Ellington Field Reprieve

the DCPS-DGS review of Ellington Field as temporary swing space with modular units considered traffic and other impacts on ward 2 residents, MedStar Georgetown Hospital, and field users.

By Eric Langenbacher, president@burleith.org

On March 21 Nathaniel Beers, chief operating office of DC Public Schools, sent stakeholders in the renovation of Hyde-Addison Elementary School a letter concerning its modernization status. I received a copy as a follow-up to my February 6 email expressing BCA opposition to the temporary relocation of the school to Ellington Field.

According to Beers, DCPS and Department of General Services decision-makers are no longer considering use of Ellington Field as swing space for Hyde-Addison. The BCA believes this decision is final, but will monitor the matter to the best of our ability until the situation is resolved—presumably in May. 

More than 20 local schools and organizations use the field for sporting events.

In his letter, Beers noted that the two agencies "were not able to identify a site that will be able to host the Hyde-Addison population during construction that would be ready" for the 2016–2017 school year. Consequently, "DCPS has decided to postpone the start of the construction project to June 2017," a delay of one year. During construction, DCPS proposes locating Hyde-Addison students at Meyer Elementary School, at 11th and Euclid Streets NW, which is one of the buildings now occupied by Duke Ellington School of the Arts during its renovation. Hyde-Addison students will return to their refurbished school for the 2019–2020 school year.

Comments and questions on the proposed swing space may be submitted to DCPS until Friday, March 25, 2016. Submission details are contained in Beers's letter.