Description

With the city's FY13 budget now set and under way, the planned renovation and expansion project for Hearst Elementary School is in jeopardy. One of, if not the only, elementary school in the District educating students in ALL District Wards, the 80 year old building is in dire need of attention and modernization -- at a minimum, to keep kids from having to run through the rain to use the bathroom. Between the time the city approved the renovation and modest expansion plans and the approval of the FY13 budget, the architectural plans and enrollment projections have changed. I understand this is not the first or only scenario where approved budgets do not meet the plan requirements (Wilson High School, Janney Elementary).

This requires the attention of the entire District as students in every Ward (including many whose in-boundary schools have closed) are affected.

It is a safety issue, an educational issue, and a community issue that deserves and should demand a high profile and swift resolution.