Incredible group of kids but a mediocre school run by bullies in a bad building. Thrilled that we could leave after the grandparents volunteered to pay for a private. The friendships were nice and the sci instruction was great. Otherwise meh.

It may be hard to imagine Basis being a happy place, but when I see my daughter with all her Basis friends, that seem extremely happy. Also well-mannered and smart. Incredible group of kids.

A BASIS elementary school will be a big hit with little if any pushback from Ward 6.

You never know what to believe about BASIS looking in from the outside. Parents come on these threads to rave about how thrilled they and their children are with the program. Anybody who doesn't concur seems to get slammed. We turned down our spot after visiting the school and finding it v. unpleasant, dark, crowded and claustrophobic with dictatorial management and a narrow focus on AP prep from age 10 or 11. It's hard to imagine a BASIS ES being a happy place, though I'm sure Hill parents will mob the place regardless if the franchise gets approval to launch it. Parents want to get on track for a decent MS and HS because the pols have failed us EotP, not supporting the creation of by-right neighborhood schools with broad appeal past ES. Same old story.

There seems to be a big divide at Basis between kids in 8th-12th grade who can leave building and utilize the outdoors, and 5-7th graders who are trapped in the building and rarely leave. The former group seems profoundly happier.

There are 50 or more basis kids on the mall every every afternoon until 6. Anyone claiming the mall isn’t utilized has zero connection to the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

??? No one even knows where this school will be located.

Everyone knows where this school will be located. Every split basis campus does things the same way.

So where exactly will this not yet approved school be? Since you know, please share.

.
The school has said it will be close to the current campus. They implied it will be close enough to share facilities.

Yes, exactly. In my PP I was assuming that the new campus would be near the existing campus. That's what BASIS said and that's what it's like at every BASIS split campus. Someone responded objecting that I had no idea where the new school would be located (from the perspective of saying where commuting would be convenient from, not like the exact street address).

But where? There’s no buildings around there with outdoor space. The nearby daycares play on the sidewalk. Is that what BASIS is planning?

Many of the mega office buildings downtown have large courtyard in the middle and large rooftop patios.

BASIS DC is literally a few blocks from the mall, which is almost 150 acres and the 11th most visited national park in the United States.

And yet 5th and 6th graders at BASIS visit it on average once a week.

Maybe the ones that leave. The ones that end up staying basically live at the Mall, Navy Memorial, Portrait Gallery and MLK.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

??? No one even knows where this school will be located.

Everyone knows where this school will be located. Every split basis campus does things the same way.

So where exactly will this not yet approved school be? Since you know, please share.

.
The school has said it will be close to the current campus. They implied it will be close enough to share facilities.

Yes, exactly. In my PP I was assuming that the new campus would be near the existing campus. That's what BASIS said and that's what it's like at every BASIS split campus. Someone responded objecting that I had no idea where the new school would be located (from the perspective of saying where commuting would be convenient from, not like the exact street address).

But where? There’s no buildings around there with outdoor space. The nearby daycares play on the sidewalk. Is that what BASIS is planning?

Many of the mega office buildings downtown have large courtyard in the middle and large rooftop patios.

BASIS DC is literally a few blocks from the mall, which is almost 150 acres and the 11th most visited national park in the United States.

And yet 5th and 6th graders at BASIS visit it on average once a week.

They can go every day before or after school if they want.

Huh? That kind of kneejerk charter defending sounds dumb.

You think that it is dumb for kids to go to a national park a few blocks from their school?

You sound dumb. Do you even have kids?

Anyway.

The National Mall is not taken advantage of nearly as much as claimed to new and prospective families, because the 8-10 minute walk each way to the fields they use seriously cuts into any activity there when the PE period is 55 minutes, and the lunch period even shorter.
Bringing it up as ... a fantastic extracurricular for the whole family? Uh, nice! You're right I guess. But unless the elementary school building's even closer to the Mall, it will need some outdoor space - which many of those bigger buildings have.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

??? No one even knows where this school will be located.

Everyone knows where this school will be located. Every split basis campus does things the same way.

So where exactly will this not yet approved school be? Since you know, please share.

.
The school has said it will be close to the current campus. They implied it will be close enough to share facilities.

