On February 25, Murch HSA Co-President Martha McIntosh testified at the DC Council Committee on Transportation and the Environment’s Hearing on performance oversight of the Department of General Services.
Murch Modernization Proposed Redesign #2 – February 24, 2016
Below is the proposed redesign of the Murch modernization, as presented on February 24, 2016. Click here to see what the Reno Road entrance and raised gym might look like from street level.
Murch Renovation in the News
Check out stories in the news about the Murch modernization:
The Washington Post, February 26, 2016
The Northwest Current, February 24, 2016
Latest Design Proposal: Where Do We Stand?
This week, DC Public Schools (DCPS) and the Department of General Services (DGS) presented their latest attempt to design a new Murch and outlined the costs of the project. DCPS also participated in a community meeting on February 24 to answer questions about the process and show the newest proposed design.
The shifting news about costs and budgets has been confusing, however, the bottom line is that the project is still $10 million underfunded for the design that the community saw last year. According to DCPS and DGS:
- The cost to build the school (as it was developed in schematic designs last year) and move students to UDC for two years would be $88 million.
- The current budget for the project is $78 million.
- The budget was previously $68 million. Last week, the administration approved $10 million to be added to the project to help cover some additional costs, primarily for swing space.
- The trailers at UDC will cost more than $6.5 million to install and lease for two years. There are additional costs to the swing space as well, including agreements with UDC. It was not clear what the total cost of swing space will be as some of these costs are not yet public.
- DCPS and DGS are still under direction to redesign the project to fit the current $78 million budget. DCPS has told the administration that they believe they can build to at least 90% of the specifications for that cost.
It is clear that city leaders are attempting to keep costs for the project at the same level as budgeted for Lafayette Elementary. (The Lafayette project is currently budgeted at $78.65 million.) What needs to be made clear is that the cost of the Murch project is higher for reasons outside of the control of the community or the design team. Specifically:
- The portion of the site upon which the school can be build is compact.
- There are stricter limits on the Murch project from historic preservation and federal commissions than on many other schools.
- The building is particularly old and has never seen upgrades, so structural components need more work.
- The total square footage of the building needs to be doubled from the existing structure.
The HSA and the SIT are continuing to work with Mayor Bowser and her administration to try to find a solution. This week, we have:
- Spoken directly to the Mayor about our concerns.
- Testified before the DC Council regarding DGS.
- Spoken directly to Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles and DGS Director Christopher Weaver to discuss concerns and possible solutions.
- Spoken to Councilmember Mary Cheh about the project and possible solutions to the funding concerns. (You can read The Northwest Current for more on Councilmember Cheh’s response to the current situation.)
- Met with the DC Auditor to discuss why the project will cost the city so much and whether anything can be done to bring down costs without affecting the final building.
The Mayor, the Deputy Mayor for Education and DGS Director have all indicated that they will meet with Murch to review the current plans and try to understand the concerns of the community. We will continue to press the issue so that the school and community get the building that is needed for generations to come.
What can you do to help? Please continue to reach out to the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor for Education, the Chancellor, and members of the Council to let them know that this remains a critical issue without a solution. We need our leaders to understand that the Murch community is upset with the high cost of this project, but also needs the school to be built in a way that makes sense and serves the future. The city has had more than enough time to plan this properly and we do not want a delay. But the community also cannot accept a design that is ill-conceived and inadequate.
For more information, be sure to check out:
Latest Design Proposal for Murch – February 24
Murch Modernization in the News
Also be sure to check out “Swing Space Updates,” for an ongoing list of updates and information.
Latest Design Proposal for Murch – February 24, 2016
On February 24, DCPS and DGS presented new proposed design for Murch. This is an attempt to cut $10 million in costs out of the project to bring it within the current budget of $78 million. The newest design would:
- Move the cafeteria to the current multi-purpose room, with a kitchen between the cafeteria and the main entryway to the building.
