Swing Spaces Overview

     A swing space is a facility that temporarily houses a school community while the home school building is under construction. To ensure that all students, staff and community members remain safe during the construction process, and that school programming continues unimpeded, schools are typically relocated to a swing space during the modernization's construction phase. This allows the modernization project team to take full control of the building to complete the construction in a timely and economical manner. 

    Swing spaces are often located in a separate facility or modular campus, but schools may also be required to relocate their programming to one portion of the existing building or site, so that the modernization project team can begin work in an isolated portion of the existing structure. For all schools in swing, DCPS works closely with school leadership and the project team to determine accommodations required for school programming and to coordinate all logistics for the transtion, ensuring Day 1 readiness regardless of where the school is operating. 

Background

     The mission of DCPS is to ensure that every school guarantees that students reach their full potential through rigorous and joyful learning experiences provided in a nurturing environment. Through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) process, DCPS creates equal opportunity for all students to learn in a healthy, equitable and inspiring learning environment. 

     Pursuant to the Planning Actively for Comprehensive Education Facilities Amendment Act of 2016 (“PACE” or “Act”) (D.C. Official Code § 38-2803 (d)(3)), DCPS’s CIP identifies schools eligible for modernization and small capital improvements. As part of the annual CIP submission, DCPS must develop a complete project proposal for each school that may include a plan for a temporary relocation to a swing space that would directly support the construction phase of a modernization project. The proposal is based on a thorough analysis of project scope, complexity of construction and the need for a swing space to complete a project.

     The Act also outlines that the availability of an appropriate swing space must be considered when school modernizations are sequenced in the CIP. This document delivers guidance on how DCPS supports schools who require a swing space during a modernization. 

Swing Space Selection Factors