New Use For Closed DC Schools
24 06 2008Mayor Fenty has been touting his school restructuring plan for a while, and now we finally got word on what the District’s going to do with some of the 23 schools that are being closed under the plan. The idea is to turn the buildings, which are no longer being used as schools, into offices for the various District agencies as well as nonprofits.
This is great news because the plan will not only find new uses for buildings the district already owns (thus reducing rents paid), but also makes the services more accessible and part of the community.
The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation will move its headquarters into Young Elementary School in NE and Meyer Elementary School will get the parking enforcement division of the Department of Public Works and Keeley’s boxing program, a nonprofit youth development organization. Also included will be new homes for the DMV, Department of Corrections, the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, and two charter schools among others.
We’re not sure how they grouped the Parking Enforcement with the Boxing program, but maybe they are training future parking police? Regardless, this is definitely a sign of improvement for the DC government and we are all for it!
Pictured is the old John Mercer Langston School which is not part of the plan but is being reused as you can see for the DC Service Corps. [Photo: M.V. Jantzen]
Jeez, can’t they put a little money into that building? Maybe a better sign? They should take some of the money they saved by reusing the buildings to buy a little paint and do some pressure washing. It still looks like a decrepit abandoned school.
Who are the DC Service Corps by the way?
I think this is great news. There’s an old school near me that doesn’t appear to even be in use anymore (at least, I hope it’s not; it’s looks to be seriously in disrepair). I hope they rehab that old building and put it to better use. Bravo, DC government.
Also, Bowen Elementary School along M Street Southwest will become the new HQ fo MPD’s 1st District.
How old is that picture? The John Mercer Langston School is located at 45 P St. NW. According to the DC realty office, the school is currently occupied by the “Associates For Renewal in Education” (ARE) Public Charter School and has been for years. Nobody seems to know anything about the “DC Services Corp.” My internet sleuthing didn’t find any hits more recent than 1994. The DC Services Corp was apparently created in 1991 as a volunteer organization to coordinate various public service projects such as renovating shelters for the homeless, restoring playgrounds and parks, organizing after-school programs, assisting elderly people with chores and home repairs and serving the DC community. What happened to it, and why their sign is up on the school despite the fact that it apparently doesn’t exist anymore, is anyone’s guess.
Found the pic on Flickr. Says the pic was taken in April ‘08.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=langston&w=77945684%40N00
Yeah the sign was still up last time we drove by about a week ago… and since the mayors office had no clue when we called your guess is as good as ours!
How thrilling for the people of Columbia Heights/Pleasant Plains: “Meyer Elementary School will get the parking enforcement division of the Department of Public Works”. I’m sure this will put their home values through the roof.