CHPSPO Meeting Notes – March 18, 2014

Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
SWS@Goding, 920 F Street, NE – March 18, 2014, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

1. Report out on March 6 CHPSPO-sponsored Candidates Forum (http://storify.com/CHPSPO/ward-6-council-candidates-forum-on-education-march)

2. SY14/15 Budgets (Report outs by each school on the budget allocations) and discussion of upcoming budget hearings

• Schools reported on FY15 initial operational budget allocations.
• Q&A around DCPS Budget Guide
• Points to be covered by individual schools on budget:
  • Lack of transparency
  • 10% increase promised by DCPS was not met
  • What can be done to get more accurate enrollment? Trends over time?
  • Extended day – shouldn’t be tied to union vote
  • Summer school at each lowest performing schools
  • 1^st/2^nd wave of charter influx Oct/Feb – needs to be accounted for in the budget
  • Adequately fund libraries so that collections can be built (not just maintained)
  • Recruit librarians adequately
  • Number of schools will not have full-time nurses
• Hearings:
  • Thursday, March 20, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Cardozo Education Campus,1200 Clifton Street, NW
  • Thursday, April 17, 10 am, Room 500, DCPS Budget Oversight Hearing (Public Witnesses Only).  Contact Jamaal Jordan, jjordan@dccouncil.us or call 724-8061.
  • Thursday, April 17, 10 am, Room 123, Department of General Services Budget Hearing.  Contact Ronan Gulstone, rgulstone@dccouncil.us or call 478-2456.
• Budget Open House:
  • Wednesday, April 9 (throughout the day), Councilmember Catania.

3. School modernization funding (Department of General Services guest, Melissa Millar)

• Reprogramming of capital improvements plan (multi bill 5-6 year plan)
  • Cost escalation due to construction demand
  • Prioritize projects to finish what was started – DCPS controls the priorities
  • Ward 6 examples
    • JO Wilson $726.00 left over to be reprogrammed to other schools
    • 7 schools that totaled 6.6 million
    • 500K to Watkins
    • 2.448 to Stuart Hobson
    • Expect funding for Payne to be restored
• For capital dollars, need to testify at both DCPS and DGS
  • Y14 about 25M went to Ward 6 schools
  • SY15, will be ready in two weeks
• Master Facilities Plan does not seem to influence Capital Improvement Dollars
• DME responsible for MFP, but DME does not have planning resource on staff
• DCPS has few planners on staff – DGS supports developing education specs
• Community liaison Jackie Stanley
• Hearings:
  • Thursday, March 20, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Cardozo Education Campus,1200 Clifton Street, NW
  • Thursday, April 17, 10 am, Room 500, DCPS Budget Oversight Hearing (Public Witnesses Only).  Contact Jamaal Jordan, jjordan@dccouncil.us or call 724-8061.
  • Thursday, April 17, 10 am, Room 123, Department of General Services Budget Hearing.  Contact Ronan Gulstone, rgulstone@dccouncil.us or call 478-2456.

4. Public Charter School applications and public hearing

• 2014 Applications: http://www.dcpcsb.org/News-Room.aspx?id=407
• Emma Brown, Washington Post article with links to indiv applications, including high school grades proposed on Capitol Hill
• Hearings: April 14 – 16, Exact date TBD

Next CHPSPO Meeting:  April 22, 2014 (note 4^th Tuesday in April)

Upcoming Events:

FY15 DCPS and DGS Budget Hearings

• Thursday, March 20, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Cardozo Education Campus,1200 Clifton Street, NW

• Wednesday, April 9 (throughout the day), Budget Open House, Councilmember Catania.

• Thursday, April 17, 10 am, Room 500, DCPS Budget Oversight Hearing (Public Witnesses Only).  Contact Jamaal Jordan, jjordan@dccouncil.us or call 724-8061.

• Thursday, April 17, 10 am, Room 123, Department of General Services Budget Hearing.  Contact Ronan Gulstone, rgulstone@dccouncil.us or call 478-2456.

2013 Fundraisers

• March 22        Maury at the Market
• March 29        Brent Taste of the Hill
• May 18            Capitol Hill Classic 10K/3K/Fun Run

Public Charter School Hearing

April 14 – 16   Exact date TBD