- Move the service entrance to Reno Road. DCPS and DGS are currently assessing how deliveries would travel from the service entrance to the kitchen and front office. Deliveries would either need to come through the main school corridor, outside the PK and Kindergarten classrooms, or outside, around the parking area and through the playground.
- Build two parking lots at ground level. One would be along Reno Road, under the gym. The other would be at the corner of 36th and Davenport Streets, next to the main entry.
- Raise the gym by 8 feet (to accommodate parking below), putting the gym at mid-level to the rest of the addition.
- Move the media center to the area by the PK and Kindergarten classrooms.
- Move the PreK and K playground to a courtyard by the PK and K classrooms. Currently, access to the playground is shown through the media center.
- Shrink the front office space and move the Special Education Classroom in the office corridor.
Reminder: Murch Renovation Community Meeting Wednesday at 7pm
DCPS needs to hear from you!
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What: | Come find out more about the renovation and ask DCPS your questions! |
When: | 7pm, Wednesday, February 24, 2016 |
Where: | Murch Gym (babysitting will not be provided, but kids welcome) |
Why: | Construction on our long-awaited construction project is supposed to start in June. But suddenly DCPS says the project is underfunded and has proposed significant design changes, which the School Improvement Team and HSA oppose. |
What will this mean for Murch’s future? Representatives from DCPS, the Murch SIT, and HSA will discuss:
- What’s driving up the cost of the Murch project.
- Why, despite the mayor’s office allocating an additional $10 million a few days ago, DCPS insists it still can’t afford to build the school as designed.
- How proposed design changes would affect Murch students and staff.
- Details about the new swing space plan at UDC.
Another way to make your voice heard: Attend one of the Mayor’s Budget Forums and raise the issue!
- Thursday, February 25, 6:30-8:30 pm at Roosevelt Senior High School (Sign up here to attend.)
- Saturday, February 27, 1-3 pm, DC Department of Employment Services (Sign up here to attend.)
- Monday, February 29, 6:30-8:30 pm, Greenleaf Recreation Center (Sign up here to attend)
Fresh Off the Press—The Blue & Gold Newspaper
The latest edition (Feb 2016) of The Blue & Gold Newspaper has been released.
Click BLUE & GOLD to read all the latest news from our student reporters, including an interview with Murch’s chief architect, book reviews, and teacher interviews.
Modernization Funding Update – Make Your Voice Heard!
While swing space for the modernization now looks good, the quality of the main project is in jeopardy due to funding issues. DCPS and DGS have informed the Murch School Improvement Team that the current budget is not sufficient to the design they developed over the past year.
It is important to understand that this project was underfunded, in spite of the known complexities of the project. DCPS and DGS got the budget estimate wrong, and now they are trying to cover for their mistake no matter what the price is to the school. DCPS and DGS knew prior to last year’s budget process that the Murch modernization would require significant portions of the space to go underground and that the school would have to be moved offsite for two full years. They told the SIT, the Mayor, and the DC Council that the current $68 million budget would cover what was necessary. Now they say it will not.
The agencies told the SIT that the two biggest things causing the current shortfall are swing space costs and building underground — the very things the school was told had been included in the prior budget estimate! DCPS has now told the SIT that they are adding money to the budget to cover the swing space costs because they recognize that there were serious problems in the process of selecting swing space. Rather than add money to build the school as designed, however, they want to redesign the building to meet the current budget. They seem to believe that they can redo in four months what was developed over the course of a year in conjunction with the school, the community, and a number of local and federal entities! (You can see an analysis of the design changes they have proposed here.)
We know that the community is outraged, and we should all be. The city should be held accountable for their mistakes. There are three specific things you can do now to help make sure that the city provides the funds necessary to build the school our students and future generations of students need:
- Email or call the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor for Education and the members of the DC Council (particularly the member from your Ward, Education Committee Chairman David Grosso, and Chairman Phil Mendelson). Personal notes to each individual are the most powerful if you are able to do so. You can find contact information for each of those people here.
