From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2002 19:29:30 -0400
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 [EMAIL PROTECTED] DC Council Cuts Schools FY03 Budget; Public Forum on DCPS Budget on 10/2 The DC Council voted on 10/1 to approve the FY2003 DC budget, after including measures to address a $323 million projected shortfall. One of those measures is a cut to the DCPS budget of $30 million, down from a level originally set at $771 million. This cut is on top of an already acknowledged deficit for next year of $45 million (due to personnel and technology costs); bringing the total DCPS cuts necessary to $75 million. NOTE: The Board of Education will hold a public forum on Wednesday 10/2 at 6PM (825 N. Capital St, 5th floor), in order to hear from parents, students, and other community members before they decide how to address the cuts. Members of the public are encouraged to attend! Board of Education Passes Public-Private Development Partnership Policy On September 17th, after several months of work, 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 "http://www.k12.dc.us/dcps/boe/boe_frame.html"; DCPS Formulating Parent Involvement Policy DCPS has assembled a parent involvement task force, which includes members of the community, to help formulate Board policy on this topic. They are using PTA guidelines to inform its definition and strategy. The policy will require the development, implementation, and regular evaluation of parent involvement programs throughout DCPS. A proposed policy, in the form of a rulemaking, has been developed, and will be voted on by the Board's Committee on Operations and Vision this Friday at 10AM. The Committee meeting is at 825 N. Capital St, NE, and is open to the public. If approved by the Committee, it will then go before the full Board for a vote, and then be subject to a public comment period. DCPS Formulating Out of Boundary Policy An ad hoc committee from Wards 5 and 6 has been meeting to help formulate out of boundary attendance policy for DCPS. The Superintendent has also presented a proposed policy to the Board for committee review. DCPS Examining Staggered School Openings DCPS has formed a group, which includes community members, to study changing to staggered school opening times in the mornings. The school system has said it could save up to 3 million dollars in bus transportation costs with staggered openings. 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 schools 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 For more information on any of the above items, please contact Jordan Spooner or Nancy Huvendick of the 21st Century School Fund at 202-745-3745, or by email at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************* NOTE: Gleason Sackmann is the owner and host of this list. All inquiries regarding this list and its contents should be directed to Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. If you want to unsubscribe, click and send (no body or subject: required) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives for K12 Newsletters can be found at: http://www.classroom.com/community/email/archives.jhtml?A0=K12NEWSLETTERS
