Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 08:40     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:I am not a Janney parent, nor a prospective Janney parent.

But the cold, hard reality is that Janney's projected numbers demand an addition. Period. If you can't acknowledge that, then there is no possibility for a rational discussion.

Do other schools' projections warrant additions too? Yes. Mann is a worse situation than Janney. It is getting an addition. Murch and Lafayette are also severely overcrowded. I believe they're both on the docket for additions too.

People crowing "but what about my neighborhood school that's old but under capacity..." deserve little more than "sorry, but money is tight and we have to spend it where the enrollment dictates the best value. Goodbye."

This isn't hard to understand, folks. And it ain't no scandal either.

Again, I am not and will not be a Janney parent, so I'm arguably in the same shoes as the negative Nancies here.


Boundary review needed, period. THEN spend the money after the revised projections. That is how you manage a cash-strapped public school system. Trailers would have done just fine until the boundary review. That is reasonable by every stretch. Janney doesn't want to pave their garden for trailers? Other schools have trailers and gardens, they manage.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 08:38     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. With so many other pressing needs on the capital side around the city even at schools that are doing quite well, spending this kind of money at a practically brand spanking new school is insane. Murch construction is just a twinkle in DGS' eye at this point in time. Hearst and Mann haven't even begun yet and they are going to start this in the next few weeks. Families from around the city want to improve middle schools so Deal and maybe Stuart-Hobson and Hardy are not the only acceptable choices (in their view). Maybe build a new middle school "EOTP".

I am a Ward 3 voter and I will vote against Mary Cheh if this goes through.


Well it is a completely done deal. Was as of last spring. Construction begins in a few days.



It is news to the rest of us! How on earth did this school get two renovations above other more needy sites?


So was the extension of the lease of the Old Hardy School to the Lab School. Call and email.

Besides even if it does go through it still makes sense to have your voice heard. The next time I hear that we don't have money for X, I am going to remind them of the almost $5 million additional renovation they did for a school that already has two gyms (2!!!) and an underground parking garage.


Why on earth does it make sense to continue to pour resources into only one school in all of the city? Does the school really have two gyms?


No, it doesn't have two gyms. It used to have a combination gym/auditorium/lunchroom. They built a gym as part of the addition and now the old multipurpose room is a lunchroom and auditorium.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 08:34     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. With so many other pressing needs on the capital side around the city even at schools that are doing quite well, spending this kind of money at a practically brand spanking new school is insane. Murch construction is just a twinkle in DGS' eye at this point in time. Hearst and Mann haven't even begun yet and they are going to start this in the next few weeks. Families from around the city want to improve middle schools so Deal and maybe Stuart-Hobson and Hardy are not the only acceptable choices (in their view). Maybe build a new middle school "EOTP".

I am a Ward 3 voter and I will vote against Mary Cheh if this goes through.


Well it is a completely done deal. Was as of last spring. Construction begins in a few days.



It is news to the rest of us! How on earth did this school get two renovations above other more needy sites?


So was the extension of the lease of the Old Hardy School to the Lab School. Call and email.

Besides even if it does go through it still makes sense to have your voice heard. The next time I hear that we don't have money for X, I am going to remind them of the almost $5 million additional renovation they did for a school that already has two gyms (2!!!) and an underground parking garage.


Why on earth does it make sense to continue to pour resources into only one school in all of the city? Does the school really have two gyms?
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 08:33     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hearst was renovated inside, and is awaiting a large expansion. I would believe it is now up to snuff for the Janney children.


Fully agree. Don't spend even more money on Janney. Just change its boundaries. Or at least wait until the boundary review is complete.


This misses the point. DCPS projections basically command them to spend money on Janney. Full stop. Case closed.

Should boundary changes also be considered. Yeah. Hell yeah. But this doesn't change the fact that the addition is essentially dictated by the enrollment at this point.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 08:32     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
I am not a Janney parent, nor a prospective Janney parent.

