Proper planning of school facilities is critical for all school districts no matter how large or small, whether major construction is in the works or the district is managing enrollment change. When school districts properly plan for their school facilities, they have better schools, more equitable facilities, and higher value for public spending. Use this guide to help determine whether…
Read More »Oversight Hearing D.C. Department of General Services, February 28, 2023Testimony: Mary Filardo, Executive Director, 21st Century School Fund Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am here to bring a research perspective to thechallenges of managing public facilities, but in particular to the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and D.C. Department of General Services (DGS) maintenance of…
Read More »it is the responsibility of the Council, not the PCSB to “safeguard funds, ensure positive outcomes for students, and provide for an efficient closure or asset acquisition”—the stated purpose of the Closure Amendment. The PCSB should have a role in this, but this proposed amendment is over-reach for PCSB and should be a worry to charters and to the public.
Read More »Here we are, with substantial data, but still without an educational facilities plan. I would like to suggest a way forward, which I think will provide tremendous promise for our city and schools. Give up on cross sector planning. The charter sector has been more than clear—they do not want to coordinate planning and they are not required to collaborate….
Read More »It is clear from the preliminary Banneker High School concepts now available (April 24th, and May 1st) that an 800 student high school doesn’t fit on the Shaw site and meeting the program requirements for Banneker will be far better on its current site. Here is why: Building Massing Problems: The concept design concludes that for energy efficiency, the best…
Read More »On Tuesday, April 16, 2019, the [Re]Build America’s School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC) briefed Congressional staff on our nation’s public school facility infrastructure. Nearly 100 staff from offices representing states and Congressional Districts across the nation attended. Mary Filardo, executive director of the 21st Century School Fund, reviewed the SCALE of our nation’s public school facility infrastructure and provided FACTS &…
Read More »From the 1920’s through the 1960’s the District of Columbia built extraordinary Jr. High School buildings for 7th, 8th and 9th grade students. There were two dozen of these large Jr. high buildings. Each one had all the components of a standard high school including performing arts spaces, choral and instrumental music spaces, art studios, athletic spaces, cafeterias, career/tech and…
Read More »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,…
Read More »One factor in the decision on siting Banneker Academic High School is the availability of athletic space. At both the proposed Shaw and the current Banneker location, the outside space is controlled by DC Department of Recreation, so use of athletic fields and courts would have to be coordinated between agencies at either site. However, approximate measurements (Google Earth) show…
Read More »We urge the Public Charter School Board to provide 90 days’ expanded notice to ANCs of school opening, closing and siting decisions, hold this comment period open for another month and notify all ANCs of this proposed change. A 30-day ANC notice is insufficient. A 90-day notice is a minimum. ANCs (Advisory Neighborhood Commissions) are important civic entities, but voluntary….
Read More »