 students play an outdoor school team sport that require use of a field? Why can’t the few students who want to do school team sports use the Duke Ellington’s unused field? why can’t anyone use the DE Field? it is always empty and no one can reserve it for use.

The public education budget for DC is 2.3 billion. DC DPR has a budget of 56 million. Stop tying to steal facilities from the underfunded DPR. Hardy has an outside play area that includes tennis courts. If Hardy needs more take it out of the 2.3 billion, not out of DPR’s 56 million.


Your kids play there "all the time" because they go to Maret and get to use the park after school. DC public school kids and Boys and Girls Club members don't have that access because they don't pay $40k/year to Maret. But you know that already. You're just being dense because you know the only one "stealing facilities" from DC school children is Maret who will pay $95k/year for a facility DC bought 10 years ago for $15 million.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2019 08:55     Subject: Re:DCPS students shafted again - sign petition to keep Jelleff field public

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know why Maret didn’t bother to find a private athletic field or build its own after all these years? Is their planning area incompetent or just prefers to pay bribes to politicians rather than a market rate for land?


Maret has a large field which is used all weekend by non-Maret groups. Maret’s challenge is that they have three divisions on one smallish campus and the one field doesn’t can’t handle everyone during the school week. The suggestion about Maret maybe buying the Hardy facility from DC would be deliciously ironic.


Maret can easily solve its "challenge" by shelling out some cash rather than relying on the goodwill of Jack Evans and the rest of the DC government officials they bribed so that they only have to pay $95k/year. Sidwell has an underground parking lot that gives it more space for things like athletic fields. I don't know why anyone would choose Maret as so many other DC area privates have better resources including sufficient field space.


You should be very careful about alleging that the Maret School bribed anyone, lest you want a defamation suit in your Xmas stocking.


Maret would have to prove that the defamation is false. Can they? Since Jack Evans was part of the first deal a decade ago (which was maligned even then as a backroom deal) and is now under multiple federal investigations, and Maret has been very eager to avoid the public consultation process, if I were Maret I would be very wary of inviting further scrutiny of my actions on this shady deal.