KIPP DC and Two Rivers to Move into Former School Buildings
Two high-performing charter schools have been awarded former school buildings, Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced Wednesday.
KIPP DC will relocate its College Prep high school from Ward 8, and expand to the former Hamilton School (1401 Brentwood Parkway NE) near Ivy City in Ward 5. Two Rivers PCS will expand its PK program and serve grades K-8 at the former Young Elementary School in Carver-Langston located at 820 26th Street NE in Ward 6.
“More students will have access to high-quality education through the expansions and replications that are possible with some of our highest performing schools moving into these school buildings, “ said Executive Director Scott Pearson.
KIPP DC – College Prep PCS is a Tier 1 school that has a 99% high school graduation rate and a 100% college acceptance rate. KIPP DC operates 12 public charter schools in the District.
KIPP DC President and Chief Operating Officer Allison Fansler said it has tried for years to find a site to expand its high school program. “We are eager to negotiate the terms of the lease and execute our vision for the campus so that more District students will have the opportunity to make their way to and through college.”
KIPP DC plans to demolish the Hamilton school and build a brand new 120,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility and install multi-use athletic fields. The new school will serve up to 850 high school students and offer the community access to the athletic fields and community meeting space.
Two Rivers PCS is a Tier 1 school that has the longest waiting list—more than 1,776 names-- of any charter school in the District. Jessica Wodatch, Executive Director at Two Rivers, said, “There's just an incredible demand and we would like to serve more students. We are also passionate about our model and would like to see more students be exposed to it.” The school uses a project-based learning model and also focuses on character education and the arts.
Two Rivers PCS plans to assess the facility to see how much it would cost to renovate. But it is their hope to have students in the new building in August 2015.
“These are valuable public buildings and I firmly believe that they should continue to serve the educational needs of District families,” said Gray. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) and the Department of General Services (DGS) were also part of the announcement.