ANC 2F Supports Modernizing Garrison Elementary

We in ANC 2F believe that strong public schools are the foundation of a vibrant community.  In support of that goal, we passed the following resolution at our May meeting calling on the Mayor and City Council to modernize Garrison Elementary School in the Fiscal Year 2014 budget.  The text of the resolution is below:

Preamble

Whereas:

Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) were created to “advise the Council of the District of Columbia, the Mayor and each executive agency . . . with respect to all proposed matters of District government policy,” including with respect to education;[1]

Garrison Elementary School is within the boundaries of ANC 2F, and DCPS designates many families in our ANC to Garrison as their school of right;

The Logan Circle Community has worked to make our neighborhood a place where families want to stay and raise their children, and Garrison, as an important part of developing a strong feeder system, is essential to that goal;

In the past three years, parents have re-established a PTA, developed strong partnerships with local community organizations, reached out to prospective parents, and worked with DCPS to improve the school;

The PTA and community have greatly improved maintenance services at the school and grounds through constant vigilance, volunteer efforts, and consistent advocacy;

The Logan Circle neighborhood has seen significant population increases over the last several years, and DCPS projects the neighborhood will increase by at least 125 children by 2015.[2]  Indeed, the population of 3 to 11 year olds in the area immediately surrounding Garrison will nearly double by 2017, and grow by another third by 2022;[3]

Retaining these current and anticipated families is essential to our community’s continued growth and stability;

Garrison is in desperate need of capital investment.  As recognized in the 2010 Master Facilities Plan:

• “Many interior spaces are in need of renovations”;
• “Ceiling finishes are in poor condition.  Asbestos tile is present throughout and needs to be removed”;
• “Public address and fire alarm systems are antiquated and require replacement”;
• [Plumbing] Fixtures are outdated and should be replaced;
• “Wooden exterior doors need to be replaced and all exterior windows have deteriorated and need to be replaced”;
• ADA compliance is “unsatisfactory” and the building “needs numerous upgrades in order to accomplish [compliance]”;

The school has not undergone a single renovation since it opened in 1964;

Garrison has an educational facilities effectiveness (EFEI) score of 36 percent according to the 2013 Master Facilities Plan—one of the lowest in the District[4]—and is one of the only public schools in the area (DCPS or charter) that has not been partially or fully modernized;

The Master Facilities Plan recommends complete, rather than phased-in, school modernizations;[5]

Professional pro bono services and non-DCPS funds have been secured to defray the costs of modernization, and the PTA and community stand ready to further assist;

The modernization at Garrison has been delayed three times in the last three years, and the Mayor’s current proposed budget anticipates starting the renovation in 2015, with completion in 2022—9 years away;^[6] and

Capital investment in Garrison has been too often postponed and is long overdue.  To meet population growth in Logan Circle are and to ensure the diversity, vitality and coherence of the community, we urgently need our community school Garrison modernized.

Resolution

Therefore, be it resolved that

ANC 2F advises and strongly recommends that the City Council appropriate $16 million to fully fund Garrison’s modernization in Fiscal Year 2014 to allow for a complete, one-time modernization.