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Better Schools Email Update

September 2002 - Issue #4

Note: Some subscribers may not have received the August issue, due to a technology problem that we experienced. If you did not receive it, and wish to, please let us know.

The Better Schools Email Update is provided by the 21st Century School Fund, an education nonprofit in Washington, DC, and is designed to provide our community with information about the efforts of 21CSF and other local education advocates to improve the District of Columbia Public Schools. It is sent out the last week of each month. If you know of someone who would like to be added to our mailing list, or if you would like your email address removed from this list, then please email us at newsletter@21csf.org.

Update on DCPS Capital Improvement Program

The following is a school-by-school update on the DCPS program to modernize or replace all of its public school buildings. (Source: DCPS/Office of Facilities Management Monthly Report, September 24, 2002.)

School---Current Status---Estimated Completion
Anacostia HS---Education Specifications (95% complete)---?
Barnard ES---Construction (75% complete)---12/02
Bell/Lincoln HS/MS—--Design (99% done); Construction planned for 9/02--—1/05
Birney ES---Design (10% complete); Construction planned for 7/03---12/04
Brightwood ES---Design (11% complete); Construction planned for 6/03---8/05
Cardozo HS---Education Specifications (95% complete)---?
Cleveland ES---Construction (12% complete)--—8/03
Cooke ES---Design (11% complete); Construction planned for 6/03---12/04
Deal JHS---Education Specifications (95% complete)---?
Hardy MS---Design (?% complete); Construction planned for 9/03—--8/05
Kelly Miller MS---Construction (35% complete)---8/03
Key ES---Construction (90% complete)---3/03
Kramer MS---Education Specifications (70% complete)---?
Luke C Moore HS---Design (95% complete); Construction planned for 1/03---7/04
MacFarland MS---Education Specifications (95% complete)---?
McKinley Tech HS---Construction (25% complete)---7/03(partial)
Miner ES---Construction (73% complete)---12/02
Noyes ES---Construction (11% complete)---11/03
Patterson ES---Construction (2% complete)---12/03
Phelps HS---Feasibility study (99% complete)---?
Randle Highland ES---Construction (99% complete)---8/02
RH Terrell JHS---Education Specifications (95% complete)---?
Ross ES---Education Specifications (95% complete)---?
Slowe ES---Education Specifications (95% complete)---?
Smothers ES---Education Specifications (95% complete)---?
Sousa MS---Design (10% complete); Construction planned for 6/03---8/05
Thomas ES---Design (75% complete); Construction planned for 2/03---8/04
Thomson ES---Construction (0% complete)---5/04
Walker Jones ES---Design (25% complete); Construction planned for 7/03--12/04
Wheatley ES---Design (50% complete); Construction planned for 2/03---7/04
Woodson HS---Design (7% complete); Construction planned for 10/03---12/05

Board of Education Passes Public-Private Development Partnership Policy

On September 17th, after several months of formulation, the Board approved a final rulemaking on public-private development partnership policy. The policy provides guidelines and procedures by which DCPS will enter into public-private partnerships to develop DCPS-controlled real estate assets, such as school buildings. In very broad terms, the process is as follows:

(1) DCPS will hold a public hearing for the purpose of receiving suggestions on potential sites;
(2) DCPS will develop a list of potential sites, publish the list in the DC Register, notify related schools and ANC’s, and take public comments;
(3) DCPS will recommend sites to the Board of Education; and
(4) the Board will select sites to move forward for partnerships. For a copy of the final policy, visit the Board website at www.k12.dc.us/dcps/boe

For more information, contact:

Jordan Spooner: (202) 745-3745 x 16 jspooner@21csf.org