Yes, exactly. In my PP I was assuming that the new campus would be near the existing campus. That's what BASIS said and that's what it's like at every BASIS split campus. Someone responded objecting that I had no idea where the new school would be located (from the perspective of saying where commuting would be convenient from, not like the exact street address).

But where? There’s no buildings around there with outdoor space. The nearby daycares play on the sidewalk. Is that what BASIS is planning?

Many of the mega office buildings downtown have large courtyard in the middle and large rooftop patios.

BASIS DC is literally a few blocks from the mall, which is almost 150 acres and the 11th most visited national park in the United States.

And yet 5th and 6th graders at BASIS visit it on average once a week.

They can go every day before or after school if they want.

Huh? That kind of kneejerk charter defending sounds dumb.

You think that it is dumb for kids to go to a national park a few blocks from their school?

You sound dumb. Do you even have kids?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

??? No one even knows where this school will be located.

Everyone knows where this school will be located. Every split basis campus does things the same way.

So where exactly will this not yet approved school be? Since you know, please share.

.
The school has said it will be close to the current campus. They implied it will be close enough to share facilities.

Yes, exactly. In my PP I was assuming that the new campus would be near the existing campus. That's what BASIS said and that's what it's like at every BASIS split campus. Someone responded objecting that I had no idea where the new school would be located (from the perspective of saying where commuting would be convenient from, not like the exact street address).

But where? There’s no buildings around there with outdoor space. The nearby daycares play on the sidewalk. Is that what BASIS is planning?

Many of the mega office buildings downtown have large courtyard in the middle and large rooftop patios.

BASIS DC is literally a few blocks from the mall, which is almost 150 acres and the 11th most visited national park in the United States.

And yet 5th and 6th graders at BASIS visit it on average once a week.

They can go every day before or after school if they want.

Huh? That kind of kneejerk charter defending sounds dumb.

To do what, wander around the Mall alone?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

??? No one even knows where this school will be located.

Everyone knows where this school will be located. Every split basis campus does things the same way.

So where exactly will this not yet approved school be? Since you know, please share.

.
The school has said it will be close to the current campus. They implied it will be close enough to share facilities.

Yes, exactly. In my PP I was assuming that the new campus would be near the existing campus. That's what BASIS said and that's what it's like at every BASIS split campus. Someone responded objecting that I had no idea where the new school would be located (from the perspective of saying where commuting would be convenient from, not like the exact street address).

But where? There’s no buildings around there with outdoor space. The nearby daycares play on the sidewalk. Is that what BASIS is planning?

Many of the mega office buildings downtown have large courtyard in the middle and large rooftop patios.

BASIS DC is literally a few blocks from the mall, which is almost 150 acres and the 11th most visited national park in the United States.

And yet 5th and 6th graders at BASIS visit it on average once a week.

They can go every day before or after school if they want.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

??? No one even knows where this school will be located.

Everyone knows where this school will be located. Every split basis campus does things the same way.

So where exactly will this not yet approved school be? Since you know, please share.

.
The school has said it will be close to the current campus. They implied it will be close enough to share facilities.

Yes, exactly. In my PP I was assuming that the new campus would be near the existing campus. That's what BASIS said and that's what it's like at every BASIS split campus. Someone responded objecting that I had no idea where the new school would be located (from the perspective of saying where commuting would be convenient from, not like the exact street address).

But where? There’s no buildings around there with outdoor space. The nearby daycares play on the sidewalk. Is that what BASIS is planning?

Many of the mega office buildings downtown have large courtyard in the middle and large rooftop patios.

BASIS DC is literally a few blocks from the mall, which is almost 150 acres and the 11th most visited national park in the United States.

And yet 5th and 6th graders at BASIS visit it on average once a week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

??? No one even knows where this school will be located.

Everyone knows where this school will be located. Every split basis campus does things the same way.

So where exactly will this not yet approved school be? Since you know, please share.

.
The school has said it will be close to the current campus. They implied it will be close enough to share facilities.

Yes, exactly. In my PP I was assuming that the new campus would be near the existing campus. That's what BASIS said and that's what it's like at every BASIS split campus. Someone responded objecting that I had no idea where the new school would be located (from the perspective of saying where commuting would be convenient from, not like the exact street address).

But where? There’s no buildings around there with outdoor space. The nearby daycares play on the sidewalk. Is that what BASIS is planning?