As Mayor Bowser advances Banneker’s right to take the Shaw MS site, a response to neighborhood objections has included the recommendation that Shaw MS should switch locations with Banneker and the promised Shaw Middle School should be located at Banneker.
There are two significant problems with this suggestion.
PROBLEM #1: Like Cardozo, Banneker is not centrally located to the Shaw, center city, DCPS neighborhood elementary schools–Garrison, Seaton, Cleveland, Ross and Thompson.
However, Shaw Middle School is in a central location within close proximity to its elementary DCPS neighborhood feeder schools.
This proximity is an important condition for a healthy neighborhood middle school and creates a safer middle school experience. Sixth graders—11 and 12 year olds could safely walk to the Shaw located middle school, as many already do to their elementary schools. However, Banneker HS site is a mile north of the Shaw site (bright pink) and more than a mile farther from three of the five Shaw feeder elementary schools (turquoise arrows). Cardozo, where the middle grades are currently housed, is also about 1 mile from Shaw—one of the reasons it has not attracted students from its assigned feeders.
PROBLEM #2: It will be at least 4 years before there will be a stand-alone Shaw Middle School—3 years for Banneker planning, Shaw demolition, design, construction and relocation of Banneker to Shaw, and at least 1 year to modernize the Banneker building for a Shaw Middle School after the high school moves to its new building.
Already the families from Shaw, center-city DCPS schools have been buffeted around. As recently as 2007-08 school year, both Shaw and Garnet-Patterson were open. Then in 2008-09 Shaw and Garnet-Patterson were consolidated. Then in 2013-14 the consolidated Shaw and Garnet-Patterson Middle School was moved to Cardozo HS as the result of a hasty plan to fill up the newly modernized, but severely under-utilized school.
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