- Share this information with friends and colleagues. What is happening at Murch affects every other school that needs to be renovated and it demonstrates major flaws in how our city government works.
- Attend one of the Mayor’s Budget Forums and raise the issue. There are three forums scheduled:
Thursday, February 25, 6:30-8:30 pm at Roosevelt Senior High School (Sign up here to attend.)
Saturday, February 27, 1-3 pm, DC Department of Employment Services (Sign up here to attend.)
Monday, February 29, 6:30-8:30 pm, Greenleaf Recreation Center (Sign up here to attend.)
Over the past week, the HSA and SIT members have been hard at work reaching out to city leaders. We will continue that outreach and we will continue to update the community. Please check out the story that ran last night on ABC7 News. Thank you to the community for all the contacts you have already made on this. Together we can make sure that the city finds a way to build a facility that will serve Murch students properly for generations to come!
Have questions about the modernization? Come ask them!
The School Improvement Team (SIT) has organized two opportunities next week for families and the community to get more information about the Murch renovation. Whether you want to understand more about the swing space, the design for the new school, or the current budget issues, we want to provide as much information as we currently know. The information sessions will be:
- Monday, February 22, 1:30 – 7:00 pm — During parent-teacher conferences, members of the SIT will be at Murch to answer questions, show drawings, and provide whatever information we can to parents. Look for the table near the school entrance. (May be inside or outside, depending on the weather forecast.)
- Wednesday, February 24, 7:00 pm — The SIT has asked the DCPS and DGS Project Managers to participate in a community meeting to answer questions about the modernization and swing space. The heads of DCPS and DGS, as well as city leaders and their staffs are also invited.
Good News on Swing Space!
We are pleased to report some good news: Murch’s swing space is starting to take better shape. This week, Principal Cebrzynski and representatives from the SIT met with administrators from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), as well as DCPS and DGS, to discuss the swing space plans. One big piece of news is that DCPS and UDC are now committed to Murch relocating to UDC for two school years rather than moving back to the construction site in year two. This will help avoid multiple, disruptive moves during construction, allow better continuity for students, keep staff focused on education rather than logistics, and allow construction to move more quickly.
The full details of the plans are being decided and, once discussions are complete, the UDC Board of Trustees will meet as soon as possible to review the plan so that it can be finalized.
Other highlights for parents to know about the swing space at UDC:
- Classes and offices will be located in trailer pods designed and built to fit Murch’s needs. These will be similar to those currently in use at Lafayette.
- The Murch site will include a large “bubble” building (like at Lafayette) that can be used for indoor gym classes and other school activities.
- There is currently a playground on the site that will be renovated with new equipment and used for Murch students.
- DCPS and UDC are working with a third group (Field, LLC) on a plan to have the field adjacent to the Murch trailers reconstructed into a turf soccer field. The goal is to speed up construction of that field and have it available for use as soon as possible. If the field is not completed prior to the start of school in the fall, UDC has proposed to make its gym available to Murch to supplement the “bubble” and the playground on the site. Once the soccer field is complete, Murch students would have access to that turf field as well. To ensure that both Murch and UDC students have access to space during Murch’s time at UDC, DCPS is negotiating to allow UDC access to fields and sites at DCPS schools, as necessary.
- UDC is committed to making other spaces on the campus available to Murch as needed, including an auditorium for events.
- UDC is very interested in working with Murch on educational programs and partnerships. Areas that have already been mentioned as opportunities for partnerships between the two schools relate to urban farming, green energy, robotics, music, art, after school athletics and tutoring.
DCPS and DGS are working to prepare diagrams of the site layout to share with the Murch community by next week. In order to help families see what the swing space will be like, DCPS and UDC will work with the SIT to host events for Murch families at both UDC and the trailer pods and “bubble” at Lafayette. UDC also welcomes Murch families to come walk through campus anytime to take a look at the site. The Murch SIT is grateful to the UDC administration team for their hard work to help make a great home for Murch on their campus. While it took a long while to get to this point, the plans for Murch over the next two years look exciting!
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