WASHINGTON D.C., DC — A story we continue to follow as one DC community fights to be heard. Families at Nalle Elementary in Southeast reached out to WUSA9 when they learned the school system was trying to bulldoze a construction project that would take away their children's field and playground for up to seven years.
DCPS admits they failed to engage the Marshall Heights community but today, are still doubling down on their plans. WUSA9 has been requesting an interview with Chancellor Lewis Ferebee.
Instead, we received a letter from Deputy Chancellor Patrick Ashley apologizing for making a decision for the community that would impact them without their input. But Ashley went on to write pausing the construction to engage the community would make their project more expensive. But many argue the way DCPS handled this so far, has cost them their reputation and trust in the Marshall Heights community.
“It always hurts when literally babies say they're not being treated fairly,” said Eboni Rose Thompson Chair and Ward 7 representative on the State Board of Education.
Thompson is standing behind the families of Nalle Elementary. She was the only elected leader who attended last week's community meeting when the families heard for the first time the school system's plan to put trailers on their field that would take away their children's greenspace and playground for up to seven years. That modular swing space would house students from nearby Drew Elementary during its renovation and then Nalle's renovation after that.
DCPS sent WUSA9 a letter promising to improve communication saying, “the lack of communication and transparency has led to anger and mistrust, and we deeply regret this lapse."
“It's great to say I'm sorry you're upset, it's better to say I understand and I'm going to work with you to come up with something that works with everybody,” Thompson said.
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Ward 7 Councilmember Vince Gray sent the Chancellor a letter asking him to pause construction while they sort this all out.
But in the letter the Deputy Chancellor wrote, “Delays present a greater likelihood of increasing costs, which would compromise the district’s ability to fulfill and deliver a new building on time.”
But Thompson said the district put themselves in this position by lowering their inventory and pushing Ward 7 school modernizations to the “back of the line.” Thompson told WUSA9 the city has sold or leased many empty DCPS buildings to charter schools and there is limited swing space available. Still, she is convinced the parties can still reach a solution.
“By doing the homework for them like we always do,” said Thompson.
Thompson said the community’s next steps will be presenting solutions like co-locating a low enrollment school like Drew (which had 189 students enrolled in SY2022-2023) into another school building or constructing a swing space elsewhere: alternatives that would save the playground and the only greenspace this community has.
Nalle PTO President Caprice Casson said this is her second time advocating around a school modernization. She said when her 21-year-old daughter was a student at Nalle, she testified and lobbied the city council and DCPS to be placed on the modernization list. They, like Anne Beers Elementary School, received what DCPS was calling “phase 1 modernization” around 2013. The school system has since changed their renovation model and the schools have been waiting for their second phase or completion of their modernization since.
“As it relates to any engagement with East of the River, this is what it looks like majority of the time,” said Casson, “I am a long-standing advocate for Marshall Heights as well, and we pretty much have to figure out things in this manner and fight for what should have just been done correctly from the beginning."
Casson said the community will continue to fight the proposal and is circulating a petition to stop the plan.
DCPS states in the letter they are working with the facilities manager to locate another greenspace/playground for the Nalle students and Marshall Heights community during construction.