DCPS has identified Capital Improvement Plan funding beginning in FY21 to construct a new facility – “Foxhall” – on the Old Hardy site (1500 Block of Foxhall Rd NW), as well as funding in FY21 to purchase the newly vacant GDS lower school facility – “MacArthur Blvd School” (4530 MacArthur Boulevard NW). Both facilities are in Ward 3. The goal of these investments is to help address overcrowding in the Wilson HS feeder pattern. DCPS has not yet determined the program scope for these buildings, including considerations such as boundaries, feeder patterns, and final grade configurations. These topics will be the focus of the upcoming engagement process.
Given the scope of this planning, these conversations are relevant to the entire Wilson feeder pattern. For this reason, DCPS is launching a community engagement process to support planning for the two sites to ensure that all impacted communities are engaged in the planning and decision-making process. The engagement plan will include a number of ways for stakeholders to provide input, including:
- The establishment of a Community Working Group (CWG) of school and parent representatives so that we can hear from every school community on the options and work across schools to identify the impacts and considerations for each option. This group will begin meeting in early February and will likely meet 1-2 times once per month through the spring. Each school will identify one staff (the school principal or a designee) and one parent representative to join the CWG. Representatives from key community groups will also be invited to participate.
- Additional touchpoints with principals to provide a space for school leaders to hear directly from their peers and provide input to the School Planning Team.
- Opening up public opportunities for people to submit their input online, and finally,
- DCPS may also hold additional school and community meetings in the spring to get more feedback on the ideas that come out of the CWG.
DCPS expects to hold the first Community Working Group meeting in early February 2021 and will post meeting materials and notes, as well as other relevant updates, to this site after each meeting.