But the cold, hard reality is that Janney's projected numbers demand an addition. Period. If you can't acknowledge that, then there is no possibility for a rational discussion.

Do other schools' projections warrant additions too? Yes. Mann is a worse situation than Janney. It is getting an addition. Murch and Lafayette are also severely overcrowded. I believe they're both on the docket for additions too.

People crowing "but what about my neighborhood school that's old but under capacity..." deserve little more than "sorry, but money is tight and we have to spend it where the enrollment dictates the best value. Goodbye."

This isn't hard to understand, folks. And it ain't no scandal either.

Again, I am not and will not be a Janney parent, so I'm arguably in the same shoes as the negative Nancies here.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 08:32     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hearst was renovated inside, and is awaiting a large expansion. I would believe it is now up to snuff for the Janney children.


Fully agree. Don't spend even more money on Janney. Just change its boundaries. Or at least wait until the boundary review is complete.


+1
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 08:10     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:Hearst was renovated inside, and is awaiting a large expansion. I would believe it is now up to snuff for the Janney children.


Fully agree. Don't spend even more money on Janney. Just change its boundaries. Or at least wait until the boundary review is complete.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 08:09     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. With so many other pressing needs on the capital side around the city even at schools that are doing quite well, spending this kind of money at a practically brand spanking new school is insane. Murch construction is just a twinkle in DGS' eye at this point in time. Hearst and Mann haven't even begun yet and they are going to start this in the next few weeks. Families from around the city want to improve middle schools so Deal and maybe Stuart-Hobson and Hardy are not the only acceptable choices (in their view). Maybe build a new middle school "EOTP".

I am a Ward 3 voter and I will vote against Mary Cheh if this goes through.


Well it is a completely done deal. Was as of last spring. Construction begins in a few days.



It is news to the rest of us! How on earth did this school get two renovations above other more needy sites?


So was the extension of the lease of the Old Hardy School to the Lab School. Call and email.

Besides even if it does go through it still makes sense to have your voice heard. The next time I hear that we don't have money for X, I am going to remind them of the almost $5 million additional renovation they did for a school that already has two gyms (2!!!) and an underground parking garage.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 08:06     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:And I suggest that everyone rather than just complain here call their council member and the mayor's office to complain.


Agreed. Can someone post the info for contacting Mary Cheh and her office? I may try to later today.


Office of Councilmember Mary M. Cheh
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 108
Washington, D.C. 20004

Phone: (202) 724-8062
Fax: (202) 724-8118

Mary M. Cheh
Councilmember – Ward 3
mcheh@dccouncil.us

Jonathan Willingham
Chief of Staff
jwillingham@dccouncil.us
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 07:36     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Hearst was renovated inside, and is awaiting a large expansion. I would believe it is now up to snuff for the Janney children.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 07:13     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Wasn't Hearst renovated last summer? Perhaps up to snuff for Janney kids now?
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 07:05     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
^^i concede that point entirely PP.

I also would like to commute by helicopter btw.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 07:02     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it's much worse that they just spend $120 million on Roosevelt with no plan on how to fill the school.


+1. Exactly. That is the money that could have funded a dozen more valuable renovations.


Ideally this will get feeders with boundary review, so will not be a waste...


Yes, and ideally I could commute by helicopter.

Do you think that a school that ant educate X number of kids can magically educate 2X number of kids, simply because it has a shiny new building?
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 06:59     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it's much worse that they just spend $120 million on Roosevelt with no plan on how to fill the school.


+1. Exactly. That is the money that could have funded a dozen more valuable renovations.


Ideally this will get feeders with boundary review, so will not be a waste...
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2013 06:55     Subject: Why is Janney getting another million dollar renovation……
Anonymous wrote:I think it's much worse that they just spend $120 million on Roosevelt with no plan on how to fill the school.


+1. Exactly. That is the money that could have funded a dozen more valuable renovations.