And others chose GDS precisely because it had two campuses. Unless GDS has polled its families, no one knows which model is preferred. GDS parents I know felt blind-sided by the consolidated campus plan and have had very mixed reactions as to whether it's a good thing.

Longer-term, the question is whether people looking at DC privates will see GDS as more or less appealing post-transformation. Hard to see how more kids in less space is a step in the right direction.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don't even get why they are moving. And is it possible they will leave the lower school on Mcthr blvd? The plans make it look like everyone will be on top of each other. STA, NCS, Beavoir and the Cathedral share 50 acres. Sidwell has 15 just for the middle and upper, plus another five or six for the lower school in Bethesda. Gds will be on about 7 with 1100 students

GDS' focus and history has always been to be an urban school in DC. The upper school Is an open campus so that student's are more engaged with the city. So this sort of campus configuration feels right.

Yes, as an urbanite, I've always dreamed of dropping my PreKer off for school in a parking garage. And why should an urban school devote valuable real estate to playgrounds, athletic fields, and other educational facilities when it could lease its land to a developer instead?

Seriously, while I could imagine a land-rich cash-strapped school feeling compelled to sell off some of its property to keep the school afloat, that's not the story here. GDS just paid $11.7 million to acquire to the Martens site and their plan is to hit up their donor base for tens of millions more to rebuild facilities they already have at MacArthur.

Sidwell Friends upper school has drop off in their garage. What about it? Many GDS parents will appreciate the convenience of having their children at one, consolidated campus. This is a win-win.

And seriously ... an open campus so that kids can interact with the city?? More like suburban Tenleytown. It's not like the school is on Capitol Hill and they can wander over to the Library of Congress at lunch.

Look at the architects, builders etc involved. You will have your answer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don't even get why they are moving. And is it possible they will leave the lower school on Mcthr blvd? The plans make it look like everyone will be on top of each other. STA, NCS, Beavoir and the Cathedral share 50 acres. Sidwell has 15 just for the middle and upper, plus another five or six for the lower school in Bethesda. Gds will be on about 7 with 1100 students

GDS' focus and history has always been to be an urban school in DC. The upper school Is an open campus so that student's are more engaged with the city. So this sort of campus configuration feels right.

Yes, as an urbanite, I've always dreamed of dropping my PreKer off for school in a parking garage. And why should an urban school devote valuable real estate to playgrounds, athletic fields, and other educational facilities when it could lease its land to a developer instead?

Seriously, while I could imagine a land-rich cash-strapped school feeling compelled to sell off some of its property to keep the school afloat, that's not the story here. GDS just paid $11.7 million to acquire to the Martens site and their plan is to hit up their donor base for tens of millions more to rebuild facilities they already have at MacArthur.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus? That may change during the approval process.

I agree. The neighbors will probably insist on this. The days of wandering teens will be over for GDS. The culture of the school will definitely change.

And parents will probably welcome that change.

Why would GDS parents welcome a closed campus? They chose the school knowing the policy. They may have even chosen it because of that openness and culture.

It sounds better on paper than it functions in reality.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus? That may change during the approval process.

I agree. The neighbors will probably insist on this. The days of wandering teens will be over for GDS. The culture of the school will definitely change.

And parents will probably welcome that change.

Why would GDS parents welcome a closed campus? They chose the school knowing the policy. They may have even chosen it because of that openness and culture.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open campus? That may change during the approval process.

I agree. The neighbors will probably insist on this. The days of wandering teens will be over for GDS. The culture of the school will definitely change.

And parents will probably welcome that change.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don't even get why they are moving. And is it possible they will leave the lower school on Mcthr blvd? The plans make it look like everyone will be on top of each other. STA, NCS, Beavoir and the Cathedral share 50 acres. Sidwell has 15 just for the middle and upper, plus another five or six for the lower school in Bethesda. Gds will be on about 7 with 1100 students

It's a unique opportunity to develop dense mixed-use on Wisconsin and also to monetize the Palisades site, which is very desirable to developers who want to build high end town homes or SFHs. All this will grow the GDS endowment.

GDS has said the MacArthur campus is likely to remain a school (leased or sold). Given the substantial investment in facilities, the property is worth more as a school than as a tear down for residential development.

This project will not grow the endowment -- at best, sale of the MacArthur campus will cover the cost of the land acquisitions in Tenleytown. Construction costs for the new L/MS facilities will come from donations -- some of which might otherwise have gone to build the endowment. And GDS won't own the dense mixed-use buildings on Wisconsin Ave. It'll get a revenue stream from leasing that land and plans to use those funds to limit tuition increases and add to financial aid. Again, not endowment.

Anonymous wrote:Open campus? That may change during the approval process.

I agree. The neighbors will probably insist on this. The days of wandering teens will be over for GDS. The culture of the school will definitely change.

There must be some GDS-affiliated developers associated with this plan, but I still can't see how the trustees can approve it with so much expense for little/no extra space.

Anonymous wrote:Private schools really don't benefit the community. If GDS wants to build an outdoor pool that would be open to the public during the summer, then sure.

Why stop at private schools? Why not include private businesses? If you don't personally shop there, close it down! And everything else should be owned by the government!

Open campus? That may change during the approval process.

[quote=Anonymous]The GDS proposal is super greedy, super inappropriate for the site and way too dense and high. It should be and, as currently proposed, will be, vigorously opposed by the surrounding community.[/quote]

NIMBY haters gonna hate.

The GDS proposal is super greedy, super inappropriate for the site and way too dense and high. It should be and, as currently proposed, will be, vigorously opposed by the surrounding community.