October 05, 2009

DCPS Proposes Plan to Provide More Students with Access to State-of-the-Art Facilities 

Contact: Jennifer Calloway | (202) 535-1096

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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) proposed a plan to consolidate Walker-Jones Educational Campus (EC) and Scott Montgomery Elementary School (ES) at the brand new Walker Jones site, beginning in fall of 2010. The goal of the proposal is to provide more students with access to the state-of-the-art facility and a more robust academic program, through increased student enrollment.

By building on the strengths of both schools, DCPS will be able to enhance the academic, enrichment, and support services offered to all students.

“Walker-Jones is an ideal environment for supporting high quality educational services. As the first combined school, recreation and library facility, it is designed to bring together all the public facilities you need to build a strong community,” said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

The Walker-Jones campus includes a 100,000 square foot K-8 school; a 20,000 square foot community recreation center; a 5,000 square foot library and new athletic fields and playgrounds. The new facility has capacity to accommodate 850 students, and it’s also one of the first LEED-certified green school buildings in the District.

“We feel strongly that this is in the best interest of both school communities. We wanted to make this announcement early, months before a final decision is made in order to leave plenty of time to gather feedback and to answer any questions or concerns,” said DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee.

TIMELINE
Walker Jones EC and Scott Montgomery ES will continue to operate without change for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year. Principals at each school held initial meetings today with faculty and staff. Tomorrow, a letter will go home to all parents explaining the proposal and inviting them to attend an open community meeting to give their input on October 21, 2009 at Walker-Jones, 1125 New Jersey Ave. NW at 6:00pm.

The Mayor will make a final decision on the proposal based on the recommendation of the Chancellor by December 15, 2009. If the proposal is approved, stakeholders from both school communities --with support from the central office, will begin working together in January 2010 to ensure a smooth transition for students, parents, faculty and staff.

For more information about the proposal or the upcoming community meeting please contact the Critical Response team at (202) 478-5738.

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